Arrest In Muskogee County Brutal Beating

Wednesday, May 3rd 2006, 11:02 am

By: News On 6

A Muskogee County woman is in critical condition, recovering from a severe beating. Her neighbor is recovering from the sight of the victim outside her bedroom window. Fort Gibson Police say it happened early Saturday morning.

News on 6 anchor Tami Marler explains.

â€œThere was no sense in this crime. It was one of the more brutal crimes I've seen." Fort Gibson Police officer Brandon Combs says, in nine years with the department, he's never seen anyone beaten as badly as Judy Metz when he was called to her home early Saturday. "We found the victim at her neighbor's house, totally covered in blood. The fact that she was an elderly woman. She was asleep at the time, in poor health. She was practically defenseless."

Fort Gibson Police say Metz had fallen asleep on the couch and woke to a man standing over her, holding a croquet mallet. They say he beat her on the head and face until she passed out. "I can't even imagine how many times he hit her. To do that kind of damage." Shirley Vickrey has been Metz's friend and neighbor for ten years. "It'll always be in my mind what she looked like and how bad she was beat up. I'll probably never get rid of it."

Vickrey says Metz had managed to get away from the intruder, make her way through the yard, all the way to her friend's front porch, even though she was beaten beyond recognition. "She had both cheek bones broken, her nose is broken, and her eye sockets are broken. They're going to have to do complete facial reconstructive surgery on her. And then he broke the lining of her brain when he hit her so hard."

Police were amazed that Metz was still lucid enough to describe her alleged attacker. They arrested Terry Lee James Tuesday and say their case is iron-clad. Brandon Combs: "We tried to send a message that this community will not allow this kind of violence."

Shirley Vickrey: "God gave her the strength to get up off of that couch and get over here because she knew that she could get help here. She knew it." Vickrey says her friend remains in intensive care and she faces a long recovery.

Fort Gibson Police plan to recommend the Muskogee County DA charge Terry Lee James with attempted murder, first-degree burglary and other drug-related charges.