Regional News: Eight years after murder, Eulfaula man found guilty in

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that William Clayton Brown, 42, of Eufaula, Oklahoma, has pleaded guilty to one count of Second-Degree Murder in Indian Country, a felony punishable by up to life imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.

Federal prosecutors alleged that on September 15, 2017, Brown killed Damion Martin, 21, with malice aforethought. The crime occurred in McIntosh County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, placing it under federal jurisdiction.

According to court documents, Martin was visiting Brown’s residence, which he shared with his sister, Lacie Watson. During the visit, Martin entered the bathroom where Watson was bathing.

As the two embraced, Brown burst in and fatally stabbed Martin in the back and head.

Brown later attempted to conceal the crime by placing Martin’s body in a plastic storage tote and dumping it in a remote location. The body was discovered two weeks later.

The case was investigated by the Eufaula Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The Honorable David C. Joseph, U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Louisiana, sitting by assignment, accepted Brown’s guilty plea and ordered a presentence investigation report. Brown remains in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.

Assistant U.S. Attorney T. Cameron McEwen prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.