Oklahoma teen mom is called 'hero' for fatally shooting intruder
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Sarah McKinley, 18, and her 3-month-old son Justin sit on the couch of her mobile home Wednesday in Blanchard, Okla. Ms. McKinley's son was with her Saturday when she shot Justin Shane Martin, 24, after he broke into her home. Authorities don't plan to file charges against her.
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LOS ANGELES -- Some might call it a case of swift Oklahoma justice for at least one of two intruders -- both reportedly high on prescription drugs -- who tried to break into a young widow's home on New Year's Eve.
Sarah McKinley, 18, calmly used a shotgun to shoot and kill one of the men Saturday when he forced his way through the front door of her Blanchard, Okla., mobile home and past a sofa she had used to barricade it.
Now, the second man is facing first-degree murder charges, and Ms. McKinley is being hailed as a hero for doing what she believed she had to do to protect herself and her 3-month-old son, Justin.
The two men were reportedly looking for drugs -- most likely painkillers -- that they believed might have been left behind by Ms. McKinley's husband, who died of lung cancer Christmas Day.
Ms. McKinley will not face charges in the case, garnering global headlines and Internet notice, because there appears to be little confusion about the facts. Much of her ordeal was captured in a 911 recording in which she asked for help -- and for permission to shoot if necessary.
"There's a guy at my door, and I'm here by myself with my infant baby. Can I please get a dispatcher out here immediately?" Ms. McKinley asks in a steady voice tinged with emotion. Grady County dispatcher Diane Graham asks Ms. McKinley whether her doors are locked.
Her answer: "Yes. I've got two guns in my hand. Is it OK to shoot him if he comes in my door?"
"I can't tell you that you can do that," Ms. Graham replies, "but you do what you have to do to protect your baby."
Justin Shane Martin, 24, of Blanchard died clutching a knife in his gloved left hand, according to Grady County district court records. His alleged accomplice, Dustin Louis Stewart, 29, also of Blanchard later surrendered.
Mr. Stewart confessed to police that he and Mr. Martin "devised a plan to burglarize the residence" because Mr. Martin knew that "a resident of the home had recently died of cancer" and "suspected narcotics may be located inside the residence," according to an affidavit. Mr. Stewart also told police that he and Mr. Martin ingested the drug hydrocodone about 30 minutes before the planned break-in, according to the court records.
First Published January 6, 2012 12:00 am
