Three Oklahoma men re-charged in 2016 cold case murder of hiker Matthew Fagan after remains identified

Matthew Fagan

Nearly a decade after 23-year-old Matthew Fagan disappeared during a hiking trip near Lake Tenkiller, three men have been re-charged with first-degree murder and accessory after the fact following the identification of his remains.

Tyler Paul Leverett, 32, of the Lafayette area, along with Michael Anthony Snelling, 32, and Charles Blake Shamblin, 35, were booked into custody in late April and early May 2026 after Sequoyah County authorities refiled charges on April 28. Leverett was booked into the Sequoyah County Jail on May 7, 2026. Shamblin was arrested by U.S. Marshals in Alamosa, Colorado, on April 29.

Fagan was last seen on June 21, 2016, while hiking with the three men along the Buzzards Roost Trail or Cato Creek area near Lake Tenkiller. He was reported missing when he failed to return. During the initial investigation, all three suspects provided statements to authorities admitting involvement but pointing fingers at one another.

Leverett and Shamblin told investigators that Snelling beat Fagan to death with a hammer during an argument on the trail and then threatened to harm them and their families if they did not help dispose of the body. Snelling, in turn, accused Leverett of the fatal beating and making similar threats.

The men were arrested and held for approximately a year, but charges were dismissed in 2017 due to a lack of physical evidence, specifically the absence of Fagan’s body.

The case remained cold until November 2, 2024, when a deer hunter discovered a bone in a creek bed less than a half-mile from the hiking area.

A subsequent search recovered additional remains, including a skull with 15 teeth, more bones, pants with a Wrangler button, a sock, and pieces of fabric. In January 2026, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation confirmed through DNA testing—comparing samples to Fagan’s brother—that the remains belonged to Matthew Fagan.

Sequoyah County authorities stated that the recovery and positive identification of the remains provided the critical evidence needed to move forward with prosecution.

The suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Court proceedings are ongoing.

This case has drawn renewed attention as a rare example of a decade-old missing persons investigation resolved through persistent investigative work and a fortunate discovery by a member of the public. Fagan’s family and the community have awaited answers for nearly 10 years.