Two suspects in the murder of an Oklahoma woman are said to have had sex in the victim’s bed as she died in the next room. Brinlee Denison, 25, and Nicholas Johnson, 28, allegedly used a crowbar to beat 29-year-old Sarah Maguire in her home in Tulsa, Oklahoma on January 4, a police affidavit obtained by KNWA shows. They’ve since been charged with first-degree murder and vehicle theft.
- Police discovered Maguire during a welfare check. They arrived at the home just after 5 p.m. on Friday and found Maguire in her living room, unresponsive and with “obvious signs of trauma to her head and face.” She was pronounced dead at the scene.
- Further investigation uncovered the horrific truth. Police learned from Maguire’s family that her car and her credit cards had been stolen. Soon after, they were led to Denison and Johnson, who were arrested the following day after officers discovered them sleeping in the stolen car in the parking lot of a Whataburger in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
- The pair gave a full confession once in custody. Both Johnson and Denison offered “a full confession of beating the victim about the head with a crowbar, fleeing the scene by stealing the victim’s vehicle, and funding the trip with the victim’s stolen credit cards.” Johnson revealed that he and Denison have an “intimate relationship” but claimed that Denison was also involved with Maguire. Johnson is said to have been “jealous of the relationship between the victim and Denison.”
- Johnson and Denison had sex in the victim’s bed after the murder. Johnson himself admitted this, adding that “he could still hear the victim in the living room struggling to live, while he was having sex with Denison in the bedroom.” He said that he knew Maguire was still alive at that point.
- This murder was planned all along. Johnson admitted she and Denison had planned the murder together and that Denison had grabbed Maguire’s credit cards and other electronics when leaving the house. She also transferred money from Maguire’s account into theirs when she wasn’t driving, Johnson told officers.
- Maguire’s sister Jamie shared their grief in a heartbreaking Facebook post. They thanked the Tulsa Police Department for their swift action and hard work on bringing the killers to justice. “Our family has suffered a devastating blow this week,” she wrote. “My sister Sarah has lost her life in a senseless act of violence. Please keep our family in your prayers as we navigate through this time. Rest assured justice is being served and we owe our greatest debt of gratitude to the Tulsa Police Department.”
Johnson and Denison are being held on $1 million bond each. They’re due to be extradited back to Oklahoma for a forthcoming court date.
