Bubbaworld

Publication Date: 4/14/06
Last Update: 4/14/06

Sometimes things happen for which there is no explanation. Sometimes weird behavior seems to run in cycles. Such is the case with an outlandish outbreak of biting in Oklahoma.

The first such case surfaced in early December, 2005 when an unidentified 16 year old Chickasha, Oklahoma boy got into a fight with his 21 year old brother. Karry French, the boys’ mother, like countless mothers before her, interceded to break up the fight between her two sons. At which point the younger boy proceeded to bite off his mother’s bottom lip. News accounts in the wake of the lip biting episode indicated that the woman’s lip was so mangled that doctors indicated that it could not be reattached. Since this case involved a juvenile, court records detailing the outcome are not available.

As December, 2005 was passing into the history books, a New Year’s Eve party in Enid, Oklahoma turned weird when two men got into an altercation. It was during that time that Binni Kejo allegedly bit the ear off of the other man. Enid Police called to investigate reported that they encountered the victim covered in blood and missing his right ear and when they questioned Kejo as to why there was blood on his clothes he replied, “because I bit his ear off”.

Kejo was arrested on a charge of felony aggravated assault and battery. Kejo’s wife was reportedly also arrested by Enid Police on an allegation that when she discovered her husband’s ear biting attack she began beating him. An examination of on-line court records does not reveal any charges having been filed against either Mr. or Mrs. Kejo. Evidently the District Attorney’s office felt the ear munching and beating were ‘justified’ under the circumstances.

January, 2006 was barely off to a start when 21 year old Daniel L. Taylor of Panama, Oklahoma allegedly bit off a portion of the ear of a man who came to the aid of a young female Taylor was allegedly assaulting. A felony count of maiming was filed against Taylor for the ear biting and a misdemeanor count of assault and battery for the attack on the young woman. Taylor was released on bond pending resolution of the cases and motions by the District Attorney to revoke deferred sentences Taylor received on previous criminal convictions.

In February, 2006 it really became weird while 37-year old Jody Bennett and her boyfriend, Greg Hill were visiting family in Tulsa. The family had just sat down to dinner when Bennett came out of a back room with a bloody napkin over her face and said her boyfriend had bitten her nose off. Tulsa Police were called and book Greg Hill booked into the Tulsa County jail for aggravated assault and battery, resisting arrest and destroying evidence.

The destroying evidence allegation resulted from the when Tulsa Police looked around for the bitten-off piece of nose, and couldn’t find it. Investigators thought Hill might have swallowed it, but were not sure. Police consulted with medical personnel about pumping Hill’s stomach, but doctors said since the nose is made out of cartilage, stomach acids would have dissolved the tissue.

Currently Hill is being held in the Tulsa County Jail in lieu of bond of $25,500 on charges of maiming and resisting an officer. Evidently the DA felt he could not make a case on destruction of evidence as any opportunity to do so had long since passed.

In spite of extensive searching by the Bubbaworld volunteers no biting incidents were detected during the month of March, 2006. Either all the biters took a break or they are simply getting better at hiding the bodies, concealing the evidence or both.

Just when we were beginning to wonder if the outbreak of weird biting was over, along comes April, 2006 and the arrest of 21 year old Daniel L. Taylor of Panama, Oklahoma. Yes, you read that right. It is the same Daniel L. Taylor that in January allegedly bit off the ear of a man that interceded between Taylor and a young female.

This time it is alleged that Taylor in lieu of biting off another ear settled for biting off an index finger, one belong to a man that tried to break up a fight between Taylor and his juvenile brother.

It was reported that when Taylor bit off the right index finger of the peacemaker that the victim defended himself, evidently in fear of the loss of additional body parts, and proceeded to kick Taylor in the face. We have no idea if the man’s intent was to leave Taylor toothless thereby reducing the threat to civilized persons in LeFlore County or it just happened. In either case it sounds like a good idea if the allegations against ‘the biter of LeFlore County’ are in fact found to be correct.

Court records indicate that following Taylor’s arrest in the latest alleged biting attack his bond was revoked. Charges are currently pending in the finger biting incident. An application to accelerate Taylor’s sentence on the two previous charges, is set for disposition on April 27. His formal arraignment on the ear biting allegation from January was held on April 12. According to on- line court documents Taylor is being held in the LeFlore County Jail.

Hopefully none of the jail’s inmates have turned up missing any body parts.

Can a jury after finding a defendant guilty sentence them to having their teeth pulled?