Volunteers Help First Responders Searching For Human Remains In Rogers County

We are learning more about the volunteers who took such good care of first responders this week as they searched a 20-acre property for a possible homicide victim.

"We feel our mission out here was quite successful," said Rogers County Sheriff's Office Major Coy Jenkins.

The property is near Oologah. Deputies said their mission has been successful as they discovered what they are calling significant evidence.

While deputies, task force members and dive teams focused on searching the property this week others close to home and from miles away focused on taking care of them.

Three days of grid searches through 20-acres of property with cadaver dogs, and three days of FBI dive teams searching for evidence in ponds on the same property is now over. The investigation is not.

"We just came up to support the Rogers County Sheriff’s Office during this investigation," said Eric Burkes from MinuteMan Disaster Response.  

MinuteMan is a nonprofit group that came all the way from McKinney, Texas. They brought two trailers full of things to help including hot showers.

"Our response trailer has got an on-board generator, it has got on board wifi, radio communications, it has got general supplies, chainsaws, tools, drinks, printer, copier, anything that we might need in a field operation," said Burkes, "We just need a place to park our equipment and we are ready to go to work."

They weren't the only ones who stepped into help. Bennett's Route 66 Pharmacy donated boxes of Domino’s Pizza for first responders. A group called Mercy Chefs delivered 50 hot lunches on another day to the men and women on the job.

"We have incredible people that always rise to the occasion," said Jenkins.

Jenkins said their mission on the property was successful because they found evidence. As they head home, he said he won't forget how many people helped support them.

"This is an incredible community. We cannot say enough about that," said Jenkins.

Investigators said there is a possibility they will be searching more properties, but those dates haven’t been scheduled yet.