Criminal Charge: First Degree Murder
Case: State v. Karen Bly-Rana
Court: [CF-05-317A] [Wagoner County]
Result: Probation and drug rehab!
Karen and her spouse were charged with the murder of a Coweta, OK man upon their arrest after a lengthy Wagoner County car chase. The victim’s body was found in a bloody shower curtain in a rural field. The State’s evidence included significant blood in the Bly’s apartment that matched the victim.
Haslam subpoenaed about 10 witnesses to Karen’s preliminary hearing and arrived ready to mount an aggressive examination of the State’s evidence. In response, the prosecutors expressed an interest in an arrangement that involved Karen’s testimony in Mr. Bly’s jury trial. An arrangement was struck.
Mr. Bly sailed into his trial, impaneled a jury and heard from several State’s witnesses. He entered his guilty plea minutes before Karen took the stand and was sentenced to forty [40] years in prison [CF-05-317, see 10-25-06 docket sheet entry].
In exchange for her cooperation, the State amended Karen’s charges to accessory to a felony and Judge Norman sentenced her to twenty [20] years probation. She was immediately released from the Wagoner County jail straight into inpatient drug rehab.
She will be released to unsupervised probation upon her completion of rehab.