Local man accused of murder pleads guilty to lesser charge

A Tahlequah man who was accused of first-degree murder took a lesser charge ahead of his slated jury trial.

Matthew Kyle Santana, 33, was charged with first-degree murder and distribution of a controlled dangerous substance after he allegedly supplied 29-year-old Dakota Hiatt a lethal dose of fentanyl Jan. 1 2023.

According to an affidavit, Tahlequah police officers were dispatched to Clear Creek 66 store on East Allen Road to investigate Hiatt’s death. Sgt. Lane Cobb advised that Hiatt was found in the store's restroom.

Hiatt’s cell phone and a coin purse were found in his pocket. The coin purse also contained drug paraphernalia. Detectives notified Hiatt’s family and was later contacted by his brother, who said he was able to access Hiatt’s Cash App.

“[He] advised that he learned that shortly before Dakota’s death, he sent $50 to a man by the name of Matthew Santana,” the affidavit stated.

Video footage from the store was obtained and detectives could see Hiatt, Santana, and a woman enter the store together. Hiatt could be seen entering the restroom and not coming out.

Through the investigation, detectives were able to determine that Hiatt’s sent Santana $50 via Cash App seven minutes before Hiatt was seen entering the restroom. Santana called authorities after he was informed that detectives needed to speak with him.

He agreed to a written statement and Santana said he was going to “get rid” of his phone after that conversation because he was “getting tired of paying for it.”

Santana was arrested Jan. 18, 2023, for a warrant by the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office and detectives met him at the Cherokee County Detention Center to speak with him. Santana agreed to speak without an attorney present. Detectives noticed inconsistencies in Santana’s story.

On May 18, 2023, the Medical Examiner’s report stated Hiatt’s cause of death was fentanyl toxicity. An arrest warrant was requested for Santana for felony murder, and he was charged by District 27 District Attorney Jack Thorp May 24, 2023.

Santana pleaded not guilty June 2023; however, he pleaded guilty to an amended charge of unlawful use of money or electronic funds transfer and was sentenced to eight years to the Department of Corrections with credit for time served. Santana received a suspended sentence of seven years for distribution of a controlled dangerous substance. His jury trial was slated for Monday, Sept. 9.