Oklahoma House passes 'Knights Law' in honor of Henryetta murder victims

Cheyenne Derksen, The Oklahoman

Nearly one year after the horrific murder-suicide in Henryetta, a bill aimed at preventing future tragedies has passed the Oklahoma House.

Family members of the victims worked with Rep. Scott Fetgatter, R-Okmulgee, to pen House Bill 3992, called Knights Law, which would require people convicted of certain child sex crimes to serve 100% of their sentence.

In the Henryetta case in 2023, investigators found that convicted rapist Jesse McFadden was set to appear in court on child pornography charges the day his victims' bodies were found.

He was accused of committing those child pornography crimes while serving a 20-year sentence for a first-degree rape conviction in 2003. He was released from prison in October 2020 after 85% of his sentence had been served.

While McFadden was out of prison, police say he murdered his wife, Holly Guess, 35; her children, Rylee Elizabeth Allen, 17; Michael James Mayo, 15; and Tiffany Dore Guess, 13, and their two friends Ivy Webster, 14, and Brittany Brewer, 15, who had come over for a sleepover.

Authorities said McFadden shot the victims in the head, some multiple times, before turning the gun on himself.

Fetgatter says McFadden should never have been released.

"There were some things that didn't happen the way they should have happened, and his hearings were way far extended, and it just opened up an opportunity for this type of crime," he told News9.

Ashleigh Webster shows a photo of Ivy Webster (left) and Tiffany Guess (right) at her home in Henryetta Okla., on Tuesday, May 2, 2023.
Ashleigh Webster shows a photo of Ivy Webster (left) and Tiffany Guess (right) at her home in Henryetta Okla., on Tuesday, May 2, 2023.

Knights Law addresses five crimes:

  • First degree rape

  • Child sexual abuse

  • Child Pornography/Aggravated Child Pornography

  • Child Prostitution

  • Human Trafficking

Instead of offenders having to complete a required 85% of their sentence, it would be the full 100%. The sentence would be no less than life without parole.

In an 84-8 vote in the House, the proposal passed Monday afternoon and will now move on to the Senate.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OK House passes Knights Law, aims to strengthen sex crime penalties

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