A Moore man is being held on a $1 million bond at the Cleveland County Detention Center for allegedly killing his girlfriend inside an apartment that the two shared, according to court records.

Cleveland County prosecutors charged Finis Brownie Twohatchet, 40, Wednesday with first-degree murder. He is accused of killing Lou Ellen King, 40.

Moore police discovered King's decomposing body inside her home June 22 at Nottingham Square Apartments, near NW 27th and Shields Boulevard. Police were sent to check on the woman after a neighbor reported a foul odor coming from the apartment. Nobody had seen King for several days before her body was found, according to police.

Jail records show Twohatchet was arrested Wednesday morning and booked into CCDC. According to a court affidavit, King died of blunt force trauma to her head.

Investigators reported they interviewed a witness who claims to have assisted Twohatchet in fleeing the apartment June 15.

"The defendant then advised the witness that after an argument he had punched the victim in the forehead and threw her across the room," according to the affidavit.

Twohatchet told the witness he left the apartment and hid in a drainage ditch until he was picked up, the affidavit stated.

Court papers show Twohatchet was convicted in 2002 in Oklahoma County for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

No court date has been set for Twohatchet regarding the murder charge.

Meghan McCormick

366-3539

mmccormick@normantranscript.com