Beckham County, OK — An Erick man was arrested recently after allegedly making violent threats toward a family member and attempting to persuade a minor to help him harm her mother, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in Beckham County District Court.

Deputies arrested Kenneth Dean Flanagan, 46, of Erick, on Oct. 23 at a residence near Erick. He was charged with child neglect and threaten to perform an act of violence.

According to the affidavit, a Beckham County Deputy was contacted by Erick Police after it was reported to them that a man had been threatening self-harm and encouraging a young girl to kill her mother. The suspect was later identified as Flanagan.

The Deputy met with the mother and her daughter, where the mother told investigators she believed Flanagan was looking for their daughter at Sweetwater School and had made statements about killing her.

The affidavit states that the child showed the deputy a text message dated Oct. 15 from Flanagan reading, “I’m going to shoot your mom in the [expletive] face.” The girl told deputies that Kenneth had also allegedly spoken about poisoning the woman's food.

During a forensic interview on Oct. 23, the girl recounted that while riding in an off-road vehicle the previous day, Flanagan allegedly asked her, “Will you help me poison your mom or let me shoot her in the face?” The next morning, he reportedly told her he would “run [the woman] out of here by shooting at her.”

The girl told investigators she felt she had to act as a mediator between her parents and was emotionally drained by the situation.

Flanagan has no prior criminal record, according to the affidavit.

He is due back in court on November 24.

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