Pioneer Woman to trailer park pythons: Oklahoma's Top 10 weirdest news moments from 2023 – Oklahoman.com
The year is coming to an end, and 2023 has been one for the books.
Just about every part of Oklahoma had its share of peculiar news this year, with headlines that might make you do a double take (or say, “only in Oklahoma…”).
From meth in McMuffins, to murder victims haunting their killers, legislators starting physical fights and $100k in stolen Dr. Pepper, we curated a list of 10 “weird” Oklahoma news stories from 2023.
Here’s a recap of 2023’s only-in-Oklahoma moments, which highlights stories covered by reporters across the USA TODAY network.
A snake that had allegedly been living off of neighborhood cats in an Oklahoma City trailer park was caught in October after months of searching.
The pet python had been on the loose near the Burntwood mobile home community for about 6 months, and residents had been voicing safety concerns with an elementary school nearby.
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A traffic stop in Catoosa that began with a cracked windshield ended with a K9 discovering a bag of meth hidden inside a breakfast sandwich.
At 3 a.m. on a Saturday in September, police pulled over a 35-year-old man for a traffic violation near a McDonald’s and smelled marijuana coming from the vehicle.
According to police, a K9 officer located a coin purse filled with methamphetamine stuffed inside a half-eaten McDonald’s sausage, egg and cheese McMuffin sandwich.
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Of course the state’s agriculture college and the two agriculture fraternities in it found themselves with a farm animal carcass on their hands.
A dead longhorn carcass was found on the lawn of Oklahoma State University’s FarmHouse fraternity in December, which happened to be the day before OSU played the Texas Longhorns in the Big 12 championship game. The animal’s stomach had been cut open, and the words “(expletive) FH” were written on its side.
The early investigation indicated that the animal had died of disease and was transported to campus, and members of the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity “have imperative information about the acquisition, transportation, and dumping of the animal corpse,” officials said.
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Anyone passing Exit 51 near Davis, Oklahoma has spotted the signs for Arbuckle Mountain Fried Pies, but the delicacies are made and loved state-wide.
Fried pies were named the best snack in Oklahoma in May by Food & Wine in their 2023 list of best snacks in every state.
For those who have yet to experience a fried pie, it’s a circle of pie crust – made with lard if you’re lucky – folded over filling, then freshly fried to order.
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Evidence in a murder case against a couple includes their Facebook messages about how the victim was haunting them, a police detective reported.
A couple was charged in November with first-degree murder and unlawful removal of a dead body after police claimed they killed the husband’s sister in 2018, hid her body for years and spent her monthly Social Security disability payments on themselves.
Amid the investigation, police discovered Facebook messages between the couple where they discussed storing the body as well as their belief that the deceased was haunting them.
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Oklahoma City police arrested state Rep. Dean Davis in March because he was suspected of being drunk in public at a popular Bricktown bar.
During the exchange, Davis asked the officer to read his “House of Representatives card,” according to the report. He also demanded the officer call the Fraternal Order of Police and his superiors.
“Read the back of that card,” he said in a police bodycam video. “Read it what the state law says.”
The back of the legislative ID card includes the text of a provision from the state constitution that says members of Congress can’t be arrested during a Legislative session at the Capitol. Experts say the law is intended to make sure naysayers can’t have a rival arrested before a contentious vote, not to make them untouchable.
After reading the card, the arresting officer told Davis he was not at the Capitol and that he was still going to arrest him on complaint of public drunkenness. The city’s chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police released a statement in support of the officer’s action.
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The woman behind the viral airplane meltdown where she proclaimed “that (expletive) back there is not real” was identified as a graduate of Oklahoma State University and Texas marketing executive.
The bizarre, expletive-laden meltdown that went viral in July reportedly occurred as the flight was preparing to depart Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.
Tiffany Gomas, 38, a Dallas resident and OSU graduate, was kicked off the plane following her outburst which led to hours of delays for other passengers, reports the New York Post.
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Former MMA fighter and U.S. Senator, Markwayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma) renewed his feud with Teamsters Union leader Sean O’Brien this fall when he suggested physically fighting at a Senate hearing.
Late night TV hosts had a field day with the clip.
One month later, he criticized U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Florida for “living off (his) daddy’s money” when Gaetz criticized Mullin’s stock trade while in Congress.
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“The Pioneer Woman” Ree Drummond made the town of Pawhuska, Oklahoma, famous through her farm lifestyle brand, but a recent social media post about Martin Scorcese’s 2023 film is drawing attention to the darker history of the Drummond family’s land.
“Killers of the Flower Moon” premiered in October and is based on David Grann’s best seller and has renewed interest in the Osage “Reign of Terror,” in which dozens of Osage people were murdered for their oil-rich land in the early 20th century.
Amid the film’s promotion, Oklahomans realized that the Drummond family began growing wealth through Osage dealings and began amassing the property that placed them in the top 100 landowners in the country.
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Three men are accused of scheming to steal Dr. Pepper syrup from an Oklahoma City warehouse in October and resell it to a gas station.
Authorities say the alleged scheme led to more than $100,000 in stolen syrup — enough for many thousands of Dr. Pepper drinks.
In Oklahoma County District Court, the men face charges ranging from burglary and embezzlement to concealing stolen property and conspiracy to commit a felony.
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Lana Del Rey
Singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey attended the Red River rivalry game Oct. 9 and was seen posing for pictures with fans and even hugging OU President Joseph Harroz after the game. In an Instagram post, Del Rey wrote “We just want everyone to have fun – but congratulations OU.”
Jennifer Garner
Jennifer Garner, known for her roles in “Alias” and “13 Going on 30” is a co-founder of the organic baby food company Once Upon a Farm. In a May TikTok video, Garner visited one of her suppliers, a farm near Locust Grove, Oklahoma that has been in her family for nearly a century.
Anthony Ramos
“Hamilton” actor Anthony Ramos was seen attending the a performance of Lyric Theatre’s “A Christmas Carol” in Oklahoma City this December. Ramos was likely in OKC to work on the 2024 blockbuster “Twisters,” which was scheduled to shoot in Midwest City that weekend.
Mike Rowe
While visiting Oklahoma City, “Dirty Jobs” star Mike Rowe made a lengthy Facebook post recounting his encounter with his Lyft driver and celebrated the driver’s small business. The post went viral and drove traffic to the man’s custom camper business.
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