Oklahoma Man Accused of Killing 17-Year-Old Boy Reported Missing Early Last Year: Police

Authorities in Oklahoma announced that recently discovered human remains are connected with the disappearance of a 17-year-old boy who vanished last year.

According to a statement from the Stillwater Police Department, Teedeenae “Jackson” Yearby was last seen on Jan. 26, 2023. Several people had tried to contact the teen by phone, text and social media, but Yearby never responded. A week later, he was reported missing.

Yearby was 17 years old at the time of his disappearance.

According to police, Yearby, a member of the Seminole, Muscogee Creek, and Choctaw tribes, had previously disappeared in February 2022, but in that incident he was located several days later.

Around 4 p.m. on April 17, 2024, officers arrested 19-year-old Quinlan Phipps on suspicion of killing Yearby, according to police.

Phipps was booked into the Payne County Jail and charged with first-degree murder.

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On April 23, investigators found human remains believed to be related to the case.

The Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s Office will positively identify the victim and determine the cause of death, officials said.