OK- Police investigating Meeker attack

2-29-2008 Oklahoma:

CHANDLER — Anthony Mayfield's kidnappers beat him, dragged him by a rope tied around his genitals and injected him with methamphetamine, according to an affidavit filed Wednesday in Lincoln County court.

Five people are charged with felony kidnapping and misdemeanor assault and battery in the alleged Feb. 19 attack — a bizarre case that may involve sex, lies and vigilante justice.

According to the affidavit:

•Mayfield, 37, was accused by his attackers of "being sexually inappropriate" with two girls.

•Kenneth Alan Cowan, 40, and four others confronted Mayfield and took him to a house in Meeker.

•The group accused Mayfield of molestation, "beat him, tied a rope around his genitals and gave him an unknown number of injections.”

•After more than 14 hours, Mayfield was cleaned up and dropped off at Unity Hospital in Shawnee. He was treated for bruises on his head, face and body and released that day.

•During an initial meeting with police on Feb. 22, Mayfield said he was beaten "somewhere in downtown Shawnee” and "an anonymous person” took him to the hospital. Later that day, Mayfield identified Cowan and others and told police that he was accused of molestation and beaten.

•At least one of the girls told law officers she had not been molested by Mayfield.

Some arrests made

Cowan; his wife, Rebecca Ruth Cowan, 42; their son, Brian Wayne Cowan, 18, all of Meeker; Sonya Mae Bull, 27, of Shawnee; and a man identified in the affidavit only as "Ed” face charges in the case.

The Cowans were arrested and have been released from the Lincoln County jail on bail. Bull and "Ed” were still at-large Thursday.

Leann Paczkowski, Lincoln County assistant district attorney, said Thursday she could "neither confirm nor deny” whether the girls had been molested. Despite the affidavit, she said the motive for Mayfield's beating has not been determined.

"I'd prefer not to talk about that because nothing has been confirmed,” she said. "I'd hate to compromise the investigation.”

John Tice, Lincoln County sheriff's deputy, said Meeker police still are investigating, and additional complaints could be forwarded to the district attorney's office in the next few days. ..more.. by Staff Writer Ken Raymond