Donald Eugene Laver
(File photo)
By Patti Weaver
(Stillwater, Okla.) — A Stillwater man has been jailed on $100,000 bail pending a March 6 court appearance on charges of pointing a gun at his wife, pistol-whipping her, hitting her hand with a large knife, shooting a wall, violating a protective order, eluding an officer and escaping from arrest.
Due to his prior drug and burglary convictions, Donald Eugene Laver, 46, could be given three life sentences plus 13 years if convicted of a seven-count charge filed last week by Payne County Assistant District Attorney Debra Vincent.
The day after the alleged attack on his wife at her Stillwater residence, Laver was arrested at 12:19 pm on Feb. 1 at Glencoe and Prairie Road after he fled from his pickup and a K-9 team tracked him, Payne County Sheriff’s Deputy Derrick Gray alleged in an affidavit.
“Donald stated that he had fallen out of a tree and had possibly broken his leg, so he was transported to Stillwater Medical Center,” the deputy’s affidavit said.
The previous day, his wife “reported that Donald Laver pistol whipped her and shot the wall,” Stillwater Police Officer Rachel Bruce alleged in an affidavit.
His wife, who had an emergency protective order against him, said “she was lying on the bed watching TV when she heard the doorknob jiggle and then the door bust open. She said Donald came in and she told him to get out and that she was calling the police.
“She said that she did not see he had a gun at first, but as she reached for her phone, he took the phone and pointed the gun at her, telling her he was going to kill her. (She) had her car keys and was using them to make her car horn go off.
“She said that Donald threatened to kill her and then pointed the pistol at the wall and fired it into a wall in the bedroom. (She) stated Donald then hit her in the head with the pistol as she continued to tell him to leave.
“She said that Donald would go to the front door and look out and then he came back and tell her that he was going to have to kill her for calling the cops. (She) said she was kneeling on the floor when Donald hit her on the left side of the face.
“(She) also reported Donald had a large ‘Rambo’ style knife. She said she was holding her hands up to protect her face when Donald hit her hand with the butt of the knife. (She) had an area of swelling and bruising on top of her left hand and small cut and swelling on the back of her head where she said that Donald had hit her with the pistol,” the affidavit alleged.
“During treatment at the ER, she was asked by ER staff if the suspect had choked her. She said that he had his hands around her neck to keep her from yelling,” the affidavit alleged.
“At the scene, Officer Luginbill stated Lt. Kyle Bruce located a bullet hole in the south wall of the bedroom. A fired pistol casing was found on the bed, at the head of the bed, in the bedding,” the affidavit alleged.
Laver’s wife “told Officer Luginbill that when Donald came into the residence, he told her she was going to have to come with him. (She) said she did not know where he was going. (She) said they were supposed to be moving to another house together. However, she cancelled that plan, and she had not seen Donald since 1/26/2023, when she reported he was suicidal,” the affidavit alleged.
