Man arrested in the death of his father

MUSKOGEE, Okla. (AP) -- A dispute over a dog may have led to the fatal stabbing of a Vian resident, authorities said Wednesday.<br><br>Schuyler L. Scarborough has been taken into custody on a murder complaint

Thursday, June 5th 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

MUSKOGEE, Okla. (AP) -- A dispute over a dog may have led to the fatal stabbing of a Vian resident, authorities said Wednesday.

Schuyler L. Scarborough has been taken into custody on a murder complaint for the death of his father, Chester Scarborough.

"Supposedly it was an argument that started on the front porch over Schuyler Scarborough's dog," Monte Strout, first assistant district attorney, said Wednesday.

Schuyler Scarborough has not been formally charged.

Police were called to the home of Chester Scarborough, 69, about 11 p.m. Saturday. Chester Scarborough suffered multiple stab wounds and eventually died.

Witnesses told police they saw Schuyler Scarborough push his father, who was in ill health and wore a leg brace, down onto the porch. One witness stopped his pickup truck to try to help the elder Scarborough.

"He opened the door of the residence and saw Schuyler Scarborough striking him (Chester Scarborough) around the head," Strout said.

The witness then "got scared and took off."

Police obtained a search warrant and recovered a large kitchen knife under the porch of the house.

In 1988, Schuyler Scarborough was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison in Sequoyah County after pleading guilty to second-degree murder in the December 1986 shooting death of his common-law wife, Joyce Ann Locust, 18.

His first trial in that case ended with a hung jury in June 1987. He reached a plea agreement during the second trial.