Remembering Captain Willy Hargraves 🖤💙

On August 19, 2022, the Osage County Sheriff’s Office lost a dedicated public servant when Captain Willy Hargraves succumbed to injuries sustained in a traffic accident while serving in the line of duty.

Captain Hargraves devoted his life to serving others. Through his years with the Sheriff's Office, his service as a volunteer fire chief, and his commitment to his community, he consistently answered the call and put others before himself.

While we remember the tragic circumstances of his passing, we choose to remember the way he lived — with courage, integrity, compassion, and an unwavering commitment to his community.

His service made a difference. His sacrifice will never be forgotten. His legacy continues through the many lives he touched and the community he worked so hard to serve.

Today, and always, we honor Captain Willy Hargraves.

End of Watch — August 19, 2022

Gone, but never forgotten. 🖤💙

#RememberingCaptainHargraves #EndOfWatch #NeverForgotten #HonorTheFallen #OsageCountySheriffsOffice … See MoreSee Less

Here are our monthly stats for July! … See MoreSee Less

𝐎𝐒𝐀𝐆𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐘 𝐂𝐑𝐈𝐌𝐄 𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐒
𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐞𝐲 & 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐇𝐢𝐣𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐞 – 𝟏𝟗𝟐𝟑

In the early 1920s, Osage County was no stranger to bold crimes—but one attempted robbery near Foraker would stand out for both its violence and its unusual outcome.

On the night of July 7, 1923, three pipeline workers near Foraker were confronted inside their residence by two-armed men—later identified as Harvey (Harve) Bond Caughey and W.S. Bowers. According to reports, the suspects entered with guns drawn and ordered the men to “stick them up,” taking approximately $36 and a watch.

But the robbery didn’t go as planned.

In a sudden turn, the unarmed victims fought back. Despite facing armed assailants, they overpowered the suspects. One of the attackers fired his weapon, but it had no effect. The victims then disarmed the gunman and used his own weapon to beat him, eventually turning him over to authorities. The Caughey fled but was later located hiding in a railroad boxcar.

Both Caughey and Bowers were arrested and charged with conjoint robbery, a serious offense carrying a potential sentence of 5 to 50 years.

𝗔𝗿𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗘𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝘂𝗻

Following his arrest, Caughey was released on a $10,000 bond—a significant sum at the time—but failed to appear for trial. The bond was forfeited, and Caughey disappeared, sparking a manhunt that would last more than two years.
During that time, he was later arrested in western Oklahoma and returned to Pawhuska. However, due to the absence of key witnesses, the case against him was dismissed, and he was released.

Meanwhile, his co-defendant, W.S. Bowers, was tried, convicted, and sentenced to 25 years in the Oklahoma State Penitentiary.

Caughey’s legal troubles did not end there.

After his release in Osage County, he traveled into Seminole County, where he was convicted of bank robbery and sentenced to another 25-year term. While being held in jail in Wewoka awaiting transfer, Caughey escaped custody and once again went on the run.

𝗖𝗮𝗽𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗔𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗝𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝗘𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗲

A prolonged search for Caughey finally came to an end when he was in Buffalo, Oklahoma, following a tip from John Lynn of Pawhuska—the same man who had signed his earlier bond and suffered its forfeiture.

Caughey was arrested on June 25th 1927, and returned to Osage County by deputies, where authorities determined whether he would face remaining local charges or be returned to serve his sentence out of Seminole County.

𝗔 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗰𝘆

Caughey had once been a taxi driver in Pawhuska and was a familiar figure in the area. His repeated encounters with the law—from robbery to escape—made him a known name in early Osage County criminal records.

Yet his story did not end in violence.

He served during World War I and eventually became a member of the local American Legion. On June 27, 1933, Harve Caughey died at the U.S. Veterans Hospital in Muskogee, Oklahoma, after several weeks of treatment. He was laid to rest in Pawhuska with military honors, escorted by fellow veterans.

The Caughey case is a reminder of the unpredictable nature of early Osage County crime—where bold robberies, citizen resistance, and long manhunts often defined the line between justice and escape. And sometimes, the same man could be remembered both as an outlaw…and as a veteran laid to rest with honor. … See MoreSee Less

𝐎𝐒𝐀𝐆𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐘 𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐅𝐅’𝐒 𝐎𝐅𝐅𝐈𝐂𝐄
𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄

𝐀𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐀𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐬-𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐑𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬

SAND SPRINGS, Okla. — August 10, 2026, Osage County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a report of shots fired at a residence near 688 N. Pawnee Road in rural Sand Springs, Osage County.

At approximately 9:09 p.m., deputies were advised of a disturbance involving an armed individual, later identified as David Stanworth. The reporting party told deputies that Stanworth had allegedly made threats toward her and her property. She further reported that earlier in the day, Stanworth had displayed a firearm during a confrontation with her son-in-law.

As deputies were responding to the area, the situation quickly escalated. At approximately 9:22 p.m., the reporting party advised dispatchers that Stanworth was allegedly shooting in her direction as she fled toward a nearby family member’s residence. She reported hearing bullets passing near her and believed rounds may have struck or been directed toward her residence.

Upon arriving at the scene, deputies approached Stanworth’s residence and attempted to make contact using the public-address systems in their patrol vehicles. As deputies began making announcements, they immediately heard approximately five to six gunshots coming from the area of the residence and were directed at them.

Deputies took cover behind their patrol vehicles and began issuing verbal commands for Stanworth to surrender. A short time later, deputies observed an individual wearing what appeared to be camouflage near the northwest corner of the residence. Deputies could see what appeared to be a firearm in his hands and continued issuing commands for him to surrender.

During the incident, Stanworth is alleged to have fired approximately 20 rounds in the direction of responding deputies, in addition to an undetermined number of rounds allegedly fired toward the initial victim and her residence.

Additional law enforcement resources responded to assist, including officers from the Osage Nation Police Department and Sand Springs Police Department, as well as the Tulsa Police Department helicopter. Responding personnel established a perimeter around the property and began tactical efforts to safely bring the incident to an end.

After an extended standoff, Stanworth ultimately surrendered to deputies and was taken into custody without further incident. No deputies or civilians were injured during the incident.

Stanworth was transported to the Osage County Jail, where he was booked on multiple charges, including nine counts of Shooting with Intent to Kill, Reckless Handling of a Firearm, and Possession of a Firearm While Under the Influence.

The investigation remains ongoing, and additional charges may be presented as investigators continue to review the circumstances and evidence related to this incident.

The Osage County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the Osage Nation Police Department, Sand Springs Police Department, and Tulsa Police Department’s helicopter for their assistance and cooperation during this incident.

This is an arrest not a conviction. … See MoreSee Less