BY JERRIE WHITELEY AND JONATHAN CANNON
HERALD DEMOCRAT
Jason Lee Belew, 34, remained in the Grayson County Jail after being arrested in connection with the death of Dakota Cheyenne Hughes, an 11-year-old girl who was found dead in a home in the 300 block of Dogwood Trail in Cartwright, Okla., near Lake Texoma early Sunday morning.
According to information released by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, the little girl had been staying the night with her aunt when she died.
An affidavit of probable cause filed in the case said the aunt and the child had picked Belew up in Sherman, and that he was in the house in Cartwright, Okla. when the aunt went to sleep.
"The aunt found Dakota nude and dead on a bedroom floor. There were injuries to Dakota's face, head, neck and genitalia," Emily Redman, district attorney for the 19th District in Oklahoma, said.
Belew signed a release on Monday afternoon allowing his extradition to Oklahoma to face the first-degree murder charge that carries, if convicted, a penalty that could include the death sentence or imprisonment up to life.
Belew was arrested at 3 p.m. Sunday on a criminal mischief warrant out of Grayson County at a house in the 200 block of North Holly in Sherman.
The Office of the Oklahoma Medical Examiner received Hughes' body on Sunday and an autopsy was conducted. A spokesperson for that office said they anticipated having means and cause of death determined Monday, but a full autopsy report is not expected to be available in the immediate future.
Justice of the Peace Harry "Butch" Morgan conducted a magistrate hearing for Belew Monday afternoon and explained Belew's rights with regard to the extradition to Oklahoma.
"I explained to him that if he didn't sign the waiver (of extradition), I was going to set a $1 million bond on the fugitive warrant," Morgan said. He said at that point Belew asked if he could call his father to discuss the matter.
Belew, Morgan said, was allowed to make his call and when he returned, he said he wanted to go back to Oklahoma to face the charges there.
Morgan said he set $1,500 bonds each on charges of evading arrest, resisting arrest and criminal mischief that Belew will have to face, at some point, in Grayson County.
"I believe they have 10 days," Morgan said when asked how long it might be before someone from Oklahoma retrieved Belew.
"I can't speak for Oklahoma, but more than likely, they won't drag their feet on it," Morgan said.