(Perry) — The mother of convicted Cushing triple murderer Robert Chad Lansford-Barela, 21 — who was given three life without parole prison terms Thursday — has been jailed on a raft of charges including armed robbery, firing a gun into the home of a Red Rock couple and running a roadblock north of Stillwater.
DeGina Gay Lansford, 40, of Cushing, remains in the Noble County Jail on $125,000 bond on a eight-count charge including drunken driving at U.S. 177 and Cimarron Turnpike, eluding an Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper, firing shots in the air as troopers tried to talk to her, transporting a loaded gun, and driving under suspension.
If convicted of all charges in Noble County, Lansford, who is currently on probation for drunken driving on Highway 51 in Payne County, could be given as much as a life prison term plus 33 years, court records show. Through her court-appointed attorney, she can ask for a preliminary hearing on her felony charges on Nov. 16.
Lansford is accused of robbing a Red Rock couple of $900 in cash and threatening to kill them with a .38-caliber five-shot pistol, which she allegedly fired into their home on Oct. 13 — moments before an OHP pursuit began on U.S. 177 north of the Cimarron Turnpike in Noble County.
Trooper Justin Barney was traveling north on U.S. 177 just north of the Cimarron Turnpike in Noble County when he noticed a black Dodge pickup traveling south on U.S. 177 at 82 mph in a 65 mph area, according to his affidavit.
After the trooper turned around to make a traffic stop, the pickup yielded on U.S. 177 about a mile south of the Cimarron Turnpike, the affidavit said.
As the trooper started to get out of his patrol car, the driver, identified as Lansford, was holding a black revolver in her right hand when she opened the door to her pickup, the affidavit alleged.
“The driver started to bring the pistol up and put it to her head. I drew my firearm and commanded her to put the gun down. The driver stated, ‘If you come any closer, I am going to kill myself,"” the affidavit alleged
Lansford then closed the door and fled the scene southbound on U.S. 177, with the trooper in pursuit requesting additional patrol units, the affidavit alleged.
During the pursuit, which continued southbound on U.S. 177 to U.S. 64 in Noble County at speeds of 65 mph to 70 mph, Lansford crossed the centerline and made multiple swerving moments in her lane, the affidavit alleged.
As the trooper was pursuing Lansford, the Noble County Sheriff’s Department received information that Lansford was wanted for a possible armed robbery that occurred just moments before, the affidavit alleged.
With two more troopers joining the pursuit, Lansford continued south on U.S. 177 and entered Payne County — where Stillwater police had deployed stop sticks at the U.S. 412 Stllwater leg, the affidavit said.
“The Dodge pickup then ran the roadblock set up by Stillwater PD and struck the stop sticks, which deflated both front tires of the pickup,” the affidavit said.
Landford’s pickup stopped just south of the U.S. 412 Stillwater leg in Payne County, the affidavit said.
When the trooper ordered Lansford to show her hands, she put the pistol to her head multiple times, the affidavit said.
Lansford was drinking beer as she was sitting in the pickup with the pistol to her head, the affidavit said.
She “refused to exit the pickup and at one point, pointed the pistol out of the window and fired a bullet up into the air,” the affidavit alleged.
Lansford then got out of the pickup, waved the pistol around, and said that she wanted to kill herself, the affidavit alleged.
While officers were trying to negotiate with her to put down the pistol. “she was unsteady on her feet and had very heavy slurred speech,” the affidavit alleged.
Lansford “then fired between three and four more shots into the air during the time we were trying to talk to her.
After firing bullets into the air, Lansford was attempting to reload the pistol while troopers attempted to apprehend her — which was accomplished although she “struggled and resisted giving us her hands while we were attempting to place her in custody,” the trooper alleged in his affidavit.
“While an inventory of the pickup was being taken, a Rossi .38-caliber five-shot pistol and 30 rounds of .38-caliber bullets were found in the front seat along with three empty bottles of Busch beer,” the affidavit alleged.
Lansford was transported to the Noble County Jail where she refused to take the state’s test for the presence of alcohol, the affidavit said.
Five months and a day before the Noble County incident, Lansford pleaded guilty to drunk driving in Payne County and was placed on probation for one year, court records show.
Along with a $350 fine, she was ordered to complete a drug and alcohol evaluation, to follow any recommendations, to attend a victim impact panel and to perform 25 hours of community service, all to be accomplished by Nov. 12, court records show.
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