Mayes Co Deputies Searching For Couple Charged With Sexual Abuse Of Teenager

Mayes County Deputies said a couple charged with sexually abusing a 14-year-old girl are on the run.

Investigators said the victim came forward in January and said the abuse happened repeatedly for four months in 2019.

Investigators said the victim told them Larry and Gretchen Tennison would get the victim drunk and sexually assault her.

Investigators said Larry and Gretchen Tennison knew the 14-year-old girl. They believe the couple groomed her to gain her trust, then sexually abused her. 

"We think it started small with rapport. Started with gaining that trust with this younger individual to do unspeakable acts,” said Major Rod Howell with the Mayes County Sheriff’s Office.

Investigators said the victim told them the Tennison's would get the victim drunk with "purple beer," that turned out to be grape wine coolers.

They said the victim gave a description of the Tennison’s home, their bedroom and items inside it. Investigators said all that information matched the evidence they found when they served a search warrant at the couple’s home.

"There's some allegations I don't want to even talk about on camera,” Howell said. “They are really graphic. Just despicable acts.”  

Major Howell said they went to arrest the Tennisons a week ago, but they were gone.

"There is no sign of them in our county any longer. We can only speculate to where they've went to,” Howell said. “After these warrants came down and for the severity of these warrants, I believe they are off somewhere, obviously running.”

Major Howell said they are relying on social media and people to help them find the Tennisons.

"It's really a tough assignment if you will, when it is someone that is 14 or 15 years of age because obviously we are all fathers and some of us are grandfathers so it kind of pulls at your heart strings so to speak,” said Major Howell. “We've got to advocate for this victim. We have to be a voice for this victim."

Investigators believe the Tennisons left the area.