VERDIGRIS, Okla. — After a tragic murder-suicide in Verdigris, two fathers are advocating for changes to the law following the deaths of their children at the hands of their mother. Last July, Brandy McCaslin took the lives of 9-month-old Billy, 5-year-old Bryce, and 11-year-old Noe during a supervised visitation, as reported by investigators.
In response to the devastating loss, Noe and Billy’s fathers, Ryan McGee and Billy Jacobson, are actively working on a new senate bill, Senate Bill 1756. They have named it The Three Angels Law, designed to reform supervised custody procedures and provide better protection for children and families.
For McGee, carrying a photo of his daughter Noe is a constant reminder of the cherished memories of his “awesome, amazing kid.” Meanwhile, Jacobson reflects on his son Billy, emphasizing that the time he had with him was “entirely too short.”
Both fathers are determined to turn their grief into action, stating that the system failed them leading up to the devastating events. They believe that implementing additional safeguards could have potentially prevented the tragic outcome.
McCaslin’s struggles with addiction and mental health issues have prompted Jacobson to emphasize the importance of proper training for individuals supervising visitations. He believes that such training would have enabled them to identify warning signs and possibly averted the tragedy.
The introduction of Senate Bill 1756 signifies a new purpose for the fathers, empowering them to channel their efforts into positive change. As they continue to work with legislators, they strive to not only seek justice for their own children but to also advocate for improved support for fathers in custody and visitation rights.
Looking ahead, they remain committed to fighting for further amendments to the law, expressing a steadfast dedication to safeguarding other children and families from similar devastation.