Cleveland Co. Man Accused Of Nearly Beating Wife To Death

A man is behind bars in Cleveland County after investigators said he nearly beat his wife to death. 

Don King, 67, was arrested on September 7 on complaints of domestic abuse with great bodily injury.

Officers responded to King’s home just before 10 p.m. in the 13000 block of Doe Lane in far southeast Oklahoma City.

When officers arrived, King’s wife was reportedly found unresponsive with several injuries to her body.

First responders immediately began CPR and noticed several injuries to her body.

According to court records, King called 911 and told dispatchers, “We got into a fight. I lost my temper and hit her.”

King’s wife told investigators she told her husband she had an affair with his father in 2010. The abuse began a day before King called 911.

“He beat her severely,” said Sgt. Gary Knight of the Oklahoma City Police Department. “I don’t know if it was his fists or if he picked up an object or kicked her or what he did but she was severely beaten to the point of near death.”

According to court records, King admitted he hit his wife who then fell back and hit her head and began bleeding from the mouth, nose and ears.

After first responders performed CPR, King’s wife was taken to OU Medical Center and placed on a ventilator and is dealing with brain swelling.

“Our homicide unit responded to the scene because of the nature of her injuries,” said Knight. “She was gravely injured. She is still in the hospital at this time.”

King was charged with one count of domestic abuse with great bodily injury on September 10.

If found guilty, King faces up to 10 years behind bars.

King is behind bars at the Cleveland County jail on a $350,000 bond.

“There are resources out there for victims of domestic violence and if you are one of those victims, we want to hear from you,” said Knight. “There are so many times when those cases go unreported and we end up with a very tragic ending.”

The Oklahoma Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault offers resources for Oklahoman’s experiencing domestic violence. The Oklahoma Hotline is (800) 522-SAFE (7233).