Suspect in custody after murder and fire in Choctaw County

(HUGO, Okla.) The Choctaw County Sheriff’s Office requested Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) investigative assistance after a man was pulled from his burning residence Thursday afternoon. Deputies were called to the 3100 block of East 2105 Road on May 21, 2020. When they arrived, along with Troopers from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, they saw that the residence was on fire. Before the home became fully engulfed, deputies and troopers were able to pull 47-year-old Joe Ben “Rusty” Hemingway from the residence. He had been shot and was deceased. Based on the investigation, Hemingway’s 27-year-old son Gunnar was identified as a suspect. Gunnar was hiding in a wooded area near the residence. After several hours in the woods, he surrendered peacefully and was arrested by OSBI agents and deputies from the Choctaw County Sheriff’s Office. He was taken to the Choctaw County Jail and has been charged with Murder in the First Degree and Arson in the First Degree.