Family says goodbye; investigation continues

By KRYSTAL J. CARMAN

CHELSEA — Rocky Sutherland used his son’s skeletal remains to make a dramatic point against drug use during graveside services Thursday in Chelsea.

Blake Sutherland’s skeleton was found nearly four months ago near Spencer Creek. The victim of a homicide, he had been missing for 14 months.

Rocky Sutherland, standing beside his son’s casket, said: “I’m going to show you what drugs will do to you.”

He opened the casket and revealed a collection of bones.

“This is what drugs will do to you, right here. So, please, don’t do ’em. If you’re on ’em, get off ’em. Just don’t do it.”

Blake’s death is considered a homicide by the Rogers County Sheriff’s Office and Investigator Chris Bohl has been on the case since Blake was reported missing in January 2007. The last time his family saw him alive was Jan. 12, 2007.

“I’m still following up on several leads and then I’ll submit my report to the (District Attorney),” Bohl said Thursday morning. “I’ll tell you this, there will be some arrests made when it’s done.”

When Blake was reported missing, Bohl said he received several leads and rumors and followed each one, but Blake could not be found.

On March 27, Bohl reported two fishermen found bones in an abandoned strip mine on a property that houses an abandoned mobile home near Spencer Creek in rural Rogers County. Blake’s remains were scattered across the gully adjacent to the strip mine, a place Rocky said had been searched before by both himself and Bohl.

Now deceased Tom Carter was who Bohl said was the number one suspect in the case, but would not elaborate on the circumstances. No other names have been released in relation to the case.

Bohl said he did not know when his final report would be submitted to the Rogers County District Attorney.

Before Rocky Sutherland’s dramatic opening of his son’s casket, friends spoke fondly of Blake, of his smile, laughter and willingness to lend a helping hand. They also remembered his appetite.

“There’s not enough words to express what Blake meant to all of us,” a high school friend recalled. “We’ll always be grateful for him and his family. He would help you in any way possible. He was always good for raiding your kitchen and your refrigerator, but you was always happy to have him there.

“Your big heart, smile and laughter will remain in our hearts never to be forgotten. You touched our souls. Blake, we have all been blessed with knowing and loving you. Rest in peace.”

Rick Stanbro, Blake’s friend and co-worker, recalled times the two spent together.

“We miss you Blake dearly,” he said. “He liked to help me cut firewood. I never cut wood with anybody like him. When you ask him to come cut wood, the wood would just fly. We just had a lot of good times together, and I just enjoyed knowing him and being around him. I worked with him at ParFab for quite a while. He was a joy to be around I sure miss him.

“May God bless this family. There will be justice for Blake,” Stanbro said.

Blake grew up in the Chelsea/Foyil area and graduated from Chelsea High School in 1996. He was a member of the junior high band, the high school band and the jazz band.

For those who knew him, Blake will always be remembered as one who helped others.

“One time me and Blake were headed into Claremore coming from the Pryor area,” a friend said. “It had rained earlier that day, but it wasn’t raining when we came up on that part of the road. It was before they built the new one and it used to be a real bad area.

“We came up over this hill and this little slug bug (Volkswagen) came up over the hill on the wrong side of the road and I was following this other little car and they had a head-on collision.

“That slug bug, it caught fire and it had flames shooting 10 feet in the air. You watch these movies and when a car gets on fire they blow up. You know, I was scared to death, but not Blake. He’d been in a wreck before. He jumped out of my truck and ran over to that slug bug and that kid’s leg was just almost going to fall off. It was broke real bad and Blake, he jumped in there and he grabbed that kid out of there and he put him in the back of my truck. The ambulance or nobody was there yet. The car’s on fire. I ran over to the Topaz (the other car). It wasn’t on fire. I was doing what I could, but Blake, he was right there in that burning car.

“He rescued a 16-year-old boy and a 12-year-old little girl out of that car that day. If Blake wouldn’t have been there, I’m afraid what might have happened to them two little kids. That’s how Blake was. He was there for you.”

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