Tennessee agrees to let Oklahoma prosecute first

Thursday, January 13th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

PRYOR, Okla. (AP) -- An Oklahoma man accused of killing three people in three states will be prosecuted first in his home state, where the alleged killing spree began, prosecutors say. A Tennessee prosecutor agreed Thursday to let Oklahoma prosecute Steven Ray Thacker first instead of Missouri, said Mayes County District Attorney Gene Haynes.

Thacker, 29, has been in custody in Dyersburg, Tenn., where he was arrested after an alleged killing spree. He is charged with first-degree murder in the stabbing death of Laci Dawn Hill, 25, of Bixby, who was found dead Dec. 29 near Chouteau. He also is charged with killing an Aldrich, Mo., man on Jan. 1, and is accused in the death of a Tennessee tow truck driver on Jan 2. "It's always better to be able to try our case as soon as we can," Haynes said, adding that Thacker could be returned to Oklahoma within two weeks.

The Tennessee prosecutor agreed to the extradition as part of a plan to prosecute Thacker in the order that he is suspected of committing the crimes. The Missouri prosecutor did not support the plan, Haynes said. "But since Tennessee has Thacker in their custody, it's really their call," Haynes said. Usually, multiple crime suspects are prosecuted first in the state where they are caught, or where they face the most serious charges. But the Tennessee prosecutor felt that he would have a better chance to seek the death penalty if Thacker was tried in another state first, Haynes said.

Seeking a death sentence, Tennessee prosecutors must prove a murder involved "aggravating" circumstances, such as being one of a series of killings. Tennessee has not had an execution in 40 years, though death dates have been set for two convicted killers this year. Oklahoma executed six people last year while Missouri executed nine. Haynes said he has not decided whether he will seek the death penalty against Thacker. "I won't decide until I've had the chance to meet with all of Laci Hill's family and consult them on all that is involved in a death penalty case," he said.