HOLDENVILLE, Okla. — Two former educators in the same rural county face prison time after being charged this month with murder, and indecent exposure, respectively.
Former Stuart Public School assistant principal Terry Beck was charged with murder after he reportedly called deputies the morning of Sept. 9 and told them he had shot his wife in the back while she was sleeping in bed. The deputy's arrest report can be found here.
Stuart Public School told 2 News Beck was last employed by the district in 2014 after being hired in the 1990s.
Because Hughes County does not have an operating jail currently, Beck is booked in Seminole County Jail without bond.
In Holdenville, District Attorney Erik Johnson announced charges for former high school FFA teacher Cody Richison in connection with two instances of alleged indecent exposure on school property in 2024.
Richison was the subject of an FBI investigation into possible child porn possession in early 2025, but FBI's Oklahoma City office confirmed to 2 News it "transferred the case to the District 22 District Attorney's office upon dismissal of federal charges" in March. As of Sept. 27, 2 News hasn't received a response from Eastern District of Oklahoma prosecutors as to why federal charges from the investigation were dropped.
- Previous coverage>>> Holdenville teacher under FBI investigation for child sex abuse material
Richison, 35, bonded out of Seminole County Jail, 2 News confirmed on Sept. 27. However, the former teacher could face additional charges, according to the district attorney's release.
Holdenville Public Schools superintendent Danielle Patterson issued a statement included with Johnson's announcement:
“Our highest priority is always the safety and well-being of our students and staff. We appreciate the work of law enforcement and the district attorney’s Office in pursuing this matter, and we will continue to cooperate fully with their investigation as needed. We are also grateful to have been informed that the alleged incidents underlying the pending charges occurred outside of school hours and did not occur in the presence of any other individuals, including students. We will respect the criminal justice process and allow the appropriate authorities to address these allegations through that process.”
"Those are just black marks against us,” Holdenville High School parent Mitch Gibb told 2 News. "To me, (the charges are) not against our current administration. We’ve got some great people here. But what bothers me is that this kind of thing happens with people who are supposed to be leaders in our community and being models to our children.”
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