Our card this week is Owachige Osceola (8 of Diamonds, Oklahoma) Recently divorced and living on her own in a new city, 27-year-old Owachige Osceola’s life was in a season of transition before she was killed in the bedroom of her Norman, Oklahoma apartment in September 2013. While the medical examiner who performed her autopsy concluded her cause and manner of death were “undetermined,” a detective who remains on the case today insists a killer has been allowed to walk free for nearly a decade. Please join us in writing a letter to the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office calling for a formal independent review of the methodology used during Owachige’s autopsy. Below you will find a prompt you can use and the address to send the letter to. (WHERE TO SEND)Mr. Gentner DrummondOklahoma Attorney General's Office313 NE 21st StreetOklahoma City, OK [email protected] To Whom It May Concern:I'm writing in regard to the criminal investigation related to the mysterious death of Ms. Owachige Osceola in September 2013, which is being conducted by the Norman Police Department.As you may be aware, Ms. Osceola's cause and manner of death were classified by the Oklahoma Office of the Chief Medical Examiner as "undetermined" despite credible evidence that she was intentionally strangled to death in the bedroom of her apartment.After hearing concerns expressed by Norman Police Department investigators working this case and closely listening to details about the criminal investigation into her death as reported by Audiochuck Podcast Network's "The Deck," I'm deeply troubled that the medical examiner's office has been unwilling to reconsider its original ruling — directly hindering further investigative efforts to pursue justice for Ms. Osceola and her loved ones.I implore the Oklahoma Attorney General's Office to reexamine evidence in this case and to insist that the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner consider that Ms. Osceola's death was the result of a homicidal act. I also kindly request that this office publicly publish its conclusions in the matter.Respectfully,[YOUR FIRST & LAST NAME] To learn more about The Deck, visit www.thedeckpodcast.com. To apply for the Cold Case Playing Cards grant through Season of Justice, visit www.seasonofjustice.org
Toni Brown, a friend of Awachagee Osceola, saw a Facebook status from her friend that read, "Moose is trying to KM" and alerted other friends to check on her. When they arrived at her apartment, they found Awachagee murdered, and while evidence supports police's theory, a major obstacle prevents justice from being served.
Norman police searches for clues on Awachagi's personal life as her family and friends worry about her sudden disappearance.
Police failed to respond to a 911 call placed by a murder victim's family, which delayed the discovery of her body for several hours and hindered the investigation. The victim may have been targeted because of her monthly stipend from the tribe due to her prominence.
Surveillance footage from a casino helped detectives in a missing person case by identifying the location of a text message and Facebook status. The footage also showed the last known whereabouts of the missing person and a woman he was seen with.
Despite the suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of Awachagi, the medical examiner refused to recategorize it as a homicide. The district attorney's office initially expressed interest in pursuing charges, but later decided to work with the state medical examiner's office instead.
In this episode of The Deck, the mysterious death of Awachagee Osceola, a Native American woman from the Seminole Tribe of Florida, is explored. The family and tribe are urging people to demand justice and call for a formal independent review of the methodology used during Awachagee's autopsy.