STILWELL, Okla. — Earl McAlister, 55, of Stilwell, Oklahoma, has been sentenced to life imprisonment, and if paroled would receive five years of supervised release for second-degree murder in Indian Country.
McAlister pleaded guilty to the murder, which took place in Nov. 2019.
The investigation revealed that McAlister shot the victim twice, before driving to his “compound,” placing the body on a burn pile with tires and setting him on fire until nothing was left but bone fragments and teeth.
McAlister then dumped the remains down a ravine in a plastic container.
Investigators were able to identify the victim by comparing dental records.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma prosecuted the case because the victim was a member of a federally recognized Indian tribe and the crime occurred in Adair County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation.
“The life sentence imposed by the Court is a fitting punishment for the defendant’s vicious acts,” said United States Attorney Christopher Wilson. “Investigating and prosecuting violent crimes like this one will continue to be a priority for the United States Attorney’s Office.”
McAlister will remain in custody pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve his non-parolee sentence of incarceration.
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