Apr. 18—IDABEL, Okla. — State and federal officials and Oklahoma’s NAACP denounced some county officials accused of discussing how to kill a local reporter and bemoaning how modern justice doesn’t allow hanging Black people.

The McCurtain Gazette-News reported this week that McCurtain County Sheriff Kevin Clardy, investigator Alicia Manning, Jail Administrator Larry Hendrix, and District 2 Commissioner Mark Jennings were recorded in a conversation they had after a March 6 commissioners’ meeting. The Gazette reported some officials talked about killing reporter Chris Willingham and called for hanging Black people after the county commissioners’ March 6 meeting.

Republican Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt and Oklahoma’s NAACP leaders called for the county officials involved in the discussion to resign.

“I am both appalled and disheartened to hear of the horrid comments made by officials in McCurtain County,” Stitt said in a press release. “There is simply no place for such hateful rhetoric in the state of Oklahoma, especially by those that serve to represent the community through their respective office. I will not stand idly by while this takes place.”

U.S. Rep. Josh Brecheen, a Republican who represents Oklahoma’s second district, also rebuked the officials involved.

“These vile comments reflect the heart condition of a few and do not reflect the values of McCurtain County and Oklahoma,” Brecheen tweeted. “Those involved must be held accountable so the people of McCurtain County can have faith in their government.”

The Gazette reported it obtained the full audio recording that was taken without the knowledge of the accused, and the FBI and the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office received copies.

Parts of the recordings released online aligned with quotes in the story, but CNHI Oklahoma could not verify the speakers’ identities.

None of the county officials or their attorney returned requests for comment. Chris Willingham and his attorney did not return requests for comment.

The Gazette reported Jennings said during the impromptu discussion that his father “started to go down there and just kill him” in response to an opinion piece in the paper.

“I know where two big, deep holes are here if you ever need them,” Jennings allegedly said.

“I’ve got an excavator,” Clardy allegedly said.

“Well, these are already predug,” Jennings allegedly said.

The Gazette reported Jennings talked about knowing hitmen in Louisiana who could “cut no (expletive) mercy” and said he would run for sheriff if he could take a “Black guy and whoop their (expletive) and throw them in the cell.”

“Yeah, it’s not like that no more,” Clardy allegedly said.

The Gazette reported Jennings then said Black people have more rights.

“Take them down to Mud Creek and hang them up with damned rope,” he said. “But you can’t do that anymore. They’ve got more rights than we’ve got.”

Oklahoma’s NAACP leaders called on the FBI and U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the Mud Creek area and McCurtain County.

Willingham filed a defamation lawsuit against Clardy, Manning and the county commissioners the same day of the alleged conversation.

Federal court documents in the lawsuit accuse Clardy and Manning of retaliation against Willingham for a series of stories he wrote investigating claims of misconduct against the sheriff’s department.

Attorneys allege Manning investigated who was talking with the reporter and threatened to get a warrant for cell phone records. The lawsuit also accuses Manning of telling someone that Willingham traded marijuana for child porn.

The lawsuit accuses Clardy’s office of violating the Oklahoma Open Records Act in its refusal to disclose 53 crime reports Willingham requested, and in its denial of documents requested in the case of an inmate’s death at the county jail.

O’Hanlon III writes for the McAlester News Capital, a CNHI LLC publication.