Oklahoma man accused of killing 17-year-old who went missing in 2023

STILLWATER, Okla. (TCD) -- Investigators recently discovered human remains they believe are connected to the disappearance of a juvenile who vanished last year.

According to a statement from the Stillwater Police Department, Teedeenae "Jackson" Yearby was last seen on Jan. 26, 2023, and was reported missing more than a week later. Yearby was 17 years old at the time, KOKI-TV reports. Several people tried to contact the teen by phone, text, and social media, but he never responded.

Police noted that Yearby, a member of the Seminole, Muscogee Creek, and Choctaw tribes, also disappeared in February 2022 but was found several days later.

According to an update from police, on April 17 at around 4 p.m., officers arrested Quinlan Phipps, 19, on suspicion of killing Yearby. He was booked into the Payne County Jail on a charge of first-degree murder.

On Tuesday, April 23, following Phipps’ arrest, investigators found human remains believed to be related to the case. The Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s Office will positively identify the victim and determine the cause of death.

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