Green County Parents Search For Answers After Son's Assault

Lori Fullbright, News On 6

TULSA, Oklahoma -- A mystery assault has left a 21-year-old Green Country man unable to walk, talk or care for himself.

Derek Madewell has been hospitalized since November, and his parents still don't know why he's ended up this way.

Madewell's parents know he went to pick up his girlfriend at a party on November 27th at a house in the 1200 block of North Columbia in Tulsa.

11/27/2010 Related Story: Man Critically Injured In Overnight Brawl In Tulsa Neighborhood

They don't know what happened next, but just that their youngest son was hit, beaten, or attacked and now has a traumatic brain injury.

His parents say Derek Madewell's parents was an outgoing, fun loving, hard-working young man who's only vice was smoking.

He's the baby of the family and also the father of a little boy. But, that Derek is now trapped inside a body that can barely move.

"God has his hands on the boy and the doctors and nurses to heal him, and we want to know why this happened, why someone would do this, why haven't they put these people in jail?" Randall Madewell, Derek's dad, said.

Reports say about 20 people were involved in a brawl that spilled out of the house into the street. Some witnesses say Derek was hit, fell and hit his head on the curb, others say he was blindsided, even others say baseball bats were used.

His parents do know no one helped him.

Derek's Mother: "They drug him in the house."
Derek's Father: "They drug him in the house."
Derek's Mother: "They didn't call 911."
Derek's Father: "They didn't call 911, and he was in the house for some undetermined amount of time unconscious."

They say Derek can now follow them with his eyes and can sometimes move his leg on command. They hope someone at that party will come forward with the truth, so whoever did this can be held accountable.

They believe with God's help, Derek will become his old self again.

"As soon as Derek is able, once he knows what he needs to do to get better, he'll give it 110 percent to get better," Randall Madewell said.

In another twist, Randall finds out Monday if he must go to prison after getting caught last year with a controlled drug. He's asking the judge to send him to a faith-based program, so he can at least keep up with Derek's progress.

Anyone with information should call Crime Stoppers at 918-596-COPS.