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Act Of Kindness Quickly Turns Tragic When Oklahoma Woman, 18, Is Shot Dead By Hitchhiker She Picked Up

By Angelica N. Sumter
Published on: 14:44 PST, Oct 31, 2015

An act of kindness quickly turned tragic when 18-year-old Caylee Massey was shot dead by a hitchhiker that she and another man, whose name has been withheld, picked up on the side of the road, according to Inside Edition. Early Wednesday morning at approximately 4:45 a.m., Massey and a male companion, who was driving a red pick-up truck, was travelling from Oklahoma City to Canton when they made a sudden stop to pick up a man, who was standing on the side of the road and needed a ride.

It was not immediately clear where they planned to drop the hitchhiker off, but when they were about two miles east of Canton, just 90 minutes into the drive, it was reported that the hitchhiker pulled out a gun and shot the teen dead just before jumping out of the vehicle and fleeing the scene. That’s when the driver of the truck drove to the Canton Police Department for help, but it was too late as Massey was pronounced dead upon arrival.

It was not immediately clear where the teen was shot nor was it clear what led up to the fatal shooting, but investigators have identified the person of interest as 23-year-old Christopher Scruggs. He is also wanted in connection to a previous assault on a man earlier this month in Logan County where the Sheriff’s Office has considered the hitchhiker to be armed and dangerous.

“We are still considering him only a person of interest, someone who we believe might have information about the shooting that can help progress the case,” said Jessica Brown, who is the spokesperson for OBSI. “Everybody is a person of interest at this point you can say that. Right now what we are doing is following the evidence following the facts of this case and they will lead us to the person who did this and we will make the arrest at that point in time.”

“Now we can go to her family friends associates to find out if she had any enemies if they know of anyone who wanted her dead or wanted to harm her and we can run leads in that regard.” Sgt. Greg Valencia also added that Scruggs is facing cruelty charges after “He was involved in an incident a few years ago that he was in prison for where several animals were killed and mutilated.” Massey’s friends and family were stunned after learning of her tragic death. One friend wrote on Instagram saying, “I cannot believe something so awful has happened to such a sweet, loving girl. Caylee was one of the brightest people with a genuine heart.”

“It’s just not safe to pick up anybody now that you don’t know,” Brown said. “On the side of the road at a convenience store nowhere is it safe to pick up someone you don’t know because you do not know what their intentions are.”

When the FOX 25 news crew arrived at the police station where the truck was located, they claimed it was a gruesome scene and blood could be seen “splattered on the passenger seat, and fishing poles in the bed of the truck.” The front passenger window had also been shattered during the shooting.

Investigators are working diligently to find Christopher Scruggs and ask anyone who has any information regarding the shooting death of Caylee Massey or the hitchhiker’s whereabouts to call OSBI hotline at 1-800-522-8017. The driver who drove Massey to the police department and claim she had been shot to death by a hitchhiker is also being questioned in her death.

[Image via Shutterstock]

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