Some things leave an indelible mark, a mark on people, on groups, and on a community as a whole. This week marks the one year anniversary of the conviction of Blaize Teague for the murder of Cordell resident Tammi Thomas and the attempted murder of her son, Christian. And while it’s been a year since the case was closed and more than two since the commission of that heinous crime, the aftermath is still being felt by Cordell residents.
“It was so sad for all of the families involved,” said one Cordell resident who wished to remain anonymous. “We lost three Cordell students, the two sons of the victim who moved away afterward and Teague who was locked up.”
“Our world was rocked,” said another person who also wished to remain unnamed. “She was gone, the boys were gone.”
The desire for anonymity speaks more strongly about the emotional impact of this crime than anything else. Both of the anonymous responders expressed concern for their families and children as a result of commenting about the shootings. Even after a year has gone by since the conviction, the fear and worry persist.
Sarah Mears-Ivy, who lived in the neighborhood at the time of the murder, recalled her feelings at the time.
“As a single woman with children living very near where this tragedy occurred, I was terrified,” she said. “I didn’t let my son play outside, I would check and re-check that doors and windows were locked, and I kept myself armed. Until the perpetrator was caught, we didn’t know who or what we were looking for, and that was scary. My son had nightmares that a bad guy was going to shoot him, and had anxiety about playing outside for a long time after this incident. This murder took my safe, ‘Mayberry-esque’ picture of Cordell away, and made everyone I knew lock their doors and develop personal safety plans to protect themselves.”
The shooting itself took place July 20, 2017. Teague broke into the home of Tammi Thomas with the intent to kill her son, Christian. In the attempt to do so, Teague shot and killed Thomas.
Teague wrote about his crime in his plea document.
“On or about July 20th 2017 in Cordell I entered their home through an unlocked window with the knowledge that Tammi and her sons were home. I shot Christian with the intent to kill him and I shot Tammi which ultimately resulted in her death. I knew this was wrong and against the law. I entered the home with the intent to commit a crime. The shooting of Tammi occurred while I was trying to kill Christian.”
Teague was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences for the murder and attempted murder, plus an additional 20 years for the burglary charge.
Closure, however, is much more elusive than a judge can pronounce with a sentence. As one Cordell resident said, the ripple affects are still being felt. The families of both the victim and the killer will never be the same, but more than that, neither will the community in which they lived.
Three children are no longer a part of this small community, two moved away and one incarcerated. Two children lost their mother and their home. Friends of the victims, both the adult and children, still speak of the hole left in their hearts by this act of violence. Some children still speak of their friends, Tammi Thomas’ sons who are no longer part of their everyday lives.
This community, hard as it seems, lost more than the victims. It also lost its innocence and sense of security.
“Never do you think your neighbor is going to get murdered in Cordell, Oklahoma,” said one anonymous source. “I was born and raised here, and just never imagined it could happen. There are some nights my kids can’t even sleep, where we draw the curtains and hide inside.”
For her, even to this day, the feelings run the entire gamut of human emotions.
“You don’t know how to process it,” she said. “You feel every emotion out there. I went through them all, the fear, the regret, the guilt and everything else.”
Due to Teague’s status as a youthful offender, he could be released as early as March 2021, when he reaches his 18th birthday. He is scheduled for a review Nov. 21, 2019, in Washita County District Court. There will also be a review in 2020, in accordance with Oklahoma law, and one immediately before his 18th birtday. As a result of those reviews, Teague could either be freed or bridged over to the Oklahoma Department of Corrections to complete his sentence. The emotional impacts of his crime, however, will likely never fade from the memories of the residents of Cordell.