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A Norman man has been accused of strangling a Wellston woman after she refused to have sex with him. And the next day he took her body and dumped it at Lake Thunderbird in Oklahoma.

The murder of Charissa Dawn Bell, a 29-year-old mother of three took place on February 12, 2023. In Cleveland County District Court Austin Blake Godwin, 30, has been charged with first-degree murder and unlawful removal of a dead body.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation called her death “suspicious” on February 14.

Police say Godwin walked into the Norman Police Department on Feb. 21 and confessed to the killing. His confession came eight days after Akers’ body was found.

Lake Thunderbird stranger murder

Per the affidavit, Godwin strangled Bell with a rope for about 4-minutes. 

“(Akers’) last words were about her children,” police said, according to the suspect’s interview.

According to court documents, Godwin admitted to killing Bell and taking her body to Lake Thunderbird, where he placed it so that she could “have a view of the lake”.

 The body was discovered by two bicyclists, who found it inside a tote bag later that day. Authorities initially called her death "suspicious" before Godwin came forward with his confession.

The incident shocked the community.  Because according to Godwin he and Bell were strangers. And stranger murders are uncommon in homicide cases. 

District Attorney Greg Mashburn stated in an interview that these types of cases usually involve parties that know each other, which makes this case stand out. Moreover, the way in which Godwin disposed of the body was also unusual, as he used a tote bag and placed it in a secluded area near the lake.

Bell's family and friends were left heartbroken by her untimely death.

According to an online obituary, Bell was an “avid supporter of child trafficking awareness.” And was known as a well-known activist to a variety of social causes.

She loved and cared for many friends and family members in her life and would be dearly missed.

Godwin's confession has brought some closure to Bell's family, who can now begin to grieve her loss and process the tragedy. The justice system will proceed to evaluate the evidence and determine Godwin's guilt or innocence. 

In the meantime, the community is left to reflect on the tragic loss of life and the need for greater vigilance when meeting strangers.