Tahlequah man sentenced to life for murder

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that a Tahlequah man was sentenced to prison for first-degree murder in Indian Country.

Isaac Newman Sockey, 39, was sentenced to life in prison for a Sept. 8, 2023 fatal knife attack at a Tahlequah residence.

Charges against Sockey arose after a probe by the Tahlequah Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

According to evidence and testimony, Sockey placed a butterfly knife to the victim's throat after a verbal insult. The victim attempted to disarm Sockey when Sockey stabbed the victim more than 20 times.

Sockey was found guilty of first-degree murder after a jury trial in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma Dec. 12, 2023

“Senseless tragedies such as this reverberate through our communities, and those who perpetrate these acts must be brought to justice,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Jason Kaplan of the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners remain committed to preventing violent crime in Indian country by removing offenders like Mr. Sockey from our streets.”

Honorable Judge Ronald A. White presided over the hearing and Sockey was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin Gross and Gregory Dean Burris prosecuted the case.