(Washington) Seven bodies were found in Oklahoma (south central United States) on Monday during a police search to locate two missing teenage girls who were allegedly seen with a sex offender, US media reported citing authorities.
The seven bodies have not been identified and authorities have not officially clarified whether they include those of the missing girls, aged 14 and 16, according to the daily. The New York Times.
But the search for the teenage girls was suspended after the bodies were found in the town of Henryetta, south of Tulsa, Okmulgee County Sheriff Eddy Rice told the newspaper.
“We believe we found everything we were looking for this morning,” Rice said, adding that a homicide investigation had been opened.
The local daily The Tulsa World quotes Mr. Rice for his part assuring that the authorities believe that two of the seven bodies discovered are those of the missing girls.
According to the newspaper, the bodies were found inside the property where a man previously convicted of sexual assault, 39-year-old Jesse L. McFadden, resided.
A wanted notice was issued earlier Monday that the two teenage girls were last seen at 1:22 a.m. (2:22 a.m. Eastern) in Henryetta and may be traveling aboard a White Chevrolet Avalanche with Mr. McFadden.
The latter was to appear in court on Monday in Muskogee County on charges including “child pornography and attempting to solicit sexual behavior or communication with a minor using technology”, according to the report. New York Times. He did not appear in court on Monday morning and a warrant was issued for his arrest.