Monday, April 8th 2019, 10:25 pm
News 9 has learned more details about the tragic murder of 56-year-old Brenda Baber.
Police told News 9 Friday that Baber was reported missing, but the case quickly turned into a homicide.
Investigators believe Baber was dismembered at her own home.
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A suspect was quickly taken into custody. OSBI and Kingfisher Police said Baber’s boyfriend, Steven Stricker, was arrested on a murder complaint.
Baber was found in a shallow grave, according to officers.
Neighbors said sometime before law enforcement arrived, Stricker was burning something, and working in the garden.
“…But dismember somebody? And bury them and cover it up? There's something wrong there,” said Donovan Mitchel, a neighbor.
New details discovered by the Kingfisher Times and Free Press state the main items found at the crime scene were blood and bone fragment evidence.
The paper continued to say that, “…Stricker allegedly told OSBI agents that Baber died accidentally after falling in the bathroom and hitting her head and he ‘panicked’ and took steps to dismember and attempt to dispose of and hide her body."
"There was evidence of a large amount of blood in the bathroom of the home that was largely diluted, possibly through cleanup efforts," according to the news report.
The newspaper reports Stricker told investigators he also threw the victim's remains in the trash.
Police searched the dumpsite but didn't find any evidence.
The Oklahoma State Medical Examiner’s Office still needs to test DNA to confirm the victim's identity.
Charges against Stricker are expected to drop in the coming days.
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