The Cherokee Reservation Is Not Yellowstone’: Family Seeks Justice After Deadly Adair County Shooting

WESTVILLE, Okla. (Cherokee411) — “The Cherokee Reservation is not Yellowstone. We are not a television show. We are a sovereign Nation with real people, real families, and real lives. Our communities deserve justice based on facts and law — not fictionalized notions of rural life or Hollywood scripts.”

That’s the message from advocates for the family of Carl Hutchinson, a man shot and killed in Adair County, as they demand justice in a case that has outraged residents across Cherokee and Adair counties. The family says prosecutors declined to file murder charges against the shooter, reportedly referencing the TV drama Yellowstone to explain their decision, KJRH reports.

Hutchinson, a longtime resident of rural Westville near the Cherokee-Adair County line, was killed on May 30. According to KJRH, Hutchinson went to the home of Alan Becker after receiving a call from his stepson, who claimed he had been blocked on the road by neighbors, beaten along with his car using a sledgehammer, had his phone and shotgun stolen, and was threatened.

Documents state Becker called 911, alleging Hutchinson came to his door and threatened to kill his family. Investigators believe Hutchinson tried to leave after no one answered the door, but was blocked in the driveway by Becker, who was on a tractor. Becker then allegedly fired multiple rounds through Hutchinson’s windshield while Hutchinson remained inside his truck, according to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. An affidavit indicated probable cause for a murder charge.

The Adair County district attorney recused himself due to a conflict involving a witness who is a county commissioner, and the case was handed to the Tulsa County District Attorney’s Office. Tulsa prosecutors charged Becker with crimes related to the alleged attack on the stepson — including conjoint robbery, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, malicious injury to property, and felonious pointing of a firearm — but declined to pursue charges for Hutchinson’s death.

According to KJRH, the district attorney’s office used a PowerPoint presentation referencing Yellowstone to explain to Hutchinson’s family why they believed a rural jury would not convict Becker.

“Carl’s life, Tami’s life, and all of Adair County—we are not a TV show,” said attorney Rachel Dallis, who represents Hutchinson’s family. “That absolutely broke my heart for her, while absolutely enraging me.”

Dallis added that Marsy’s Law, passed by Oklahoma voters in 2018, gives crime victims and their families rights in the legal process, including fairness, dignity, and freedom from intimidation.

The Cherokee Nation confirmed it has received a referral related to the incident and is working with law enforcement partners to review the case. No charges have been filed against others allegedly involved in the attack on Hutchinson’s stepson. Becker is out on bond.

(Portions of this report are based on original reporting by KJRH.)

Photo courtesy KJRH.