On August 7, Douglas County Judge Patricia D. Herron sentenced Casey Devol, 31 to 97 years in prison for shooting and killing his sister, his sister’s boyfriend, and a dog last year.
On February 8, 2022, Douglas County Regional Dispatch received a call about two deceased people at a home on S. Russellville Road in Unincorporated Douglas County. The reporting party stated that he was bringing a car title over to an employee of his and when he walked into the garage, he noticed two dead victims and called for help.
The victims were identified as Jessica Mitchell, 32, and her boyfriend, Bryan Gray 34. Autopsy reports show both were shot to death.
During the investigation, detectives with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office noticed the property had surveillance cameras. After reviewing the footage, they were able to see a suspect carrying multiple firearms and entering the garage where the victims were found. Shortly after the murders, a family friend of Jessica’s called investigators to provide information about the suspect possibly being Jessica’s brother, Casey Devol. Devol’s driver’s license photo matched the characteristics of the suspect seen on video entering the victims’ garage before the murders.
During the autopsy, Mitchell was found with a digital recording device which captured a lengthy audio recording of the events leading up to and including the murders.
“While we may never know why Jessica decided to start a recording, it was instrumental in helping us place the defendant at the home with the two victims,” Chief Deputy District Attorney Andrew Steers said. “On the recording, you hear three people talking over dinner. The recording is unclear as to what the motive was behind the shooting. What is clear is that two of the three people having dinner that night were murdered and the only person who can answer ‘why’ is Mr. Devol.”
Devol was arrested without incident at a hotel in Kansas on February 9, 2022.
On July 19, 2023, Devol pleaded guilty to the following offenses:
Second-Degree Murder (2 counts)
Animal Cruelty
“I am very proud of my staff’s hard work and dedication towards this case,” Douglas County Sheriff Darren Weekly said. “This was a particularly heinous crime scene, and our detectives knew the killer needed to be found immediately. The team worked swiftly and did not rest until Devol was identified and behind bars. The safety of our community is my number one priority, and I will always ensure I have the resources necessary to make this happen.”
The 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office would like to highlight the great work performed by Douglas County Detectives Kristen Donoho and Matt Talmon, Cpl. Brian Pereria and all the commanders at DCSO who helped coordinate a massive SWAT operation and fugitive hunt to apprehend Devol.
“When no eyewitnesses to these murders existed, a digital recorder device became a voice for the victims,” District Attorney John Kellner said. “Jessica likely sensed something was wrong, and her instincts to start a recording and archive the tragic turn of events helped detectives and my prosecutors piece this mystery together and bring justice to their families.”