OKLAHOMA CITY — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - Oklahoma, Western), published as received.
OKLAHOMA CITY – MATTHEW RAY JONES, of Wynnewood, Oklahoma, has pleaded guilty to a criminal information charging him with murder in the second degree in Indian Country and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
According to public records, on April 18, 2025, Jones and another individual, Whyitt Collins, broke into a residence located on a marijuana grow outside Wynnewood, Oklahoma. Both men were armed with a handgun. Once inside, Jones and Collins encountered two individuals, whom they shot and killed. Following the shootings, Jones and Collins took several items prior to leaving the residence.
Jones, who was a juvenile at the time of the offenses, entered his guilty plea today as an adult and will be sentenced as an adult. As part of his plea, Jones admitted that he unlawfully killed one victim by discharging a firearm and aided and abetted in the unlawful killing of the second victim. At sentencing, Jones faces up to life in federal prison and fines of up to $500,000.
This case is in federal court because Jones is a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, and the crimes occurred within the boundaries of the Chickasaw Nation.
On June 29, 2026, Collins was sentenced to life without parole in Garvin County District Court after pleading guilty to two counts of first-degree murder and one count of first-degree burglary.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Joynes and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (SAUSA) Angela Ganote prosecuted this case. SAUSA Ganote is an attorney with the Chickasaw Nation assigned to the U.S. Attorney’s Office as part of a partnership to enhance federal efforts to address crime in Indian Country.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
