Oklahoma Man Accused Of Decapitating Grandmother, Her Husband At Home Day Care While Children Were Present

An Oklahoma man is being accused of shooting and decapitating his 59-year-old grandmother Sharon Reed and her husband, James Earl, 78 — both of Oklahoma City — at their home on 12500 block of Springwood Drive, reported NY Daily News.

When Oklahoma City police officials arrived at the Reed’s residence, after they received a call from a neighbor at approximately 2 p.m. on Tuesday asking them to check on the welfare of the couple, they discovered their decapitated bodies in the home, but that’s not all that was discovered. Three small children were also located in different areas of the home, but although the children were present during the time the grandmother and her husband were stabbed, shot, and decapitated, Sgt. Ashley Peters says that “The children did not see what occurred, but it’s unfortunate that they were in the same home at the time. No one, especially a juvenile, should have to go through that.”

No words! Grandson arrested for decapitating grandparents in daycare center – Quinton Dashawn Laster, 20 https://t.co/al2l9drqWw #Oklahoma

— anne hillebrand (@annehillebrand2) February 10, 2016

It appears that the three children were initially in the home because Sharon and her husband had been operating a day care in their home, located in their garage, for the past 20 years. After the tragic incident, the children were unharmed and later “reunited with their families.”

It was subsequently discovered that Sharon’s grandson, Quinton Dashawn Laster, 20, who was standing outside the home when police officials arrived, allegedly stabbed and shot the couple before decapitating them. After the heinous crime, he reportedly went to neighbor Gerald Lyon’s house and asked them to call the police because someone had killed his grandmother.

Lyon said that he noticed Laster had a gun after he asked him to call the police. That’s when he immediately tried to persuade him to put the gun down. When Laster obliged, the neighbor told Laster that he “‘need to call 911 if you’ve done that,’ and he said, ‘I’m thinking about it.’ I said, ‘Thinking about it? You need to do it.”

Although a motive was not immediately clear, it was reported that Laster has no issues of mental illness but he did in fact have a history of drug abuse, which caused him to get kicked out his mother’s home. Afterwards, he moved into someone else’s home but was also kicked out, which ultimately landed him in his grandmother’s home.

Sharon’s sister Brenda Jackson stated that she was shocked after learning of her sister’s death, saying that she “Really think he [Laster] must’ve been high on something.” She went on to say that everyone adored her sister and her husband, saying that it was “always a good” when she went to their home.

According to KFOR, Laster had been living with his grandmother and her husband for the past two years without any signs of trouble, which is why the couple’s relatives and neighbors are wondering why the suspect would allegedly stab and shoot the couple, who took him in their home when he had nowhere to go, before decapitating them.

Another neighbor stated that the death of Sharon and her husband “was a crushing blow. They were a really down-to-earth, absolutely perfect couple.” He went on to say that although he may have been home during the time the grandson allegedly stabbed and shot his grandmother and her husband before decapitating them, he stated that he “didn’t hear any screaming, just some unusual noises.”

Laster’s neighbor said that after the police discovered his grandmother and her husband’s decapitated body, they questioned him, but he initially said someone had killed them. However, he ultimately surrendered and was arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder.

It is unclear if Laster has an attorney that could speak on his behalf.

[Image via Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office]