Boynton man extradited to Arkansas

Ronn Rowland, Muskogee Phoenix, Okla.
·2 min read

Feb. 26—A Boynton man is in a Washington County, Arkansas, jail awaiting arraignment on a charge of capital murder.

Diontre Dewayne Lang, 22, is a suspect in the October 2020 death of a 15-year-old boy whose body was found on a road outside of Fayetteville by the Washington County (Ark.) Sheriff's Office on Oct. 21.

Lang was was taken into custody in Oklahoma City by Fayetteville police, Oklahoma City police and the U.S. Marshal's Office on Feb. 6 at a bar where he was getting ready to perform as a disc jockey under the name of SmokeDollaz.

Because of the winter storm, authorities were unable to extradite Lang until Wednesday. Lang was placed into the custody of the Washington County Jail upon his arrival in Arkansas.

Washington County Prosecuting Attorney Matt Durrett said Lang is being held without bond.

"Next in the process is his first appearance in front of a judge, in the morning," Durrett said. "He'll be advised of what he's being charged with, right to remain silent and his right to be represented by an attorney."

Lang's appearance is set for 7:30 a.m. Friday.

"At that time, he'll be told his arraignment date, which is March 10," Durrett said. "That's when he'll be formally arraigned."

Lang played football for Haskell High School and was a two-time All Phoenix selection, including being named the 2015 All-Phoenix Most Valuable Player.

Police believe the crime took place outside a gas station in Fayetteville, and that the boy's body was discovered the next day.

Following several months of investigating the boy's death, a capital murder arrest warrant was issued for Lang on Feb. 4.

Sgt. Anthony Murphy with the Fayetteville Police Department said he believes the shooting was a drug deal gone bad. He said the victim died as the result of a gunshot.

"It's an ongoing investigation," Murphy said. "The detectives are going to keep working on it even though someone is in jail. There is a lot of work being done on this case. Thousands of more hours to put into it to put it all together, but it definitely is nice to get someone behind bars."

Murphy said that because it's an ongoing investigation, he could not comment as to whether a weapon has been recovered.

Durrett said Lang will probably be given a trial date "late summer, early fall."

"Realistically it won't be a trial date," he said. "It's more like a status hearing."

Recommended Stories

  • As a child, she beat bone cancer. Now she's headed into space.

    Bone cancer survivor Hayley Arceneaux is thrilled to be going into space. As a crew member on SpaceX's Inspiration4, the world's first all-commercial astronaut mission to Earth's orbit, Arceneaux hopes that as the first person to go into space with a prosthesis, she can inspire others. At 10, she was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer, and was treated at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.

  • Prince Harry Tells Friend James Corden He Left the Royal Family Because It Was Destroying His Mental Health

    KOEN VAN WEELPrince Harry has said that he stepped back from royal duties because the British press was “toxic” and “destroying” his mental health.In an extraordinary interview unparalleled in the annals of royal history, Harry gave a candid interview to his close friend James Corden on The Late Late Show while they toured Los Angeles on an open-air double-decker bus. Corden was a guest at Harry and Meghan’s wedding in 2018 and arrived at the evening reception dressed as Henry VIII. Another guest at the wedding, Oprah Winfrey, has taped an interview primarily with Meghan that will be screened next weekend.Oprah Winfrey’s Interview With Meghan Markle and Harry Will ‘Shine a Light on What They Have Been Through’The two men were served afternoon tea, which Corden said he had provided to remind Harry of home, however the tea service was abandoned after the bus braked sharply, depositing the contents of a tea trolley on top of the prince.“Clear it up, Harry,” Corden joked as the prince picked up tea cups and scones.While the 17-minute long package had a humorous tone and was packed with jokes and gags, it also provided the most candid insight yet into why Harry withdrew from royal duties.Asked about his decision to leave royal life, Harry said he was left with no choice because the British press “was destroying my mental health.”He said of the “toxic” situation: “I did what any husband and father would do—I need to get my family out of here.”In what will be perceived as a dig at the royal establishment that refused to accept Harry and Meghan’s proposal of a hybrid public-private role, Harry said: “We never walked away, and as far as I’m concerned, what decisions are made on that side, I will never walk away.”Royal Family ‘Wringing Their Hands’ at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s ActivismHarry said that his life now would continue to be about “public service” and added that he and Meghan were “trying to bring some compassion and try to make people happy and try to change the world in any small way we can.”When Harry said he and Meghan often watched Jeopardy! and Netflix (with whom the couple recently signed a $100 million production deal) in the evenings after putting Archie to bed, Corden asked him about The Crown and its controversial portrayal of his family’s history.Harry, who joked he would like to be played in the series by Damian Lewis, said he preferred it to the tabloid media coverage of the royals because it “does not pretend to be news.”He added: “It’s fictional. But it’s loosely based on the truth.“Of course it’s not strictly accurate, but it gives you a rough idea about what that lifestyle—the pressures of putting duty and service above family and everything else—what can come from that.”He continued: “I’m way more comfortable with The Crown than I am seeing the stories written about my family, or my wife or myself, because it’s the difference between fiction—take it how you will—and being reported on as fact because you’re supposedly news. I have a real issue with that.”Harry also opened up about meeting Meghan and how he knew she was the one on their second date.“We hit it off with each other, and we were just so comfortable in each other’s company,” he said.“Dating me or any member of the royal family is kind of flipped upside down. All the dates become dinners or watching the TV or chatting at home.“We went from zero to 60 in the first two months.”Meghan, who is pregnant with the couple’s second child, made a cameo in the interview via FaceTime when Harry and Corden paid a trip to the house from the ’90s TV show The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.When Corden suggested the couple should buy the house, Meghan said: “I think we’ve done enough moving.”During the visit to the house, Corden and Harry spoke to the owner and jokingly made an offer to buy it, before Harry asked if he could use the toilet.“I’m actually dying for a pee. Can I use your bathroom?” he asked.Showing that family relations are at least still somewhat functional, Harry said his grandmother, the queen, bought his son Archie a waffle maker for Christmas.He revealed Meghan now makes waffles with a “beautiful organic mix” and they eat them for breakfast with toppings including berries and syrup.He also said that both his grandparents know how to use Zoom, but joked that his grandfather slams the laptop shut physically to finish a call.Over to you, Oprah.Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

  • Prince Harry and James Corden tour L.A., crawl through the mud, discuss Harry's thoughts on The Crown

    Prince Harry evidently thought he was going to be on "Carpool Karaoke." "This is subtle — where's the Range Rover?" he asked James Corden when Corden arrived in an open-air bus for a tour of Los Angeles on Thursday's Late Late Show. The non-working-royal prince did rap the theme to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, but there was no singing on the tour. There was, however, high tea, an ill-advised real estate push invoking Meghan Markle, and a military-style obstacle course. Prince Harry seemed to enjoy parts of the tour: He said he's never been allowed to ride on an open-top bus and has always wanted to go sight-seeing, and since he and his wife arrived in the U.S. during coronavirus lockdown, "this is the first time I've had a chance to see L.A." He described a typical day in his quasi-royal Santa Barbara household, starting with breakfast from a waffle-maker gifted to son Archie by his great-grandmother, the queen, and ending with him and the duchess in bed watching Jeopardy! or "a little bit of Netflix." "And how do you feel about The Crown?" Corden asked. Unlike his brother, Harry has watched the show, and he had thoughts about how his family is portrayed: "They don't pretend to be news, it's fictional, but it's loosely based on the truth. Of course it's not strictly accurate," but "loosely, it gives you a rough idea about what that lifestyle, what the pressures of putting duty and service above family and everything else, what can come from that. I'm way more comfortable with The Crown than I am seeing the stories written about my family or my wife or myself," because one is "obviously fiction" and the latter is "being reported on as fact." When asked, Harry said he wants Damian Lewis to play him when his storyline starts in The Crown. Corden nominated himself to play Prince William, earning a dubious stare from Harry. "It's not great casting, but it is casting," he said. You can watch him get the last laugh below. More stories from theweek.comJournalist Tim O'Brien, who's seen Trump's taxes, thinks Trump's accountant will now flip in D.A. inquiryDemocrats should take the Romney-Cotton proposal seriouslyThe MyPillow guy might be Trump's ultimate chump

  • China expected to unveil hike in military budget as tensions rise

    China is expected to reveal a robust increase in defence spending at the March 5 annual opening of parliament, as its economy rebounds from the COVID-19 pandemic and military tensions rise, Chinese and Western security experts said. With the coronavirus hammering its economy, China last year announced a 6.6 per cent boost in defence spending to $178 billion, the lowest rate of increase in three decades. The new administration of President Joe Biden has moved quickly to remind Beijing that the United States intends to compete with China's growing influence and military strength in the Asia-Pacific.

  • World shares skid, US futures turn higher after Wall St rout

    Shares skidded Friday in Europe and Asia but U.S. futures turned higher after a rout in technology companies pulled the Nasdaq 3.5% lower in the steepest loss for the tech-heavy index since October. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 index, which recently surpassed 30-year highs, sank 4% to 28,966.01. The sell-off Thursday on Wall Street picked up speed when the yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note exceeded 1.5%, a level not seen in more than a year and far above the 0.92% it was trading at only two months ago.

  • Nodeep Kaur: Jailed Dalit activist, 25, granted bail by India court

    Nodeep Kaur's arrest caused global outrage after accusations of assault and torture in police custody.

  • Native American nominee's grilling raises questions on bias

    When Wyoming U.S. Sen. John Barrasso snapped at Deb Haaland during her confirmation hearing, many in Indian Country were incensed. The exchange, coupled with descriptions of the Interior secretary nominee as “radical” — by other white, male Republicans — left some feeling Haaland is being treated differently because she is a Native American woman. At Wednesday's hearing, Barrasso wanted assurance that Haaland would follow the law when it comes to imperiled species.

  • While President Biden visits storm-torn Texas, Sen. Ted Cruz will be giving a speech on 'cancel culture' in Florida

    The president will tour the state with Gov. Greg Abbott.

  • Covid-19: Sri Lanka reverses 'anti-Muslim' cremation order

    Critics said the forced burial order was intended to target minorities and did not respect religions.

  • After a chaotic year, Biden moves to reclaim the USPS, despite a defiant Postmaster General Louis DeJoy

    Biden nominated three people to open positions on the agency's governing board, who, if confirmed by the Senate, would create a Democratic advantage.

  • Pilot reports UFO, says missile-like object flew over plane during flight to Phoenix

    A pilot at American Airlines radioed Sunday that an unidentified object flew over their jet during a flight while they were over New Mexico.

  • McConnell to support Trump if party picks him as its 2024 nominee

    Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who excoriated former President Donald Trump over the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol riot less than two weeks ago, said on Thursday that he would "absolutely" vote for Trump if he became the 2024 Republican presidential nominee. McConnell, who Trump blasted last week as "a dour, sullen, and unsmiling political hack," said he expects to see an open contest for the Republican White House nomination in 2024 but showed no hesitation in backing Trump when asked whether he would vote for him as nominee.

  • Fauci urges Americans to get vaccinated, not to cherry-pick the brand they receive

    A third coronavirus vaccine by Johnson & Johnson could be approved for emergency use by the FDA by Friday, accelerating the US vaccine rollout.

  • U.S. Senate panel sets hearing for Biden's No. 2 and No. 3 Justice Department picks

    The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday announced it will hold a confirmation hearing on March 9 for President Joe Biden's nominees to serve in the No. 2 and No. 3 top jobs at the U.S. Justice Department. Lisa Monaco, a former federal prosecutor who also previously advised former FBI Director Robert Mueller and former President Barack Obama, is nominated to serve as Deputy Attorney General. Vanita Gupta, a long-time civil rights attorney who previously led the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, is nominated to serve as Associate Attorney General.

  • Bryan Cranston Lists Eco-Friendly Beach House for $5 Million

    The Breaking Bad star completed the modern Ventura County home during the final season of the show

  • Republican Ralph Norman’s effort to hold 30-second silence for Rush Limbaugh turned down

    ‘The chair cannot entertain the gentleman’s request’

  • AT&T to sell minority stake in DirecTV to buyout firm TPG Capital

    Wireless carrier AT&T Inc said on Thursday it will sell about a third of its stake in satellite TV unit DirecTV to buyout firm TPG Capital in a deal that values the business at $16.25 billion, well below the $68 billion it paid for the asset less than six years ago. The newly created New DirecTV, which includes DirecTV, AT&T TV and U-verse video services has $6 billion in debt and will be jointly run by AT&T and TPG following the transaction. Over the years, the satellite TV unit has lost subscribers to popular online streaming options like Netflix Inc and Amazon.com Inc's Prime Video.

  • Brazil death toll tops 250,000, virus still running rampant

    Brazil’s COVID-19 death toll, which surpassed 250,000 on Thursday, is the world’s second-highest for the same reason its second wave has yet to fade: Prevention was never made a priority, experts say. Since the pandemic's start, Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro scoffed at the “little flu” and lambasted local leaders for imposing restrictions on activity; he said the economy must keep humming along to prevent worse hardship.

  • Costco raising starting wages to $16 amid calls for federal $15 minimum – will competitors follow?

    Lawmakers debate gradually raising federal minimum wage to $15 by 2025 as second-largest retailer says raising its wages ‘constitutes a significant competitive advantage’

  • New York prosecutors finally have Trump's tax records — and the public will likely never see them

    In the race to get former President Donald Trump's tax records, New York prosecutors have won. While it was more of a marathon than a sprint, the Manhattan District Attorney's Office confirmed Thursday that it had received Trump's tax records a year and a half after first requesting them. Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance and his team will now be able to dig through what sources tell CNN are "millions of pages" of documents spanning January 2011 to August 2019. Vance got the documents, which include financial statements and engagement agreements, from Trump's accounting firm Mazars USA. The transfer happened within an hour of the Supreme Court ordering that Mazars hand over the documents on Monday, Vance's spokesperson told reporters. Forensic accountants and analysts are now prepared to root through the records to find potential fraud or wrongdoing by the former president. But because the records were handed over as part of a grand jury investigation, they're unlikely to ever be made public. Democrats in the House had meanwhile been trying to access Trump's tax returns from the time they gained a majority two years ago. Courts had ruled both for and against the Democrats' subpoenas, but the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ultimately decided in December not to rule in the case, essentially letting Trump run out the clock. It's unclear if Congress will try to pursue Trump's records again now that he's out of the White House. More stories from theweek.comJournalist Tim O'Brien, who's seen Trump's taxes, thinks Trump's accountant will now flip in D.A. inquiryDemocrats should take the Romney-Cotton proposal seriouslyThe MyPillow guy might be Trump's ultimate chump