Jarrel Wade, Tulsa World, Okla. –
Two men suspected in a string of killings in north Tulsa made their initial court appearance this morning via closed circuit video in Tulsa County District Court. Their arraignment was postponed until 9 a.m. April 16 to give prosecutors time to review the filing of charges.
Jake England, 19, and Alvin Watts, 32, are each being held at the Tulsa Jail and are accused of three counts of first-degree murder, two counts of shooting with intent to kill and a single complaint of possession of a firearm while committing a felony. Their bond totals exceeded $18 million.
The two did not speak during a video appearance that lasted less than two minutes before Special District Judge Bill Hiddle. The suspects were wearing orange jumpsuits and were handcuffed as they were escorted by deputies at the Tulsa Jail.
England’s bond was set at $3 million for each of the three murder complaints — a total of $9 million. The bonds for two shooting-with-intent-to-kill accusations was set at $75,000 apiece — a total of $150,000. Watts’ bond amounts were the same. The possession of a firearm bond was $10,000 for each suspect.
The total bond set for both men was $18.32 million — $9.16 million for each.
Tulsa County District Attorney Tim Harris said setting charges in the case and getting the case in court quickly “is the highest priority of any case in the Tulsa County District Attorney’s Office.”
“The investigation hasn’t even come in any format that we can review,” Harris said about his office’s efforts to file charges in the case. “Right now, I need to concentrate on the murders and the shooting with intent to kill” complaints.
England and Watts were arrested at 1:47 a.m. Sunday, about 48 hours after police began discovering multiple gunshot victims in a three-mile area of north Tulsa.
Harris said he is not able to comment on his office’s current ability to charge the men with a hate crime until the police investigation is complete and handed over to his office.
“It’s preliminary to determine what the motivation was behind this,” said Harris, who indicated that neither man has an attorney yet. “If the evidence supports that, and we believe that we can prove the elements of a hate crime, that will certainly be considered at the appropriate time.”
Additionally, Harris cautioned media on calling the crime a hate crime too early.
“I don’t intend on (having a trial) in the media,” Harris said. “The Constitution says these individuals will be presumed innocent until found guilty.”
England and Watts appeared in the court room on closed-circuit television from the Tulsa Jail.
Both men were wearing orange jumpsuits and were handcuffed in the front when they were escorted by jail staff to a podium in front of a camera.
The judge, who also has a camera at his bench to communicate with England and Watts, told the men what they were being held for, their bond amount and when their arraignment would continue. Neither suspect spoke.
The brief hearing attracted media from across the country, including correspondents for the New York Times, CBS, NBC’s “Today” show and CNN. The shootings have drawn international media coverage.
Tulsa County Sheriff’s Sgt. Shannon Clark said video conferencing from the jail is common for all inmates who need to make an appearance for an initial arraignment.
Clark said there have been no reports of any problems with the two men since they were jailed in isolation on Sunday.
Police said the men were found together at a home in a Turley neighborhood less than a mile from their residence and near the area where the shootings occurred.
Authorities received several anonymous tips that indicated England was the shooter, according to his arrest report. Police then discovered their location after attempting to serve a search warrant at their home in the 2800 block of East 61st Street North.
Police said Sunday during a news conference that officers recovered a gun they believe to have been used in the shootings but declined to elaborate.
