OKLAHOMA COUNTY
OKLAHOMA CITY – An Oklahoma City woman was sentenced to 171⁄2 years in federal prison for causing the death of her 5-year-old grandson by leaving him in a hot car with no air conditioning while she gambled for six hours at an eastern Oklahoma County casino.
Alanna Jean Orr, 50, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Scott Palk to serve 210 months in federal prison. In addition, Orr was ordered to pay $3,877 in restitution to the Oklahoma Crime Victims Compensation Board, for the child’s funeral expenses.
According to an affidavit in support of a search warrant, Orr was caring for her grandson two years ago, on June 21, 2018, when she went to the Kickapoo Casino in Harrah. Orr arrived at the casino at approximately 1:23 p.m. and left the entertainment center at approximately 7:28 p.m.
During that period, Orr’s grandson remained unattended in the back seat of the car and the high temperature in Harrah that day approached 90 degrees.
Approximately 15 minutes after she left the casino, according to the affidavit, Orr called 9-1-1 and reported her grandson had choked and was not breathing. Harrah police officers met Orr at the Harrah Police Department and attempted to resuscitate the child, but noted that rigor mortis had already begun.
On April 17, 2019, a federal grand jury returned an indictment that charged Orr with second-degree felony murder by child neglect in Indian Country.
In particular, it alleged Orr, who is a member of the Kickapoo Tribe, caused the death of a child by willfully failing to provide adequate shelter and supervision while she was responsible for the child’s health, safety, and welfare. This crime is subject to federal jurisdiction because the defendant and victim are Native Americans and the offense occurred on tribal trust land.
Orr pleaded guilty to the indictment on July 30, 2019. At her June 11, sentencing Judge Palk immediately remanded Orr into custody, to begin serving her sentence.