Police: 4 dead at pot farm were 'executed,' Chinese citizens

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LACEY, Okla. (AP) — Four people killed at an Oklahoma marijuana farm over the weekend were “executed,” state police said Tuesday. Investigators also said the dead were Chinese citizens.

The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation said three men and one woman were slain on the 10-acre (4-hectare) farm west of Hennessey, about 55 miles (90 kilometers) northwest of Oklahoma City. A fifth victim who was wounded and who is also a Chinese citizen was taken to an Oklahoma City hospital, state police said.

Next-of-kin notification was still pending “because of a significant language barrier,” police said.

Authorities have a suspect in mind, but OSBI said releasing the person's name right now would put more people in danger.

“The suspect was inside that building for a significant amount of time before the executions began,” OSBI said in a news release Tuesday. “Based on the investigation thus far, this does not appear to be a random incident.”

OSBI Capt. Stan Florence said the previous day that authorities believe the suspect knew the victims, who were found dead Sunday night.

“They all know each other," Florence said. "Don't know if they're related, or if they're coworkers, but certainly these individuals were, we believe, all familiar with each other.”

Authorities have not identified the victims or said how they died. The case is being investigated as a quadruple homicide.

The Kingfisher County Sheriff’s Office initially responded to a reported hostage situation at the farm and requested help from state authorities, Florence said.

Police searched the property late Sunday and Monday, using drones and helicopters and on the ground, but did not find the suspect, Florence said.

“There’s a lot to unravel with this case,” he said. “It’ll take a little time for us to process it.”

Porsha Riley, spokeswoman for the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority, said there is an active license for a medical marijuana grow business at the location.

Oklahoma voters legalized medical marijuana in 2018, and the industry quickly boomed thanks to an open-ended law that put in place fewer restrictions than in other states.

In March, voters will decide whether to legalize recreational use of the drug.