MARLOW – A Marlow woman remained in the Stephens County jail after a tip led law enforcement officers to uncover a dead body and a “disgusting” puppy mill on her property.
Karen Jean Pritchard, 49, was arrested on a second-degree murder complaint February 12 in the death of Ashley Nicole Anderson, 31, who authorities believe was an employee of the suspect. Pritchard also is under investigation for alleged animal cruelty.
During their investigation into a citizen’s tip, Stephens County deputies uncovered the body and a puppy mill that had 168 animals living in deplorable conditions, according to Kelly Nelson, a board member of the Stephens County Humane Society.
Nelson said Humane Society volunteers counted 165 dogs, one cat and two sheep.
“It was horrible, the worst I’ve ever seen,” she said of the animals’ living quarters. “They were in cages, inside of sheds, out in the open and in a horse trailer. They had no food or water.”
The animals were checked by veterinarians who determined they had dental, ear and eye problems. “Some couldn’t walk because of injuries and lack of care,” Nelson said. “It was disgusting.”
About halfway through the process of examining the animals, the dogs were seized by lawmen as evidence in the homicide case. Still at the suspect’s property and with temperatures dipping into the teens, Stephens County Humane Society members issued a plea for help through their Facebook account.
Within a couple of hours, trucks and horse trailers came rolling in with straw, food and water so the animals would be protected overnight, Nelson said.
A humane emergency team from Tulsa arrived in Marlow on February 13, documented the animals and their conditions and transported them to the Tulsa Humane Society, where they will be housed until the homicide case ends.
Dog breeds found at the puppy mill included Schnauzers, Golden Retrievers, Chows, Basset hounds and more.
Tiffany Guzman, of the Humane Society of Lawton-Comanche County, described the puppy mill as an “awful” situation. “Unfortunately, we see too much of that,” she said. “It’s not brought to our attention like it should be. We see it quite often, so it’s not as much of a shock as it should be.”
Ms. Guzman said she routinely fosters 10 to 14 dogs at her house as they await a permanent home.
Meanwhile, the homicide investigation continued based on a tip a person gave September 12, 2020, to Stephens County deputies. The informant relayed a conversation overheard about a woman who had been injured or killed and dragged into a residence north of Marlow, according to published reports.
Deputies followed up by going to the residence and speaking to the home owner, who denied having information. Deputies returned later with a search warrant and found the body and puppy mill. Authorities believe the two women began arguing and a fight ensued.
As of February 16 formal charges had not been filed against Pritchard, who has no criminal history in Oklahoma, court records indicate.