Athena Hogan

Source: The Lawton Constitution

This collection documents the core timeline of the Athena Hogan murder case. It covers the initial 1986 investigation, the wrongful arrest of Robert Taylor, and his subsequent $1 million legal claims against the city for damage to his reputation.

The document also tracks the separate assault on Athena’s mother, Cindy Hogan, whose assailant, Ronnie Lewis Miller, had his charges dismissed because her brain damage prevented her from identifying him. Finally, it details the preliminary hearing for Harvey Lee Templeton, where forensic carpet fiber evidence was used to bind him over for trial, and the school board’s decision to ban door-to-door sales for elementary students.

Source: Into the Weeds Podcast

This follow-up article reports that Robert Taylor dismissed his $1 million lawsuit against the city. The report reiterates the circumstances of his brief arrest and the subsequent dismissal of charges after the OSBI determined the footprint in his car did not belong to the victim.

It also clarifies that the dismissal was filed "without prejudice," which means Taylor maintains the legal right to refile the lawsuit at a later date if he chooses.

Source: Into the Weeds Podcast

This report covers the formal filing of a $1 million lawsuit by Robert A. Taylor against the City of Lawton. Taylor, the man who originally discovered Athena Hogan's body, was arrested for her murder in October 1986 but released days later after forensic evidence (a footprint) proved to be a mismatch.

The lawsuit alleges that the police failed to exercise ordinary care in their investigation and that the wrongful arrest caused him severe emotional distress and damaged his reputation, forcing him to seek work out of state.

Source: Into the Weeds Podcast

This article details several decisions made during a Lawton City Council meeting. The primary focus is on the council tabling operating requests from two new ambulance services pending a committee study on the community's medical needs.

Additionally, the council denied sewer-related damage claims from local residents and refused two requests for water sales outside city limits. Notably, the council took "no action" regarding a $1 million lawsuit recently filed by Robert A. Taylor, who had been wrongfully arrested in the Athena Hogan case.