Oklahoma County jail locked down for 2 days last week

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – The Oklahoma County sheriff says the jail was locked down two days last week because of concerns about violence from a local gang.

Sheriff John Whetsel says the jail was on lock down after the Irish Mob threatened to harm jail staff across the state.

He says the threat was spurred by an ongoing Oklahoma County trial involving the "Cathouse" slayings. The nickname was given to the case because one of the victims worked at a Nevada brothel that was featured on an HBO reality show.

The Oklahoman reports that the trial for the last two defendants in the case began May 16.

Denny Phillips and Russell Lee Hogshooter are charged with six counts of first-degree murder in the 2009 deaths of Brooke Phillips, Milagros Barrera, Jennifer Lynn Ermey and Casey Mark Barrientos. Phillips and Barrera were pregnant.