Tevin Terrell Semien, 30, from Lawton, Oklahoma, has been sentenced to life in federal prison for second-degree murder and illegally possessing a firearm after a previous felony conviction, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Oklahoma announced on February 5.
According to court records, on May 17, 2023, the body of Karon “Dinkers” Conneywerdy Smith, 68, was discovered in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge. Investigators found evidence of a violent struggle in Smith’s home, and his vehicle was also missing.
On May 21, 2023, Smith’s vehicle was spotted south of Dallas by Texas law enforcement. Officers attempted to stop the vehicle, but it fled at high speed and crashed into a lake. The two occupants, Semien and 25-year-old co-defendant Nicole Leigh Logsdon, both from Lawton, tried to flee on foot but were apprehended.
On October 17, 2023, a federal grand jury indicted Semien and Logsdon on several charges. Semien faced first-degree premeditated murder, an alternative charge of second-degree murder, and possession of a firearm after a felony conviction.
On April 22, 2024, Semien pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and possession of a firearm as a felon. In his plea, Semien admitted to intentionally killing Smith.
Logsdon, who pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact to murder on January 10, 2024, admitted to assisting Semien in evading arrest. On July 15, 2024, she was sentenced to 96 months in federal prison for her role in the crime.
