Photo Caption: Rick Holt, a Pawhuska oilman, cowboy, and friend to the Osage, was murdered in 2015 by Jeremy and Tyler Reece. Jurisdictional questions of where he died has held up the legal system from passing down judgment on the brothers.
The preliminary hearing for two brothers accused of killing a Pawhuska oilman has been postponed yet again.
Jeremy and Tyler Reece were scheduled for a preliminary hearing in Osage County District Court May 21-22 in connection with the 2015 death of Rick Holt.
However, according to court records, that date was struck during an April 17 status conference at the request of attorneys for both the state of Oklahoma and the Reece brothers as the U.S. Attorney’s office considers weighing in.
Barring federal intervention, the brothers’ next scheduled court date is now a status conference on Sept. 11.
According to court records, the brothers waived their right to a speedy trial at the April 17 status conference.
The case has been in limbo for more than two years thanks to jurisdictional questions. The Reece brothers are citizens of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and Holt’s body was found on Osage land, thus opening the door for proceedings in federal or tribal court under the Major Crimes Act. The state of Oklahoma’s authority in the proceedings hinges on where the kill shot was delivered, which remains a point of contention.
In late March, Tyler Reece was moved to the David L. Moss Criminal Justice Center in Tulsa on a hold from the U.S. Marshal Service. He has since been returned to the Osage County Jail. The U.S. Marshal Service’s Tulsa office declined to provide any details about the transfer.
As of May 2, no federal charges have been filed against either Reece. A spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Tulsa declined to confirm or deny the office’s level of involvement due to the lack of federal charges.
Should the federal government decline to press charges, a criminal case is still pending against the brothers in tribal court.
The Osage Nation filed first-degree homicide charges in May 2016 to ensure the brothers remained in custody after the state of Oklahoma missed an appeal deadline.
If convicted in tribal court, the brothers could face up to one year in jail, a $5,000 fine and banishment from Osage lands for 20 years.
By
Lenzy Krehbiel-Burton
Original Publish Date: 2018-05-03 00:00:00
