Man Suspected Of Killing Weleetka Girls, Fiancee Won't Have Jury Trial

The man suspected of killing two Weleetka girls and his fiancée will not have a jury trial. Okfuskee County court records show Kevin Sweat waived his right to a jury trial Thursday.

A judge will preside over Sweat's murder trial, beginning on August 4th.

The Okemah News Leader reported extensively on the Thursday's courtroom proceedings.

The News Leader reported District Attorney Max Cook agreed to drop his pursuit of the death penalty if the jury trial was waived.

1/29/2013 Related Story: Kevin Sweat Will Stand Trial In Deaths Of Weleetka Girls

The paper also reported the families of the victims were in the courtroom and they supported the decision to head to a non-jury trial and dismiss the possibility of Sweat being put to death.

The News Leader detailed a conversation between Judge Lawrence Parish and Sweat himself, where Sweat affirmed that he was satisfied with his attorneys' advice and was willing to waive his right to a jury trial.

Sweat is charged with shooting and killing 11-year-old Skyla Whitaker and 13-year-old Taylor Placker on a dirt road outside Weleetka in 2008. Their bodies were found less than 1,000 feet from Placker's home.

He is also charged with murder in the 2011 murder of his girlfriend, 23-year-old Ashley Taylor.