OWASSO MAN FOUND GUILTY IN DOUBLE MURDER TRIAL

An Owasso man was found guilty of shooting and killing two men who were cousins.

A jury’s verdict said Manuel Quezada murdered DeJon Ross and Albert Thomas back in October of 2019.

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Prosecutors said Quezada murdered Thomas and Ross after a fight. Quezada’s attorney argued that Quezada shot them because he was afraid for his life.

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The prosecution said Thomas and Ross pulled up to Quezada’s home and he came out to meet them, with the intention to start a fight.

After the fight was over, Thomas and Ross were trying to leave, when Quezada fired shots at both, prosecutors said.

Quezada’s attorney said he was trying to protect his daughter. The attorney said one of the victims, Thomas, had sex trafficked Quezada’s daughter.

Quezada was trying to keep the men from taking his daughter when the men attacked him, and he killed them in self-defense, Quezada’s attorney said.

Prosecutors focused on what they said was Quezada’s intent to kill Ross and Thomas. They argued Quezada went outside to start a fight with both men and decided to shoot them once he was losing that fight.

The men were heard on a recording, saying “let’s go” when they were killed, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors painted the picture of Quezada as a gang member, who wanted to take justice for his daughter into his own hands. However, Quezada was found not guilty on a third gang-related offense.

The Rogers County jury found him guilty of manslaughter in both deaths, which is a lesser charge.

The jury recommended 10 years for the shooting of Ross and six years for Thomas. Quezada will be formally sentenced at a later date.