California man arrested in Okemah girl's death

Saturday, August 6th 2005, 9:29 pm

By: News On 6

The murder of a nine-year-old girl shocks a small Oklahoma town. Nine year old Katie Middleton had been missing since Friday. A volunteer search party discovered her body last night, floating in a creek.

It happened in Okemah, a small town about 70 miles south of Tulsa. The killing has shocked this small community of about three thousand people.

Okemah police say nine-year-old Katie Middleton was walking to the store. When a man, who was described as a friend of the family, offered to give her a ride. That was the last time anyone saw Katie. She was missing for about 24 hours before, her body was discovered in a rural part of town, several miles from her home. Police arrested 22 year old William Dobrovolny. They say he was the last person seen with Katie. He's being held in the Okfuskee County Jail on suspicion of kidnapping and murder.

This kind of tragedy is almost unheard of in a small town like Okfuskee. The chief of police says it's bound to affect everyone.

Chief Ed Smith, Okemah Police: " its traumatic for the community. Its definitely something that's never happened here. But we're in a community that will learn from it and become stronger because of it."

Dobrovolny does have a criminal record. He was convicted of grand theft auto in California. And he was originally picked up for violating that parole.