Death Of Sequoyah County Sheriff's Father Investigated As Homicide

The father of an Oklahoma sheriff was found dead Saturday.

Larry Lane Sr.’s body was found in his mobile home in Keys.

The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office says the death is being investigated as a homicide and they do have a potential suspect in custody, but the cause of death is unknown at the time.

Investigators say the potential suspect checked himself into a mental hospital in Tennessee, but they were able to locate him and they plan to bring him back to Oklahoma as soon as possible.

“More than likely, he did that thinking he would be safe from law enforcement, but that didn’t work out for him,” said Cherokee County Undersheriff Jason Chennault.

Chennault says Lane Sr. was found dead in his mobile home by a friend on Saturday evening.

“He kicked in the door and found Mr. Lane dead on the floor of his bathroom,” he said.

The friend called 911 and deputies rushed to the scene.  He also told deputies that Lane’s black truck was missing.

Lane is the father of Sequoyah County Sheriff Larry Lane Jr.

“Sheriff Lane and his brother were able to go inside and discovered several other things missing from the home, like a cell phone, some money, a debit card, and possibly a handgun,” said Chennault.

Investigators say the mobile home was very clean and there was very little biological evidence at the scene, so it is difficult to determine a cause of death.

Undersheriff Chennault said “the crime scene was very minimal.”

According to investigators, a red truck was found outside the mobile home when they arrived and they were able to trace it to Lane’s an acquaintance of Lane’s, Richard Rainwater.

They say Lane’s debit card was used at several different locations throughout the day Saturday.

“The card was used in the Tahlequah Walmart, Ozark, Arkansas, and Mulberry, Arkansas,” stated Chennault.

The Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Office issued a warrant for unauthorized use of a vehicle.

Undersheriff Chennault says they received a call from Rainwater’s girlfriend on Sunday, who told them he had checked himself into a mental facility in Memphis, Tennessee.

Memphis police arrested Rainwater early Monday morning.  He is currently being held in the Shelby County Jail in Tennessee and will be extradited to Oklahoma soon.

Investigators say they hope they can find some answers during the long drive back.

“Maybe he will say something on the way home,” said Chennault.

He says they hope to learn a cause of death from the medical examiner Tuesday morning.