A nearly month-old burglary at Pawhuska’s former National Guard armory has produced an arrest, with investigators saying a local man entered the building and removed police property, a motorcycle and other items. Searches at two residences later turned up much of the reported haul, plus suspected drugs and paraphernalia. Investigators say the case is still widening.
According to KTUL, the Pawhuska Police Department requested help from the Osage County Sheriff’s Office on July 8 to investigate the break-in. The former armory currently holds evidence and property belonging to the Pawhuska Police Department, making the burglary more than a routine theft from an empty building.
Investigators obtained search warrants for two residences and recovered a stolen motorcycle, several tools, police property and evidence connected to earlier criminal investigations. Suspected illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia were also found during the searches. The Osage County Sheriff’s Office inmate roster lists David Dewayne Cochran, also identified as Cochrane, as booked July 28 from Pawhuska on allegations including second-degree burglary, conspiracy and larceny, burglary or theft of a controlled substance.
Investigators Say More Pawhuska Arrests Could Follow
Deputies allege Cochrane unlawfully entered the armory, removed items and hid portions of the property at another residence. The sheriff’s office told KTUL that investigators have identified other people believed to be involved, with additional arrests and criminal charges anticipated.
The Armory Is A Historic Pawhuska Landmark
The building at the center of the case is also a listed historic property. The Oklahoma Historical Society’s National Register handbook lists the Pawhuska Armory as a National Register property added in 1994, while a historical account says the structure was completed in 1937 as a Works Progress Administration project and served both the Guard and the wider community.
