True Crime Chronicles: Idabel murderer serving 17 1/2 years in federal custody for killing Texas traveling salesman
- Dennis McCaslin
- May 18
- 2 min read
On January 4, 2018, in Idabel, Oklahoma, within the Choctaw Nation Reservation, 22-year-old Dakota Shay Fox, a Choctaw tribal member, fatally shot Jarrin Boyles, a door-to-door cleaning salesman from Pottsboro, Texas.
The shooting occurred at a residential street intersection, where Boyles was found unresponsive in a pool of blood, initially mistaken for a hit-and-run victim. He was pronounced dead at McCurtain Memorial Hospital, with the cause of death confirmed as a gunshot wound to the head.
Evidence suggested Boyles was robbed, as items were missing, indicating robbery as a likely motive, though specific reasons for the shooting remain undisclosed in public records.
The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) led the investigation, identifying Fox as the perpetrator after confirming Boyles’ identity.
Fox was charged with first-degree murder, and on January 16, 2019, a McCurtain County jury convicted him in less than 40 minutes, recommending life without parole. He was formally sentenced in March 2019.
The conviction was overturned following the 2020 McGirt v. Oklahoma Supreme Court ruling, which affirmed that crimes on tribal land involving Native Americans fall under federal or tribal jurisdiction.
Fox, a Choctaw member, committed the crime within the Choctaw Nation Reservation, leading to federal prosecution. On October 11, 2022, Fox pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in Indian Country, receiving a 210-month (17.5-year) sentence on January 31, 2024, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over by Chief Judge Ronald A. White.
Little is known about Fox’s personal background or family, and no specific details about Boyles’ family are publicly reported.
The case, investigated as of January 9, 2025, underscores jurisdictional complexities post-McGirt and highlights the Choctaw Nation’s legal framework. The swift initial verdict and federal resolution mark its significance in Oklahoma’s legal landscape.
