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What Happened?
On September 23rd Caitlin was loading her Color Guard flags into her car after school
when she was abducted from the Ada High School parking lot in broad daylight.
She was taken by her mother's estranged boyfriend, Jerry Don Savage.
He apparently had an accomplice, Faye Sliger.
They were driving Sliger's truck.
An Amber Alert was issued and local authorities began their search.The abduction ended tragically when both bodies were found at 10:00 am, Saturday 24th, 2005. Caitlin and her abductor Savage were found on a county road 6 miles from Highway 1. The bodies were a half-mile in on private property. Both had been shot in an apparent murder suicide, said Jessica Brown, a spokeswoman for the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. Caitlin's mother, Donna, had previously dated Savage, but had recently broken off the relationship. Two weeks prior to Caitlin's abduction Savage had kidnapped Caitlin's mother at gunpoint. During the kidnapping he transported the mother to a second location and threatened to kill her. He was found holding the mother armed with a 9mm gun. Pontotoc County sheriff's SWAT team found in his possession a duffel bag "kidnap kit". The bag contained 9mm ammunition; binoculars, a knife, two pair of white socks, duct tape, packing tape and 3 pair of flex cuffs, presumably one cuff for each child and Caitlin's mother. He was charged with burglary, kidnapping and two felony weapons charges. The next morning Savage was released on $200,000 bond from the Pontotoc County jail. Local NewsPaddack calls murder of teen "chilling"Ada Senator looking at possible legislation to prevent future violence By Leo Kelley, Staff writer ADA - State Sen. Susan Paddack said news of the slaying of an Ada teen during the weekend was distressing to her and many others in the area. Paddack, D-Ada, said she is looking into the feasibility of introducing legislation that could possibly prevent the tragedy from recurring. "I was in my home Friday afternoon and actually heard the Amber Alert go out," said Paddack, who represents Senate District 13. "It just chilled me to the bone to think that somebody was missing. I was at the football game that night and heard how the abduction took place. Then on Saturday morning I heard the news that they'd found her body. It just made my heart ache for Caitlin and for her family." "I've gotten many e-mails from friends and neighbors who are just devastated about this terrible crime," Paddack said. "I want to know if there is something we can do to strengthen existing laws or if there is some way to require an assessment to prevent dangerous suspects from getting out of jail so easily." Paddack said she asked Senate staff to begin looking at current statutes to determine if similar situations could be prevented in the future. "We have to do something to protect others from this kind of violence," she said. "We should not allow these violent individuals to be put back on the streets and harm other innocent people in our community. If there is a way we can do that through legislation, then I will write that bill and carry it in the 2006 (Oklahoma Legislative) session. We must do everything we can to make our communities safer." Authorities believe 16-year-old Caitlin Elizabeth Wooten was abducted from Ada High School Friday afternoon by 47-year-old Jerry Don Savage of Latta. Savage apparently shot and killed Wooten, then killed himself. The bodies were located Saturday morning by troopers in an Oklahoma Highway Patrol helicopter. Ada Police, Pontotoc County Sheriff's deputies, Chickasaw Lighthorse officers and other law enforcement officials launched an exhaustive search after an Amber alert had been issued. Ada firefighters also assisted in the search. A junior at AHS, Wooten was a member of the high school color guard and was active in her church youth group, officials said. Wooten died of a gunshot wound to the head, while Savage's gunshot death was self-inflicted, according to Kevin Rowland, chief investigator for the state medical examiner. Toxicology tests have been ordered for Savage. Investigators believe Savage kidnapped the teen-ager because of a dispute with the girl's mother, Donna Wooten, 43, whom he had dated. Donna Wooten filed for a protective order against Savage on Aug. 30, according to court records. Savage kidnapped Donna Wooten at gunpoint on Aug. 29 and held the woman hostage until she was rescued by Pontotoc County Sheriff's deputies, according to an earlier report by the Ada Evening News. Savage was arrested on charges of suspicion of kidnapping, burglary, felonious pointing of a firearm and use of a firearm in commission of a felony. He bonded out Aug. 30 on a $200,000 bond. Court records show Savage paid $15,000 to a bail bondsman in Purcell. Bail for 51-year-old Faye Sliger was denied Monday. Sliger remains in Pontotoc County jail on an accessory to murder complaint in connection with Caitlin Wooten's death. No charges had been filed against Sliger Tuesday, according to Assistant District Attorney Chris Ross. Sliger is scheduled to appear in court at 1:15 p.m. Friday, Ross said. Funeral services for Caitlin Wooten were today at First United Methodist Church in Ada. "There's no way to prevent all tragedies from occurring," Paddack said. "But there have to be ways to improve the system. This is a case where violence was at the center. There should be some sort of mental health assessment before he was released back into our community. We have to find ways to protect our citizens. I don't have the answer to the problem, but I will make every effort to find it." Click here for more news |
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