True Crime Chronicles: Concurrent 40 year sentences started in 2018 for the murder of Jack and Elaine in 2007
- Dennis McCaslin
- 7 minutes ago
- 2 min read
On December 23-25, 2007, Jack Denney, 78, and his wife Elaine, 74, were shot to death in their home on East 590 Road near Locust Grove. The couple was killed in their dining room with multiple handgun shots during a robbery.
Only $100 was taken from Jack's wallet.
There was no forced entry.Their daughter Sarah Keener and family discovered the bodies on Christmas Day. The TV was still on and pots were simmering on the stove.Cherokee County Sheriff's Office and the OSBI took over the investigation.
They recovered handgun ballistics evidence and an unidentified fingerprint from the clothes dryer. Justin James Walker emerged as a suspect in January 2008 after his arrest for a separate stabbing in the area.The case went cold for over a decade. Investigators conducted interviews, polygraphs, and forensic tests but made no arrests. In 2017
OSBI posted a $10,000 reward. An anonymous tip later that year provided the breakthrough.On March 9, 2018, a multicounty grand jury indicted Walker on two counts of first-degree murder. At the time, he was serving a 15-year sentence at Joseph Harp Correctional Center in Lexington for theft, drugs, and firearms charges.
Walker pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder on March 28, 2019, in Cherokee County District Court before Judge Douglas Kirkley. He admitted shooting both victims.
He received 40 years per count, to run concurrent with his existing sentence. No trial was held.
The Denneys were buried in Locust Grove Cemetery in Mayes County, a short distance from their home. Their graves are marked with simple fieldstones in the family plot.A
As of 2025, Walker, now 41, remains at Joseph Harp Correctional Center. He faces no parole eligibility on the murder counts, with an earliest release in the 2060s.Sarah Keener pushed for resolution over 12 years.
Investigators believe there may have been an accomplice but have not identified one. Tips can be submitted to OSBI at 1-800-522-8017.
