What authorities say appears to be a murder suicide took place at about 4:42 p.m., Tuesday, May 27 in Checotah.

D ead are Rachel Stewart, 31, of Eufaula, and Todd Patterson, 30, of Checotah, who were allegedly in a relationship, according to acquaintances of the couple.

Their bodies were found in front of a residence on 2nd Street.

According to published reports the State Medical Examiner stated Stewart was shot once in the face with a handgun and Patterson was shot in the right side of the head.

Circumstances surrounding the event are being investigated by the Okmulgee County District Attorney’s, an agency that also serves McIntosh County.

Checotah Police Officer Richard Beaty said when he arrived at the scene he found the two bodies, the female partly in the yard at the residence and the male a few feet away in the street.

Beaty said it appeared the two were unloading some bags from the trunk.

Checotah Police Chief Darren Glover said a 7-yearold juvenile, son of Stewart, had been inside the vehicle when the shooting occurred.

Glover said the youth heard a shot and then heard his mother say, “be careful with that thing,” and then a second and third shot occured.

Officers arriving at the scene said the two people were deceased.

The juvenile was turned over to his biological father later that evening.