(Stillwater, Okla.) — An ex-convict from Cushing — who weighs more than 200 pounds — was charged today with first-degree murder in the fatal beating of a Cushing woman whom he met Thursday night at the Buckhorn Bar in downtown Cushing.
Benjamin Joel Andrew Littlesun, 22, who remains jailed without bail, is accused of killing Ava M. King, 45, by repeatedly kicking her in the face, head, and torso — while he was wearing steel-toed work boots –and punching her in the face on Thursday night.
The victim was nude from the waist down with her legs spread apart when she was found by Cushing Police Officer Carson Watts, dispatched to the alleyway of the 100 block of W. Broadway on a call to police at 7:39 a.m. Friday, an affidavit said.
She was wearing two shirts, both of which had been pulled up exposing her bra, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation Agent Richard Brown wrote in an affidavit filed today.
Her face was covered in blood with significant swelling and bruising, the affidavit said. When the Cushing officer approached the victim, “He observed her to slightly jerk her head to the left,” the affidavit said.
The officer was unable to locate a pulse on the woman, who was taken by ambulance to the Cushing Regional Hospital where she was pronounced dead at about 9:30 a.m. Friday, the affidavit said.
On the request of the Cushing Police Department, the OSBI’s Crime Scene and Latent Print unit processed the scene — where three palm prints allegedly belonging to Littlesun were developed from off a poly cart trash container next to the victim’s body, the affidavit said.
That same day, Cushing police spotted Littlesun walking on E. Main Street toward the Wilshire Motel, the affidavit said. Littlesun was initially arrested on an outstanding warrant from Creek County, the affidavit said.
“While being booked into the Cushing City Jail, Ava King’s driver’s license was located inside Littlesun’s wallet,” and placed into evidence, according to the affidavit.
OSBI Agents Brown and Jon Loffi conducted a recorded interview with Littlesun at the Cushing Police Department, the affidavit said.
Littlesun said that on Thursday night, he decided to go to the Buckhorn Bar at 122 W. Broadway in Cushing with his cousin, Phammie Bluebird, in Littlesun’s blue Dodge truck, the affidavit said.
Littlesun said that he drank beer at the bar and began talking to a white woman whom he described as being her late 30s, about 5’6′ or 5’7″, with blond hair, and wearing dark jeans with a long sleeve button up shirt, the affidavit said.
“Littlesun did not know the female’s name and had never seen her before tonight,” he told the OSBI, according to the affidavit.
He claimed that at about 10 p.m. or 10:30 p.m., he walked outside and the woman followed him out, the affidavit said.
“They both decided to sit in his blue Dodge truck and drink some Crown,” Littlesun told the OSBI, according to the affidavit.
“Littlesun had a couple of shots of Crown Royal and a cigarette. The female also had a couple of shots of Crown Royal,” Littlesun told the OSBI, according to the affidavit.
Littlesun claimed that the woman started kissing Littlesun and then they had sexual intercourse in the front seat of the truck, the affidavit said.
“During the sexual intercourse, the female said, ‘I can’t do this,’ and pushed Littlesun off of her,” Littlesun told the OSBI, according to the affidavit.
“The female exited the vehicle wearing only her shirts and was naked from the waist down. She walked east on Broadway toward Cleveland and then south on Cleveland,” Littlesun told the OSBI, the affidavit said.
“Littlesun followed the female on foot and confronted the female at the alley on Cleveland,” he told the OSBI, according to the affidavit. “Littlesun said he could still give her a ride,” the affidavit said.
“The female spit in Littlesun’s face, then slapped him with an open hand, and walked west into the alley from Cleveland. Littlesun walked ahead of the female and punched the female in the face,” Littlesun allegedly told the OSBI, according to the affidavit.
“Littlesun then stomped and kicked the female about her face and head approximately 20 times with heavy work boots,” he allegedly told the OSBI, the affidavit said.
“Littlesun then left the female and walked west in the alleyway and north across the vacant lot to the Buckhorn Bar,” where he told his cousin that they needed to leave the bar now, the affidavit alleged.
“Littlesun and Bluebird left in Littlesun’s blue truck. Littlesun told Bluebird that he beat the bitch’s ass,” Littlesun allegedly told the OSBI, the affidavit said.
“Littlesun felt he could have also told Bluebird he killed the female. After hearing Littlesun tell Bluebird this information, Bluebird got out of the truck and left on foot,” Littlesun allegedly told the OSBI, the affidavit said.
“Littlesun admitted he later threw his work boots on top of the church located between the Wilshire Motel and Atwood’s business located on East Main Street,” in Cushing, the affidavit alleged.
“Littlesun denied any knowledge of what happened to the female’s pants, panties, or her cell phone,” the affidavit said.
When the OSBI agent showed Littlesun a mugshot photo of King, who previously had an alcohol-related arrest in Cushing, “Littlesun identified King as the female he met at the bar, had sexual intercourse with in his truck, and later assaulted in the alleyway near the Buckhorn Bar on Dec. 1,” the affidavit alleged.
“Littlesun’s work boots were later located on the roof of the Church of Christ located at 1802 E. Main. The boots appeared to have blood and hair on them. Clothing believed to belong to Littlesun was also located in a dumpster next to Atwood’s, located on E. Main Street,” in Cushing, the affidavit alleged.
At the time of the slaying, Littlesun — who got out of prison in 2010 — was serving the probationary part of a five-year sentence for possession of a 2002 pickup truck stolen from Ausbrook’s Auto in Cushing and attempting to elude Cushing Police Officer Matthew Piatt, both on Jan. 13, 2009.
Littlesun was also serving the probationary part of a concurrent five-year sentence for possession of a stolen vehicle in Drumright in 2008, state Department of Corrections records show.
Littlesun has a long history of substance abuse, according to an Offender Accountability Plan prepared in 2009 under the Delayed Sentencing Program for Young Adults in his Cushing stolen vehicle case.
“Littlesun reports he began using alcohol at age 14 and it instantly became an addiction. Littlesun reported that he would drink to hide his depression and to have a good time,” state DOC Probation and Parole Officer Kendall Williamson wrote in a 2009 report to the court.
“Littlesun reports that he began using illegal drugs at the age of 12,” by using marijuana with his brother, the report said.
“At the age of 13, he began experimenting with cocaine and methamphetamine. Littlesun admits that he had a severe drug addiction. He was using methamphetamine on a daily basis.
“Littlesun reports that he has experimented with every illegal drug except heroin,” the report said.
Littlesun said that when he was arrested in January of 2009 in the Cushing stolen vehicle case, he was under the influence of alcohol, methamphetamine and marijuana, the report said.
Littlesun reported that he was born in Cushing, but had not seen his father since around 2001 and believed that he lives in Pawnee, the report said.
Littlesun said that he completed the 10th grade at Cushing High School and then dropped out, the report said.
Littlesun said that he believed his mother was in prison for a stolen vehicle conviction, the report said. He said that he was adopted by his stepfather when he was about 2, the report said. He said that his brother, Brandon, was discharged from prison in 2009, the report said.
“Littlesun reported that at the age of 16, he was arrested for numerous charges including assault and battery, public intoxication, possession of marijuana and a minor in possession,” the report said.
“Shortly after these arrests, Littlesun entered The Lighthouse inpatient treatment facility in Norman,” but he did not complete the seven-month program, the report said.
“Littlesun admitted that at the ages of 16 and 17, he made two suicide attempts,” while he was taking Prozac for depression, the report said.
Littlesun was arraigned today without an attorney on the first-degree murder charge and ordered held without bail by Special District Judge Michael Stano, who gave him an application for a court-appointed attorney.
District Attorney Tom Lee has not yet announced whether he will seek the death penalty for Littlesun.
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