(Stillwater, Okla.) — Four Lincoln County residents have been charged as co-defendants with setting fire to three cars in a Cushing driveway following an argument in Agra — where one of them was reportedly slapped.
Arrest warrants were issued last week for the four, who allegedly confessed to Cushing Police Sgt. Adam Harp, but they were not in the Payne County Jail Monday, a spokesman told KUSH.
Randy Mack Richardson, 25, of Sparks; Taylor Janice Lindsey, 20, of Meeker, who was reportedly slapped; her then-boyfriend, Cody James Standlee, 23, of Meeker; and Landon Wayne Vaughan, 20, of Meeker, were charged as co-defendants.
If convicted of three counts of third-degree arson each, the defendants could each be sentenced to 45 years in prison and fined $30,000, according to the charges filed by prosecutor Debra Vincent last week.
The Cushing police sergeant wrote in an affidavit filed last week that at 1:36 a.m. on July 10, 2013, Cushing police received a 911 call of a reported vehicle fire in the 300 block of E. Vine Street that was transferred to the Cushing Fire Department.
At the scene, Cushing Fire Department Lt. Jeremy Willman “noticed what appeared to be a burn trail and requested fire investigators Tyler Morris and Jim Wilhelm,” respond, the affidavit said.
Cushing Police Officer Carson Watts told Willman “he believed that the fire was arson and try to preserve any evidence,” the affidavit said.
“Lt. Willman said that he noticd a burn trail that led about 30 feet to the east of the vehicle that was fully involved,” the affidavit said.
“Lt. Willman said that the owner’s son made mention that he got into an argument earlier this evening, and it could have been the person he was arguing with that set the fire,” the affidavit alleged.
One of the cars was a total loss, while the other two were damaged, according to the affidavit.
“Investigator Morris said the exterior scene findings indicated a trail of ignitable liquid was used to ignite the vehicles,” the affidavit said.
The property owner said “she thought that someone had intentionally burned her vehicles,” the affidavit said.
She said that earlier in the evening she and her son were pulling in the driveway of a friend’s house in Agra “when another vehicle pulled in the driveway and blocked them,” the affidavit said.
She said three males and a female got out of the vehicle and began yelling at her friend — “trying to start a fight,” the affidavit alleged.
She belived that one of the males was Randy Richardson, who is related to the woman she was visiting in Agra, the affidavit said.
She said “she went up to the house to help her friend and try to get them to leave,” the affidavit said.
She said “that they would not get in the vehicle and leave, and that the female pushed her up against the door and that she slapped the female in the face and she became angry and they finally left,” the affidavit alleged.
She was able to give the fire investigator a description of the males and female, the affidavit said.
The fire in Cushing occurred across the street from a parts store, which had security footage showing “the ignition of the fire and what appeared to be two shadowy suspects in white T-shirts and shorts,” as the car owner had described in the Agra incident, the affidavit alleged.
Security footage at Walmart on E. Main Street in Cushing showed that three males and a female – matching the suspects’ description — purchased a five-gallon red gas can, gloves and soda at 12:30 a.m., the affidavit alleged.
Security footage at a convenience store on E. Main Street in Cushing showed that a female wearing a peach shirt and purple hat had come into the store at 12:52 a.m. and purchased gasoline, the affidavit alleged.
“The clerk said that the males stayed outside, while the female came inside and paid for the gasoline,” the affidavit alleged.
Two months later, the Cushing police sergeant assisted the Cushing fire investigator with interviewing the suspects, the affidavit said.
Richardson said “he wanted to be honest about what had happened,” Harp’s affidavit alleged. He said that his little brother had threatened to shoot him, “so he and Cody Standlee, Landon Vaughan and Taylor Lindsey all went to Agra to fight him,” the affidavit alleged.
Richardson said when they got to the Agra location, his relative “slapped Taylor in the face,” the affidavit alleged.
Richardson said they left in Lindsey’s green Honda, went to the Agra convenience store, then drove to the Cushing Walmart “where Taylor and Cody bought a gas can, glass bottles and gloves,” Harp’s affidavit alleged.
“Randy said that he asked Taylor and Cody what the items were for and they said they were going to burn down (the woman’s) house,” — which he said he told them not to do since they have children inside, the affidavit alleged.
“Randy said that he told them he wasn’t going with them because he didn’t want to get into trouble. Randy said he took Taylor’s car while Cody, Taylor and Landon all walked over to (the woman’s) house with the gas can,” the affidavit alleged.
“Randy said that he parked the car at the motel at Little and Main until they called him. Randy said that after they called him that he picked them up at the bar,” near the woman’s house, the affidavit alleged.
“Randy said that when Taylor and Cody got into the car that they told him that they had burnt the car instead of the house,” Harp’s affidavit alleged.
“Randy said that Cody said that he poured the gas and that Taylor lit the gas causing the car to catch on fire. Randy said that they all went back to Meeker, Oklahoma, after the arson,” the affidavit alleged.
When Stanlee was interviewed, he said “while they were at the house (in Agra) that Taylor, who was his girlfriend at the time, got slapped by another female,” the affidavit alleged.
“Cody said that when he and Taylor got to the house (in Cushing) that he poured the gas on the red Pontiac car and Taylor lit it. Cody said that it was Taylor’s idea because she got slapped earlier in the night,” Harp’s affidavit alleged.
“Cody said that Randy was waiting in the car and that Landon was around the corner. Cody said that he does not remember a lot of details because he was intoxicated,” the affidavit alleged.
“I asked Cody how much alcohol he thought he drank that night, and he said about a half of a fifth of rum,” Harp alleged in his affidavit.
When Lindsey was interviewed, “Taylor said that she was upset because she got slapped in the face and Randy said that he knew where she lived and that Cody said let’s go get that b….,” Harp’s affidavit alleged.
“Taylor said that they went to the Cushing Walmart and bought a gas can to blow up the car…. Taylor said that she and Cody went over to the house and that Cody poured the gas on the car,” Harp’s affidavit alleged.
“I asked Taylor if she lit the gas and she at first said no, but later said that she did. Taylor said at the time that she was afraid of Cody,” Harp’s affidavit alleged.
“Taylor said that Cody wanted to place blame equally if they had gotten caught. Taylor said that she and Cody are no longer together,” the affidavit alleged.
When Vaughan was interviewed, “Landon said that a female slapped Taylor and that after the assault she made the comment that she wanted to burn that b….’s car down,” Harp’s affidavit alleged.
Landon said that Richardson knew where the woman lived, “so he dropped him, Cody and Taylor off down the road,” the affidavit alleged.
“Landon said that he hid behind the building and did not see what really happened. Landon said that Cody told him that he covered the car in gas and that Taylor made the comment that she lit the gas,” Harp’s affidavit alleged.
“Landon said that after the arson that they all went back to Meeker, Oklahoma. I asked Landon whose idea it as to burn the car and he said Taylor,” Harp alleged in his affidavit.
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