January 15, 2024
Beckham County Sheriff’s Office Press Release
A Carter man is in custody at the Beckham County Detention Center following a shooting which left another Beckham County man dead Thursday morning. Sheriff Derek Manning said the shooting occurred on a roadway outside an oilfield business located at 915 S. Merritt Road, where the victim reportedly worked.
Manning said the initial report of the shooting came to his office at about 8:16 am as a 911 transfer call from the Elk City Police Department. The caller stated that he had shot a man who was trying to get in through the window of his truck.
Manning said that Elk City Police and Fire Department personnel were the first to arrive at the scene, just west of Elk City. Manning said police officers immediately detained the caller who had reported firing the shot. That caller was later identified as 37-year-old Clayton Samson Hays of Carter.
Police and fire personnel attempted life-saving measures for the man who had been shot but were unable to save him, and he died at the scene. The deceased man was identified as 42-year-old Colter Jake Vaught of Sayre.
Manning said the two men knew each other and reportedly had an ongoing dispute. Manning said Beckham County deputies had received a report a few weeks ago that Hays had gone to a residence where Vaught was and had engaged in a verbal altercation.
“OSBI is assisting us with the investigation of this shooting,” Manning said. “We are obviously in the very early stages, but their agents and technical analysts and my detectives are working together to ensure as thorough an investigation as possible.”
Merritt Road was closed to all traffic near the scene for several hours Thursday as investigators and crime scene technicians searched for evidence and processed the scene. “We’re grateful to our partners at Elk City PD for their quick response, and to OHP for their help in securing the scene and helping us redirect traffic,” Manning said.
Hays is currently in custody at the Beckham County Detention Center facing a criminal complaint of First Degree Manslaughter. A judge has denied bond for Hays at this time.
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