By Steve Shaw, News 9
OKLAHOMA CITY - Details about the cold-blooded slaughter of an Oklahoma probation officer is shedding light on what experts say can be a dangerous profession.
Midwest City Police say 32-year-old Jeff McCoy was beaten, shot and killed Friday during a probation and parole visit.
5/18/2012 Related Story: Police Identify Man Killed In MWC As Probation Officer
Police say McCoy's killer is 21-year-old Midwest City High School graduate Lester Kinchion. Police say Kinchion wasn't even the person probation officer McCoy was visiting Friday, when police say Kinchion began his rampage. A local criminal expert has some ideas about what went down in Midwest City.
Howard Kurtz is a local criminologist, who used to be a probation and parole officer.
"Home visits are generally unannounced," said Kurtz.
Kurtz says while we don't know whether or not the person McCoy was scheduled to visit knew he was coming Friday. It's very possible Kinchion didn't know.
"Considering the violent response, my suggestion was something bad was going on in the home. There must have been something illegal transpiring. Either there were drugs in the residence, or something else in the residence that that individual didn't want the officer to enter," said Kurtz.
Kurtz says probation and parole officers are highly trained, but situations like this are rare and unpredictable.
"It's the one in a million cases where you walk in and something really bad happens."
McCoy is the first probation officer in Oklahoma history to be killed while doing the job.
Ryan McAdory lives two blocks from where McCoy died lying in the street Friday. McAdory also just graduated in Criminology from Oklahoma City University.
"It's uncomfortable that it's so close to my house. So...this is one of the dark sides of our society that we live in today," said McAdory.
McCoy leaves behind a wife and two young children. There's been no official word yet on funeral plans.
Midwest City Police say 32-year-old Jeff McCoy was beaten, shot and killed Friday during a probation and parole visit.
Police say McCoy's killer is 21-year-old Midwest City High School graduate Lester Kinchion.
