US judge: Man must stand trial in workplace beheading

TIM TALLEY, Associated Press


NORMAN, Oklahoma (AP) — A man accused of beheading a co-worker with a large butcher knife at an Oklahoma food processing plant must stand trial for first-degree murder, a judge ruled Friday after a hearing at which witnesses graphically described what they saw in the September 2014 attack.

Alton Nolen could face the death penalty if convicted in the rampage at the Vaughan Foods plant in Moore, an Oklahoma City suburb. Cleveland County Special Judge Steve Stice ordered him to stand trial on charges including first-degree murder and assault and battery with a deadly weapon.

Nolen, 31, has pleaded not guilty. His attorney, Mitch Solomon of the Oklahoma Indigent Defender's Office, declined to comment after the hearing.

Investigators have said Nolen had just been suspended from his job when he walked into the company's administrative office and attacked Colleen Hufford, 54, severing her head. They say he also stabbed another co-worker, who survived, before he was shot by a company executive.

Gary Hazelrigg, Vaughn's customer service manager at the time, said Hufford was in his office on Sept. 25, 2014, when a man he identified as Nolen came into the office and grabbed her, placing one hand on her forehead with the other hand holding a "large, heavy butcher knife drawn across her neck."

"In no more than a second or two, the man pulled her forehead toward him and made a vicious cut across her throat with the knife," Hazelrigg testified.

Nolen then threw Hufford to the floor, sat on top of her and sawed at her throat, Hazelrigg said. He said he repeatedly tried to knock Nolen off her. He said he thought he heard Nolen say: "Die ... die."

"At some point he jumped up and turned on me with the knife in hand," Hazelrigg said. He said he picked up a chair to keep the distance between them and escaped into a locked room.

Authorities have said Nolen ran down a hallway and attacked another employee, Traci Johnson, before the plant's chief operating officer, Mark Vaughan, shot him with a rifle. Vaughan is also an Oklahoma County reserve sheriff's deputy.

The victim's daughter, Kelli Hufford, attended the hearing but did not testify. She issued a statement later in which she thanked supporters "who continue to keep our family in their prayers while we anticipate the trial and ultimately justice for my mom, Colleen."

In October, a judge found Nolen mentally competent to stand trial, rejecting defense attorneys' claims that Nolen was intellectually impaired.

-- (c) Associated Press 2016-01-09

Investigators have said Nolen had just been suspended from his job when he walked into the company's administrative office and attacked Colleen Hufford, 54, severing her head. They say he also stabbed another co-worker, who survived, before he was shot by a company executive.

I'm sure quite a few people are glad that Oklahoma allows its citizens to protect themselves when the cops can't get there in time.

I'm sure quite a few people are glad that Oklahoma allows its citizens to protect themselves when the cops can't get there in time.

This happens quite often but it isn't newsworthy for the MSM. This was a knife murder and subsequent attack - nothing to do with guns. The good guy had the gun and used it in defense of another. He probably saved at least one life and maybe more.

I'm not sure I understand why this article is news. Of course he should stand trail, but I guess it took the justice system this long to find this person competent to stand trail, The decision was made in October according to the article, so why is this article just now being written?

Justice in the US takes way too long these days.

I'm sure quite a few people are glad that Oklahoma allows its citizens to protect themselves when the cops can't get there in time.

This happens quite often but it isn't newsworthy for the MSM. This was a knife murder and subsequent attack - nothing to do with guns. The good guy had the gun and used it in defense of another. He probably saved at least one life and maybe more.

It's one more example pointing out how easy it is to gather up the appalling statistics for how many people are killed with guns, but virtually impossible to figure out how many crimes are prevented and thwarted each year because citizens are allowed to defend themselves.

Murders, rapes and burglaries that are prevented or stopped in action don't make the headlines- or the statistics.

One Heartless post removed. People have died, leaving Loved ones behind. Show some compassion

Once thay take away US citizens guns...then they will take their knives...one will have to sign a kitchen knife out and check it back it to comply with a new Obama directive...people need the government to keep us from hurting ourselves...the government will protect you...

Beheading.... Did he find religion by any chance?

I'm sure quite a few people are glad that Oklahoma allows its citizens to protect themselves when the cops can't get there in time.

"When seconds count, the police are only minutes away". - Unknown.

Because of all the BS paperwork now involved with these kind of crimes,in all countries it just eats away money and time,we make the rules and must abide by them.Yes it was obvious he did the gruesome crime and as far as im concerned,regardless as to why he did it,he should have been put to death that very week at the latest,and that applies to all likewise murders to innocent people trying to do their jobs to make a living and a family home.

Investigators have said Nolen had just been suspended from his job

Another unfortunate result from perceived loss of face,

Investigators have said Nolen had just been suspended from his job when he walked into the company's administrative office and attacked Colleen Hufford, 54, severing her head. They say he also stabbed another co-worker, who survived, before he was shot by a company executive.

I'm sure quite a few people are glad that Oklahoma allows its citizens to protect themselves when the cops can't get there in time.

Undoubtedly there are occasions when a gun in the hands of a non-police citizen has had good results, but those incidents hardly justify the toll of death and injury caused by the ease of gun ownership.

Parsing 2012 numbers, the center counted 259 justifiable gun-related homicides, or incidents in which authorities ruled that killings occurred in self-defense.

Oh, and match those 259 justifiable homicides with the theft of about 232,000 guns each year, about 172,000 of them during burglaries. That’s a ratio of one justifiable homicide for every 896 guns put in the hands of criminals.

Those 259 justifiable homicides also pale compared with, in the same year, 8,342 criminal homicides using guns, 20,666 suicides with guns, and 548 fatal unintentional shootings, according to the FBI’s Supplemental Homicide Report.

Investigators have said Nolen had just been suspended from his job

Another unfortunate result from perceived loss of face,

You are wrong this man practicing as he wants to Join ISIS

We have to understand and forgive him

I'm sure quite a few people are glad that Oklahoma allows its citizens to protect themselves when the cops can't get there in time.

This happens quite often but it isn't newsworthy for the MSM. This was a knife murder and subsequent attack - nothing to do with guns. The good guy had the gun and used it in defense of another. He probably saved at least one life and maybe more.

Shocking ... NeverSure, please, you are not politically correct!

Investigators have said Nolen had just been suspended from his job when he walked into the company's administrative office and attacked Colleen Hufford, 54, severing her head. They say he also stabbed another co-worker, who survived, before he was shot by a company executive.

I'm sure quite a few people are glad that Oklahoma allows its citizens to protect themselves when the cops can't get there in time.

Undoubtedly there are occasions when a gun in the hands of a non-police citizen has had good results, but those incidents hardly justify the toll of death and injury caused by the ease of gun ownership.

Parsing 2012 numbers, the center counted 259 justifiable gun-related homicides, or incidents in which authorities ruled that killings occurred in self-defense.

Oh, and match those 259 justifiable homicides with the theft of about 232,000 guns each year, about 172,000 of them during burglaries. That’s a ratio of one justifiable homicide for every 896 guns put in the hands of criminals.

Those 259 justifiable homicides also pale compared with, in the same year, 8,342 criminal homicides using guns, 20,666 suicides with guns, and 548 fatal unintentional shootings, according to the FBI’s Supplemental Homicide Report.

Once again, easy to find the statistics for how many were killed.

The stats shown can be likened to how many criminals were shot by cops vs how many crimes didn't happen simply because of a police presence. Deterrence works. That's the justification for spending $$ billions each year for neighborhood patrols- and they don't measure success by how many bad guys the cops shoot. But total crime stats are pretty easy to compare before and after implementing neighborhood patrols.

Show me the statistics for how many crimes were prevented because a good guy had a gun (or the bad guys thought he may have one) and he didn't have to kill anyone. You can't. Nobody collects those statistics. So it's not so easy to compare crime stats with and without citizens having the right to defend themselves.

Edit: Frankly, I doubt we'd even be reading about this case had the nutjob not beheaded someone before the good guy stopped him from hurting others. It wouldn't have even made the papers, much less the world news, and certainly not the referenced statistics- since he wasn't killed.

Edited January 9, 201610 yr by impulse

I don't understand the story headline "A man accused of beheading a co-worker with a large butcher knife at an Oklahoma food processing plant must stand trial for first-degree murder". What was the alternative option? Agree that it was just a misunderstanding?

He may likely tried to plead not guilty as charged by reason of insanity to avoid criminal prosecution and be committed to a mental health institution

Investigators have said Nolen had just been suspended from his job

Another unfortunate result from perceived loss of face,

You are wrong this man practicing as he wants to Join ISIS

We have to understand and forgive him

DO NOT talk bull####.OK this man lost his job------ there is no way in this world that this act of brutality can receive forgiveness. If he did this act as reported then it was cold blooded MURDER

I'm not sure I understand why this article is news. Of course he should stand trail, but I guess it took the justice system this long to find this person competent to stand trail, The decision was made in October according to the article, so why is this article just now being written?

Justice in the US takes way too long these days.

Lol. 'Sure you don't work for CNN or maybe MSNBC? Why of course! We can't have any news of guns being used by armed citizens to SAVE lives, now can we? Somebody must've slipped up here! Usually a much better job of suppressing news stories like this. (You can read about them every single month in the NRA magazine, but you know those evil, conniving, KKK-affiliated, rednecks just make stuff up...). Was this even reported at all back at fhe time of the crime, outside of Whereveritwas, Oklahoma?

Investigators have said Nolen had just been suspended from his job

Another unfortunate result from perceived loss of face,

and Nolan just ended up proving that they were right to get rid of him, he proved he was a nut..and a murderous one at that.

People should be taught at an early age that if you ever think you have been wronged by someone else and are determined to get revenge, don't do something that just proves the others person right and hurts you in the process (ex. jail time). Ex-boyfriends/girlfriends make that mistake all the time after being dumped.

I watched a youtube yesterday with a compilation of incidents where people have used their firearms to protect themselves or others. Quite a few took place in Texas.

IMO, these types of examples need to be compiled and shown by the MSM in a serious, consistent manner. They don't because they (seem to) cherry pick to support a political agenda. The stories will still be tragic and they can still trumpet gun control, but they miss the Pavlovian opportunity to educate would-be criminals on Newton's 1st and 3rd laws of motion.

That is, if you attempt to take advantage of or hurt/kill others using force, there in an increasing likelihood of immediate, possibly fatal, repercussions. F = ma

Investigators have said Nolen had just been suspended from his job when he walked into the company's administrative office and attacked Colleen Hufford, 54, severing her head. They say he also stabbed another co-worker, who survived, before he was shot by a company executive.

I'm sure quite a few people are glad that Oklahoma allows its citizens to protect themselves when the cops can't get there in time.

Glad you read the whole story and read this part about the company executive.

"Vaughan is also an Oklahoma County reserve sheriff's deputy."

So, he was a reserve cop who was off duty. Pretty sure he's allowed to have a weapon!

Doesn't fit your argument I know! Sorry.

But really all 50 states let citizens carry weapons (concealed in some cases), they just have certain laws and licensing requirements which are not hard to comply with if you have no criminal record.

I'm not sure I understand why this article is news. Of course he should stand trail, but I guess it took the justice system this long to find this person competent to stand trail, The decision was made in October according to the article, so why is this article just now being written?

Justice in the US takes way too long these days.

Lol. 'Sure you don't work for CNN or maybe MSNBC? Why of course! We can't have any news of guns being used by armed citizens to SAVE lives, now can we? Somebody must've slipped up here! Usually a much better job of suppressing news stories like this. (You can read about them every single month in the NRA magazine, but you know those evil, conniving, KKK-affiliated, rednecks just make stuff up...). Was this even reported at all back at fhe time of the crime, outside of Whereveritwas, Oklahoma?

Yes, it was. I remember the story being reported and the hero off-duty deputy who worked at the company. He wasn't a normal, armed citizen. He was an off duty reserve sheriff's deputy who probably always has a weapon for protection and in case he's called in for an emergency. He was branded a hero in national media. I know it doesn't fit your paranoia but it's true. And yes, it was reported extensively by even CNN and MSNBC and they did not hide the facts, nor his status as a hero. Did they lead with that? Probably not. Probably lead with the much more compelling headline of a beheading on U.S. soil by a converted Muslim. In reality the murder was probably a combination of his anger at his suspension and his radical Islam sympathies.

Was he a Saudi ?

Was he a Saudi ?

Nope, just a dik head.

Investigators have said Nolen had just been suspended from his job when he walked into the company's administrative office and attacked Colleen Hufford, 54, severing her head. They say he also stabbed another co-worker, who survived, before he was shot by a company executive.

I'm sure quite a few people are glad that Oklahoma allows its citizens to protect themselves when the cops can't get there in time.

Glad you read the whole story and read this part about the company executive.

"Vaughan is also an Oklahoma County reserve sheriff's deputy."

So, he was a reserve cop who was off duty. Pretty sure he's allowed to have a weapon!

Doesn't fit your argument I know! Sorry.

But really all 50 states let citizens carry weapons (concealed in some cases), they just have certain laws and licensing requirements which are not hard to comply with if you have no criminal record.

Impulse's point would, I'm sure, be echoed by the other people in that building who survived.

Your point, however, attempts to fabricate a link between Vaughan's possession/use of a firearm and his reserve police affiliation. Your point fails because:

#1, had you read the entire article, you would of noted that Vaughn used a rifle to stop the attacker.

#2, that a rifle requires no licensing or permits beyond the 2nd Amendment.

#3, that the Oklahoma statute which authorizes Vaughan to carry a concealed firearm on his person when not performing his reserve police duties, refers to his department approved sidearm.

The fact that Vaughan had a rifle, and used it, was in no way sanctioned by or related to his reserve police status.

Edited January 11, 201610 yr by 55Jay

Investigators have said Nolen had just been suspended from his job when he walked into the company's administrative office and attacked Colleen Hufford, 54, severing her head. They say he also stabbed another co-worker, who survived, before he was shot by a company executive.

I'm sure quite a few people are glad that Oklahoma allows its citizens to protect themselves when the cops can't get there in time.

Glad you read the whole story and read this part about the company executive.

"Vaughan is also an Oklahoma County reserve sheriff's deputy."

So, he was a reserve cop who was off duty. Pretty sure he's allowed to have a weapon!

Doesn't fit your argument I know! Sorry.

But really all 50 states let citizens carry weapons (concealed in some cases), they just have certain laws and licensing requirements which are not hard to comply with if you have no criminal record.

Impulse's point would, I'm sure, be echoed by the other people in that building who survived.

Your point, however, attempts to fabricate a link between Vaughan's possession/use of a firearm and his reserve police affiliation. Your point fails because:

#1, had you read the entire article, you would of noted that Vaughn used a rifle to stop the attacker.

#2, that a rifle requires no licensing or permits beyond the 2nd Amendment.

#3, that the Oklahoma statute which authorizes Vaughan to carry a concealed firearm on his person when not performing his reserve police duties, refers to his department approved sidearm.

The fact that Vaughan had a rifle, and used it, was in no way sanctioned by or related to his reserve police status.

And in comparison, I wonder how effective an off duty Thai Volunteer Tourist cop (the Thai equivalent of a police reserve) would have been at stopping the guy, given the legal limits on their ability to carry weapons on and off duty.

I stand by my statement.

Edited January 11, 201610 yr by impulse