Police Hope Program Generates Leads On Suspected Killer

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Authorities hope a national television program will help lead them to the suspected killer of an Oklahoma City man nearly five years ago. <br/><br/>Kenneth Marshall Cofer, 47, is wanted

Thursday, August 30th 2007, 5:37 pm

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Authorities hope a national television program will help lead them to the suspected killer of an Oklahoma City man nearly five years ago.

Kenneth Marshall Cofer, 47, is wanted in connection with the Sept. 13, 2002, shooting death of Larry Buchanan at a rural home in far southeast Oklahoma City. Cofer has been charged with first-degree murder. He disappeared after the shooting.

The case will be featured Saturday on the Fox television program ``America's Most Wanted.''

``We'll be glad for the assistance,'' said Cleveland County Assistant District Attorney Rick Sitzman. ``We've tried to track him down every way we can think of, but he just vanished from the radar.''

Cofer and Buchanan were involved in a running feud after witnesses say Kofer blamed the United States for the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Buchanan, a military veteran, took exception to the comments, and the two men exchanged words several times, police said.

When the two men met a third time at a home in northern Oklahoma County, a fight erupted and Cofer pulled a gun from his back pocket and used it to hit Buchanan in the head, said Oklahoma City homicide detective Randy Kirby.

``He hit him in the head with the pistol and it discharged at that time,'' Kirby said.

Buchanan was shot once in the head and died instantly, Kirby said.

Kirby said he hopes the television program will generate some fresh leads.

``We've heard that he may be in Missouri, possibly Arkansas or even the southeastern part of Oklahoma,'' Kirby said. ``I think he's probably in a rural community someplace, living under a bogus name and maybe working as a handyman.''

Kofer worked as a heat and air contractor before he disappeared.

The case has been profiled on ``America's Most Wanted'' before.

``We get a few leads each time, and we're hoping one of these times a lead will pay off,'' Kirby said.