Oklahoma district attorney found dead in his home

Muskogee County District Attorney Larry Edwards has died after nearly four years as the county’s top prosecutor.

Muskogee police said Edwards was found dead in his home shortly after 8 a.m. May 12 by officers making a welfare check. Muskogee Police Public Information Officer Lynn Hamlin said there was “nothing suspicious at this time” regarding Edwards’ death.

Kathryn Brewer, the executive coordinator of the Oklahoma District Attorneys Council, said in a statement that Edwards was known as “a serious and skilled prosecutor, a thoughtful mentor and a public servant.”

“His impact stretched across multiple jurisdictions, and he remained steadfast in his commitment to victim advocacy and community safety,” she said. “His passing leaves a void in the Oklahoma legal community that will be deeply felt.”

State Sen. Avery Frix, R-Muskogee, said Edwards had made a lasting impact on the community.

“Larry was deeply committed to justice and the well-being of our community, and his legacy of service will not be forgotten,” Frix said in a statement. “My thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and colleagues during this challenging time. He will be truly missed.”

Gov. Kevin Stitt now is responsible for naming a person who will serve the remainder of Edwards’ term.. Stitt had appointed Edwards as Muskogee County district attorney in October 2021 to fill the vacancy after the resignation of then-DA Orvil Loge. Edwards was elected to the post in 2022.,

A spokesman for Stitt said there is no timeline yet as to when Stitt might appoint Edwards’ successor.

Stitt said May 12 he was saddened to learn of Edwards’ death.

“My prayers are with Mr. Edwards’ family, his colleagues in law enforcement and the entire Muskogee community,” Stitt said. “We are grateful for his service to Oklahoma and the legacy he leaves behind.”

Edwards first graduated from Oklahoma State University with a marketing degree, then the University of Tulsa College of Law in 1990 before starting his prosecutorial career in Tulsa County. He worked as a homicide prosecutor, drug and gang unit specialist and liaison to the Tulsa Police Department.

Edwards was cross designated as an assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts in the 2001 prosecution of James “Whitey” Bulger, Stephen Flemmi and John Martorano in the murder of Roger Wheeler in 1981 in Tulsa – one of the most notorious crimes ever to occur in Oklahoma.

Edwards went on to serve as first assistant district attorney in the office serving Rogers, Mayes and Craig counties in northeastern Oklahoma, and later held the same position in the Muskogee County office in 2020.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Muskogee County district attorney Larry Edwards found dead in his home