State, Federal Officials Discuss Manhunt Of Kameron Jenkins And Body Found

State and federal officials held a news conference to discuss the body they found that matches the description of a man wanted in a shooting in Garvin County, during which a deputy was injured and a bystander was killed.

Officials with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP), the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation spoke during Wednesday afternoon's news conference regarding the manhunt for 25-year-old Kameron Jenkins.

Investigators said Jenkins shot Cleveland County Deputy Sean Steadman on Wednesday, Oct. 4. Steadman, a member of the 21st District Drug and Violent Crime Task Force , was trying to pull over Jenkins on I-35 near Wynnewood, a probable cause affidavit said. As the suspect continued to drive, Steadman performed a tactical vehicle intervention maneuver to stop Jenkins' car. A gunfight ensured, during which Jenkins shot Steadman, according to the affidavit.

During Wednesday's news conference, an OSBI spokesperson said what prompted the initial traffic stop attempt is still under investigation.

The affidavit said a stray bullet also hit and killed a bystander, Gwaun Frierson, who was sitting in a dump truck. The OSBI spokesperson said during Wednesday's news conference that they are still investigating which gun the stray bullet came from.

Authorities said Jenkins ran away after the shooting, prompting a week-long manhunt. 

Late Tuesday morning, investigators and a cadaver dog found a body matching the description of Jenkins in a thicket area about 450 feet from the shooting scene, said Garvin County Sheriff Jim Mullet.

At Wednesday's news conference, OHP Maj. Joe Williams said given that there was no intel on whether Jenkins had left the area or was still in the area, OHP coordinated with the U.S. Marshals Service to conduct one last grid search of the location around the shooting scene on Tuesday.

Williams also addressed questions regarding how close the body was to the initial scene.

“With the type of crime that was committed, a deputy shot in the face with a firearm, that type of search was not a thorough search of every square inch up and down of that area, said Williams. "We were looking for a suspect that was armed. As time went on, like I said, the lack of any intelligence coming in to support that he had left the area or that he was still in the area led us to have a more thorough search of that area.”

Williams then talked about the difficulty of finding the body, given the environment.

"Yes, it's very frustrating that we didn't find him initially as close to the original crime scene as he was," Williams said. "However, the brush and the undergrowth where he was discovered, you literally had to crawl and move it to find the body. So like I said before, you've got an armed guy that's already shown that he's willing to shoot a deputy in the face and flee that scene. We're not going to go out there and get on our hands and knees and dig around initially. Yes, we're going to walk through and we're going to look and search. But we got to keep in mind that this guy is armed. And that's why we set up an inner perimeter and outer perimeter."

Mullett said the body was found within the perimeter. While investigators said the body matches Jenkins' description, the medical examiner will work to officially identify the body and cause of death.

Williams thanked the local sheriff's offices and other agencies for their outpouring of support during the manhunt.

Meanwhile, Steadman was released from the hospital and was recovering at home, said his friend, Dakota Cook, a fellow member of the 21st District Drug and Violent Crime Task Force. He created a GoFundMe page to benefit Steadman, his wife and their three children. Click here to donate.

The family of Frierson, the bystander who was killed, also created a GoFundMe page to cover funeral costs and travel expenses. Click here to donate.