GANS, Okla. — LaFerry's Propane in Gans, Oklahoma, is no longer standing after employees Tara Barnett Underwood and Taylor Sharp were killed on June 18.
Suspected murderer Stacy Lee Drake has been charged in the Sequoyah County double homicide and has been linked to other murders in Oklahoma and Alabama.
Stephen Southward, CEO of LaFerry's Propane, said they made the decision to demolish the building throughout the past two months and tore it down the week of Sept. 1.
"Taylor and Tara, were just the best people and best family members of what we call the LaFerry's family," Southward said. "It's just propane, but it was more than that for them. It was taking care of customers, to the person who was needing fuel to cook their Thanksgiving meal or to heat water for their new child."
Cleveland Petroleum Products owns the eight LaFerry’s Propane locations in Arkansas and Oklahoma. According to Southward, the company has been in business since the 1970s and sells propane, gasoline, and diesel. That location in Gans has been operating for the past 10 years.
"We came to a general conclusion that it probably didn't make sense for us to do it, but it was the right thing to do to the loss of Tara and Taylor," Southward said. "It was such a dark moment that we could have renovated, or we could have just kind of patched it, but we felt like a need for really a fresh start. Something completely different. Something completely new."
LaFerry's in Gans hasn't been open since the event occurred but has been carrying on business through different locations.
"We've continued to route calls so that our customers were taken care of at other locations. I think we have found that our customer base has been really supportive of that," Southward said. "Our drivers have gone out, and maybe it is, it's a different driver than what they're used to, but I think they're going to help us continue to carry on this legacy."
He said after tearing down the building, they're not sure yet if they're going to rebuild on that property or somewhere else, but they're committed to staying in Gans.
"Maybe it's something that just really honors them and gives it a different perspective, because we really were mindful of the small community that when something like this happens, people do become fearful," Southward said. "We want some great input from the community, and we're listening to those things right now, and we're not taking that lightly."
Southward said they've been helping the community get through this tragic time.
In addition to helping the immediate families after the tragedy, Southward said he and his company donated to a celebration of life event for Tara and Taylor on that was on July 20. He said helping people and giving them hope is what they do best, as they are a propane business.
"We're about fueling people, giving them light and warmth and everything else they need that the propane is associated with, and that's what we continue to plan on doing both for our customers and really in memory of Tara and Taylor," Southward said.
Watch 5NEWS on YouTube.
Download the 5NEWS app on your smartphone:
Stream 5NEWS 24/7 on the 5+ app: How to watch the 5+ app on your streaming device
To report a typo or grammatical error, please email KFSMDigitalTeam@tegna.com and detail which story you're referring to.