Oklahoma Co. Inmate Charged With First Degree Murder In Cellmate's Death

A first-degree murder charge was filed on Thursday against an Oklahoma County Jail inmate accused of killing one of his cellmates.

Thursday, May 29th 2014, 11:41 pm

By: News 9


A first-degree murder charge was filed on Thursday against an Oklahoma County Jail inmate accused of killing one of his cellmates.

Court documents show 38-year-old Ragle Demond Johnson strangled his cellmate, 55-year-old Cecil Robert Arnold, inside their jail cell after 2:20 a.m. on May 21, and a third cellmate, 51-year-old Edgar Dwayne Thomas, witnessed the murder.

According to the affidavit, Thomas told police he heard Arnold confront Johnson about his calendar – a calendar Thomas had turned in to the jailer. Thomas said he then went to sleep on a floor mat, but around 2:20 a.m., he woke up after being trampled by Johnson and Arnold, who were fighting. He told police he saw Johnson flip Arnold face down and wrap his left hand around Arnold's throat and his right arm around his neck. Thomas said Johnson told Arnold to "go to sleep" numerous times while choking him, and after 10 to 15 minutes of struggling, Arnold collapsed.

The affidavit states Johnson first told police Thomas was the one who attacked Arnold but later admitted to choking and killing Arnold. The Medical Examiner's Office reported the cause of death as Asphyxiation and the manner of death as a Homicide.

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