Police Search for Victim’s Head, Say Sexual Encounter Arranged on Craigslist

Wyoming police said Monday they are releasing disturbing details about a triple homicide – including the search for one of the victim’s head and a sex-for-hire arrangement that began on the Craigslist classified and social networking site – because they want the public to understand the severity of the case.

Police said Monday that the cause of death for Charles Oppenneer, 25, was likely trauma to the head, but he had been decapitated and his head has not yet been found, WZZM reports.

The discovery of Oppenneer’s body Wednesday in a wooded area near Gezon Park in Wyoming sparked a search for his girlfriend, 18-year-old Brooke Slocum, who was eight months pregnant. Her body was discovered in the trunk of a car driven by the suspect, Brady Oestike, 31, who committed suicide after fleeing police, who were about to serve search warrant at his Wyoming residence.

On Monday, Wyoming police said Slocum and Oestrike met on Craigslist and arranged to meet at the park have sex, WZZM said. Oppenneer was to be present for the encounter and would make the payment, according to information police gleaned from computer records.

Police seized restraints in a search of Oestrike’s residence and said Slocum was likely held for several days before she was killed by strangulation.

The FBI and Crimes Against Children task force have joined the investigation and will search data storage devices in Oestrike’s home to determine if there are more potential victims and suspects.

The discovery of the decapitated body has put some residents living near Gezon Park on edge, MLive/The Grand Rapids Press reports.

“This is concerning,” said Lisa Campbell, the mother of  three sons ages 14, 12 and 7. “We haven’t let our kids go out of our eyesight and I don’t think I will.”

However, others said the park is in a quiet, well-established neighborhood and the grisly discovery won’t change that. “We’ve never felt unsafe,” Jim Swanson told the newspaper.