Three people have been arrested for allegedly helping Michael Vance, the Oklahoma man accused of carrying out a deadly rampage last week before law officers chased him down and shot him dead Sunday, authorities said.
Danny Roach, April Marie Harden and Reginald Moore are suspected of aiding Vance, who was the target of a police manhunt across Oklahoma. They each face two counts of accessory to murder.
Roach told police he let Vance in his house and gave him bandages to treat his wounds, Oklahoma City Sheriff John Whetsel said.
Roach also gave Vance ammunition and traded guns with him, Whetsel said, providing him with an AK-47 with a short barrel to give him a “better tactical advantage.”
According to affidavits, Harden provided bandaging to Vance’s gunshot wounds, and she and Roach called Moore to seek his permission to give Vance an AK-47. Moore “helped orchestrate and approved the transaction” that equipped Vance with a weapon used in shootings during the reported rampage.
Roach and Moore also face two counts of shooting with intent to kill, and Roach is also charged with possession of a firearm.
Roach was arrested Saturday and charged on Monday, Whetsel said. CNN affiliate KFOR reported that Harden was arrested late Monday and Moore turned himself in.
Vance, 38, had been on the run since October 23, the day he is accused of shooting and wounding two Wellston, Oklahoma, police officers, and killing two relatives — an uncle and an aunt — Robert and Valerie Kay Wilkson, in Luther, near Oklahoma City.
The Wilksons were stabbed, and Robert Wilkson was also shot. Based on the stab wounds, the killer is believed to have apparently tried to behead Wilkson and dismember his wife. He also allegedly shot a woman while trying to steal a Lincoln Town Car.
After wounding the officers, Vance appeared on Facebook Live, bragging about his exploits.
Dewey County Sheriff Clay Sander caught up with Vance and pulled him over at one point. Vance shot the sheriff in the left forearm and shoulder before escaping once again, U.S. Marshals Service spokesman Dave Turk said.
About 45 minutes later, an Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper found Vance and a second shoot-out ensued, Turk said. Vance was killed, ending an intense, week-long manhunt for the suspected killer and alleged child abuser.
Roach told police that Vance visited his home after the killings in Luther, Whetsel said. Vance directed Roach to his Facebook page and pointed out his broadcasts.
Vance described cutting the “wrong side” of the female victim’s neck, saying he had to cut the other side, Whetsel said. Vance also told Roach that he killed another woman because she lied to him, the sheriff said, without providing further detail.
At one point, a police car drove by Roach’s home and he served as lookout for Vance, Whetsel said.
Child sex abuse allegations
Vance was incensed after he was arrested in July on accusations of child sexual assault, another uncle told CNN affiliate KFOR. The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office said Vance had been recently released from jail. Whetsel said he had “no idea” whether his pending charges had anything to do with the rampage.
