Early Saturday morning, the Perry Police Department responded to a home near the intersection of 200 Birch Street where a man was reported shot. Upon arrival at approximately 6:30 a.m., officers discovered James Aaron Russell, aged 32, with a fatal gunshot wound. Despite immediate attempts to urgently save his life, Russell was pronounced dead at the scene. KFOR reports that Russell's husband, Kenton Dale Thedford, was found on the premises and taken into custody in connection with the shooting.
Thedford, 39, was subsequently booked at Noble County Detention Center on a charge of homicide. OKC FOX added that the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation assisted in this case, indicating the gravity of the investigation effort. Although the reason behind the shooting has yet to be disclosed, police have established Thedford as the primary suspect in this domestic incident.
The investigation remains active, and Perry police are urging anyone with potential information to come forward. In a statement obtained by KOCO, authorities are seeking public assistance to piece together the circumstances of this tragic event. Perry Police have utilized their Facebook platform to reach out to the community in hopes of gathering more details. According to information made available by Perry Police Department, Thedford remains in custody, with any further updates likely to be closely scrutinized by an unsettled community.
