Police Explore Death As Hate Crime

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ A 62-year-old Edmond man whose body was found in a McClain County ditch earlier this month may have been the victim of a hate crime, according to investigators. Police have not named

Wednesday, November 14th 2007, 10:16 am

By: News On 6


OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ A 62-year-old Edmond man whose body was found in a McClain County ditch earlier this month may have been the victim of a hate crime, according to investigators. Police have not named a suspect in the death of Steven Domer, who was last seen alive near several gay bars. But police have searched the home of a McClain County man who authorities have said belongs to a white supremacist gang that may be connected with the killing.

Domer was last seen leaving what an investigator called a ``gay neighborhood'' of northwest Oklahoma City on October 26, according to an affidavit filed by Joe Lahue, an agent for the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.

A witness told investigators he and Domer approached two men in an area where several gay bars are located. The man Domer was with said he left because he felt ``uncomfortable with the situation.''

The man told police he thinks Domer returned to the area to meet the two men after Domer dropped him off, Lahue wrote.

Domer's body was found Nov. 4 dumped in a ditch in McClain County. His body was bound with duct tape, and a wire hanger was wrapped around his neck, according to the affidavit. Domer's car was found burned on Oct. 30.

The affidavit filed by Lahue was used to obtain a search warrant in McClain County for the home of Darrell Madden.

Police searched Madden's home Nov. 6 in connection with Domer's death, seizing a computer, disks and a spiral notebook labeled as a ``Hitler letter.'' They also took burned wires and clothes hangers with duct tape on them and three hand-operated winches with duct tape on them, according to a warrant return filed in McClain County.

A cooperating witness led investigators to a page on MySpace.com that the witness said Madden created. That MySpace page promotes a white supremacy gang.

A blog entry, dated Oct. 28, on the MySpace page reads: ``Well if you only (k)new the things we have done these past few days it would blow your...mind!!!.''

The page lists Adolf Hitler as a personal hero and interests including ``securing our white race.''

Madden was arrested last week in Ardmore and charged with murder Friday in the death of Bradley Qualls.

Ardmore police identified Madden and Qualls as members of the same white supremacist gang.

Both men were recently released convicts. An Ardmore police investigator said they were members of the United Aryan Brotherhood, a gang that actively recruits white inmates.

Madden, 37, served time at the Jess Dunn Correctional Center in Taft for impersonating a police officer and obtaining money by false pretense.

Qualls, 26, was released from the Dick Conner Correctional Center in Hominy in 2006 on a 2001 burglary conviction in Carter County.

Police found Qualls shot multiple times Nov. 7 outside an Ardmore apartment complex. He died at the scene.

Madden was arrested in an attempted carjack of vehicles at a busy intersection later.
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