Murder Charges Filed In Death Of Oklahoma Woman

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The Oklahoma County District Attorney's office charged two men Monday with first-degree murder in the death of a young woman whose dismembered body was found in a field behind a grocery store in an Oklahoma City suburb last year.

Jimmy Massey, who was already in custody on a drug-related charge, and Luis Ruiz were charged in the October death of 19-year-old Carina Saunders, whose body was discovered in a duffel bag spotted by animal welfare workers as they rounded up feral cats.

The Medical Examiner's Office has said Saunders had died a violent death, but has not disclosed any details.

Ruiz and Massey remained at the Oklahoma County jail without bond on Monday. A jailer said she had no information about whether Ruiz had retained an attorney to represent him. Mitch Solomon, an attorney listed in court records as having represented Massey in his drug case, didn't immediately return a message seeking comment.

According to an affidavit, a witness told Bethany police she and Saunders went to a house in south Oklahoma City, where Ruiz beat Saunders and tied her up. The witness said Ruiz dragged Saunders to an upstairs room, tied her to a table and cut off her left foot. She said he also tried to cut off her right foot, but the saw broke.

That witness jumped out of a window to escape, the affidavit stated.

Another witness told police someone told her the killing had been recorded on Ruiz's cellphone. She said she was with Ruiz in a hotel in May, looked at his phone while he was in the bathroom, saw video of the killing and recognized Ruiz as the person who was cutting off Saunders' foot, the affidavit said.

Another affidavit says Massey told police he was present when Saunders was killed and saw it happen. But police say he told another jail inmate that he was actually involved in the killing and provided details that only police and the medical examiner's office would know.

Bethany Police Chief Phil Cole has said Saunders' killing was tied to human trafficking, prostitution and a drug ring.