Investigators say the 31-year-old victim died from a gunshot wound as agencies track steps leading to the boy’s arrest in Texas.
COLBERT, Okla. — A 13-year-old boy was being held in a Texas juvenile detention facility after investigators said he was linked to the death of a 31-year-old woman who was found dead inside a home in Colbert, Oklahoma, late Feb. 27.
The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation is leading the case with the Bryan County Sheriff’s Office after authorities said the woman, identified as Malary Clayton, died from a gunshot wound. The boy has not been publicly identified because of his age. Officials have said there are no other suspects believed to be at large, and the investigation is continuing as reports are prepared for prosecutors.
Deputies were called to a residence in the 500 block of Sims Road at about 6:45 p.m. Feb. 27 after a report of a death, authorities said. Inside, investigators found Clayton, 31, and described her injuries as consistent with a homicide. The sheriff’s office requested help from the state bureau, which dispatches agents to major crimes when local authorities ask for assistance. As investigators worked the scene, attention turned to a 13-year-old boy who was considered a person of interest, and authorities began trying to find him, officials said.
A missing person alert was issued Friday night for the boy as the search expanded beyond Bryan County. Officials later said the child had crossed the Oklahoma-Texas border. Hunter McKee, a public information manager for the state bureau, said the boy was located the next morning. “It was the next day, early morning hours, around 6:30 of the 28th, when the 13-year-old was found and placed into custody by the sheriff’s office in that area,” McKee said.
The arrest took place in Grayson County, Texas, across the state line from southern Oklahoma, authorities said. In a separate account of how the search ended, officials said a telecommunications officer who had already finished her shift spotted a child walking along Farm-to-Market Road 691 and recognized him from the alert. She contacted dispatch, and deputies were sent to the area to take the boy into custody. Multiple agencies were involved in the search, including Texas and local law enforcement, officials said.
Clayton was identified publicly by the Bryan County Sheriff’s Office in a statement shared by the department. Sheriff Joey W. Tucker called her death “heartbreaking” and said the case has shaken the community. “A young mother’s life was taken, and that is something no family, no friends, and no community should ever have to endure,” Tucker said in a statement, adding that his office was extending condolences to Clayton’s family and friends.
Tucker said the suspect was located safely with help from other agencies. He also stressed how unusual and painful the case is because of the age of the child involved. “There are no winners in a situation like this,” Tucker said in the statement. “Two lives and two futures are forever changed.” He said the case has weighed heavily on local investigators and on residents who know the family.
Officials have not publicly described what led to the shooting, whether anyone else was in the home when Clayton was killed, or what evidence caused investigators to focus on the child. Authorities have also not released information about the firearm involved or whether it has been recovered. McKee said the state bureau is continuing to work on reports and investigative steps. “Right now, the OSBI is still working on our reports and our investigation. We will then turn that over to the Bryan County District Attorney’s Office, who, of course, will determine official charges,” he said.
In Texas, the boy was placed in a juvenile detention facility, authorities said. The use of a juvenile facility does not mean a case is minor, but it does reflect the special legal rules that apply to children in the justice system. In many cases involving minors, records are not immediately public and court proceedings can be closed or limited to protect the child’s identity. Officials in Oklahoma have said they are not naming the boy because he is a minor.
Texas juvenile detention generally involves secure custody while legal steps are sorted out, including whether a juvenile will be released to guardians, held pending a hearing, or transferred back to another jurisdiction. In this case, Oklahoma investigators are expected to coordinate with Texas authorities as the process continues. Officials have not publicly described a schedule for any court hearings, nor have they said when the child might be returned to Oklahoma.
In the days since the death, investigators have emphasized that the case is still in an early stage. The state bureau typically gathers evidence, conducts interviews, and completes forensic work before submitting findings to the district attorney’s office. Prosecutors then decide whether to file charges and what those charges should be. In the KXII report, the boy was described as booked on a first-degree murder complaint, while officials said formal charges had not yet been filed.
For residents of Colbert, a small community in Bryan County near the Texas border, the case has carried a heavy emotional weight. In a follow-up statement, Tucker said his office was focused on the families affected and asked for space for them to grieve. “Right now, our focus is on compassion, on truth, and on supporting our community through this difficult time,” he said. “We ask that everyone allow space for the families involved to grieve privately and respectfully.”
Investigators have also said the case has no indication of additional suspects. That statement can help calm fears in a community, but it does not explain motive or what happened inside the home. Authorities have not said whether the boy and Clayton were alone at the time of her death or whether there were witnesses. Officials have not said what the relationship was between the child and Clayton, beyond local reporting that described her as the boy’s mother.
Law enforcement agencies involved include the Bryan County Sheriff’s Office, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and Texas authorities in Grayson County, according to officials’ descriptions of the search. Alerts issued by state patrol agencies can spread quickly through law enforcement networks and public channels, and officials said the alert was a key factor in helping the public and officers recognize the child. Authorities have not said how long the boy had been gone before the alert was issued.
What happens next is likely to unfold in several steps. Oklahoma investigators are expected to complete case reports and submit them to the Bryan County District Attorney’s Office. Prosecutors will then decide whether to file charges in juvenile court, seek detention orders, or consider other legal routes allowed under Oklahoma law. Officials have not said whether they will ask for the case to be handled in juvenile court throughout, or whether they will explore any process to try the child as an adult, a move that typically depends on age and the specific facts of a case.
Any courtroom timeline is not yet public. The boy remains in custody in Texas while agencies coordinate, and officials have not announced a date for a public briefing. Investigators have not released an autopsy report, though authorities have said Clayton died from a gunshot wound. They also have not released details about the home on Sims Road, such as whether it has been secured as a crime scene or whether residents have been allowed back inside.
The case has also raised questions about whether authorities had prior contact with the family. Tucker told KXII that his office had no past reports made on or by Clayton or her son. That statement does not rule out contact with other agencies, but it indicates the sheriff’s office did not have earlier calls involving them, according to his account.
For now, investigators are keeping many details private, a common approach in homicide cases while evidence is reviewed and interviews continue. Officials have said the priority is to complete the investigation and ensure the case is presented clearly to prosecutors. Tucker said the community is leaning on faith and one another as the case continues, describing the pain on multiple sides.
Authorities said Tuesday that the boy remained in custody and that investigators were still working the case, with the next major step expected to be submission of findings to the Bryan County District Attorney’s Office.
Author note: Last updated March 3, 2026.