Why Oklahoma family was awarded $11.6m after teenage daughter's mysterious 'suicide'

An Oklahoma household was awarded a astir $12 cardinal colony pursuing a botched constabulary probe and a wrongful decease suit implicit their teen daughter's death.

On December 8, 2020 Heather Williams recovered her 14-year-old daughter, Alaunna Raffield, wrong the family's store with a gunshot coiled to the caput -

Despite the information that authorities rapidly ruled her decease a suicide, 'nothing' successful the teen's diary wherever she routinely 'expressed herself' pointed to suicidal ideations.

'The grounds doesn't adhd up,' the precocious teen's ma told Fox25. 'She loved life.' 

Two years later, Raffield's parents, Heather and Kevin Williams, filed a wrongful decease suit successful 2022 against an 18-year-old man, Cody Baker, who had allegedly been stalking the teen. 

The Prague Police Department identified a suspicious narration betwixt the brace arsenic he admitted to constabulary that helium logged into Raffields societal media relationship aft her decease to get pictures. 

Upon person investigation, constabulary revealed nude photos of an unidentified pistillate and different inappropriate messages betwixt the brace - immoderate from Raffield telling the antheral to halt communicating with her. 

He besides admitted to investigators that helium was the 1 liable for aggregate cryptic messages sent from her relationship aft her death.

However, constabulary failed to see successful their probe into Raffield's decease that Baker had entree to a conveyance the nighttime of her decease and her household claimed his grounds of his relationship of that nighttime was convoluted. 

'I discovered 1 connection that stated Baker was "in bed" connected a Monday 12/07/2020. I asked him wherever helium was successful furniture astatine and helium stated helium would person to beryllium astatine his grandparents successful Prague. This contradicted what helium antecedently told maine successful the interview,' constabulary reports by Prague Police Department officer, Matthew Hensley revealed.

It was determined successful the people of the suit that Baker has utilized astatine slightest six antithetic names oregon aliases, and had his sanction legally changed to 'Cody Mullen' aft Raffield's death. 

Baker has besides called himself 'Cody Terrell' during the play helium allegedly stalked Raffield. 

Additionally, some parents assertion they ne'er heard a gunshot that fateful December evening, News4 reported. 

The weapon constabulary said Raffield utilized was besides recovered respective feet from her assemblage and has ne'er been positively identified arsenic the weapon utilized successful her death.

Adding to the seemingly botched investigation, a weapon pulverization residue introspection was ne'er conducted connected the teen's hands oregon head. 

The covering she was wearing was tested, however, it was lone aft a ceremonial location had washed it 3 times.

The Prague Police Department said they closed the case, yet, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigations said they ne'er opened one.

Abiding by their persistent suspicions of foul play, Raffield's parents pushed connected with their suit.

Baker failed to study to each but the last lawsuit hearing, unsuccessfully claiming helium was not decently served with the lawsuit. 

The Lincoln County District Court justice yet decided Baker was 'too late' and sided with Raffield's family, tribunal records show.

Two years aft Raffield's death, nary transgression charges person yet been filed against Baker.

The civilian lawsuit played retired successful Lincoln County District Court implicit that two-year span with minimal updates until September 12, 2024 erstwhile Brandon Pierson, the family's lawyer said: 'We secured an $11.6 cardinal judgement this week.'

'Unfortunately, being civilian successful nature, it’s symbolic … but it everlastingly and officially applies ineligible culpability … successful the decease of Alaunna Raffield.'

The judgement totaled a whopping $11, 688,485 and was based connected punitive damages for 'shocking behavior,' for symptom and suffering, mislaid aboriginal net and nonaccomplishment of companionship.

Raffield's projected aboriginal net were calculated nether the presumption that the teen, who loved cooking pastries, would person go a pastry cook if her decease had not been caused by Baker, an allegedly obsessed stalker who called the 14-year-old cheerleader 'my everlastingly love'.

Pierson added that helium firmly believes, on with Raffield’s family, that the OSBI should person handled the lawsuit to perchance debar having to prosecute civilian damages.

Following the teen's untimely death, the household has organized the Alaunna Raffield Fund with the purpose to assistance section instrumentality enforcement partners with the outgo of attending grooming facilitated by the OSBI.