NEED TO KNOW
- Police in Bethany, Oklahoma, say that Billy Feaster shot and killed his 6-year-old daughter Elizabeth Feaster, before turning the gun on himself.
- Both father and daughter were found dead at the scene and police are investigating what led to the fatal shooting
- Billy was already on police’s radar and he underwent a domestic violence assessment
Police say that an Oklahoma man shot and killed his 6-year-old daughter before turning the gun on himself.
On June 29, around 11 a.m., police in Bethany rushed to a home after they received a call reporting a father had shot his daughter before taking his own life, Fox 25 reported. Both Billy Feaster, 29, and Elizabeth Feaster, 6, were pronounced dead at the scene by emergency responders, the outlet reported, citing police.
Elizabeth’s mother, Tina Folk, told KFOR that Elizabeth was supposed to be with her father and her 9-year-old brother during a supervised, court-ordered visit over the weekend. The two have been in a custody battle since 2018, the outlet reported, citing court records.
On the morning of June 29, Folk told the outlet that she got a call from Billy’s parents about what happened. “She said, Billy killed Elizabeth,” Folk told KFOR. “I said, what; and she started saying that she couldn’t talk. She wasn’t in the right mind.”
The police chief told The Oklahoman that law enforcement officers had contact with Billy in the past. Court filings related to the custody battle showed that Billy was ordered to undergo a domestic violence assessment, psychological evaluation and counseling, the outlet reported.
“Any time a young child is involved in any type of tragic event like this, it is a shock to everyone,” Police Chief John Reid told the outlet. “There’s just no way to explain something like this – that’s where we are, trying to make sense of it, even though we know we won’t be able to.”
A GoFundMe created by Elizabeth’s family described the 6-year-old as precious and sassy, a girl who loved the color pink and unicorns. Elizabeth’s family said she “deserved so many more years on this earth” and that they’re starting their healing process.
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“We’ve had one of the most heinous acts of violence impact our family. My niece Tiana is having to try and navigate a world without her baby girl no longer on this earth. Her daughter, Elizabeth was ripped away from her family by a man who was supposed to protect her, her father,” Elizabeth’s great aunt Taylor Mccarty wrote in the GoFundMe post.
“When evil comes and steals a beautiful, innocent child’s life, that hurt radiates through not only my niece and her son, but my sister Jill and so many more,” she further wrote.
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