Oklahoma Judge on Trial: Two Drive-bys Linked by Lone Glock

A judicial official in Oklahoma finds himself on the flip side of the law, as he has been indicted for involvement in two separate drive-by shootings that took place in 2023, one of which took place on a property belonging to his brother-in-law.

Close to 3:30 in the afternoon on the 12th of February, 2023, a vehicle approached a ranch in Bison, Oklahoma, approximately 75 miles north of Oklahoma City, and discharged several shots. The property’s owner, Kenneth Markes, has stated that bullets pierced his residence, causing damage to a window, a wall, and his oven. A solitary bullet alongside five empty .40-caliber shell casings was later found at the scene. Although Markes’ son was present at the time, thankfully, no one was harmed.

Markes expressed his disbelief by saying, “Seeing a person in a window, and missing by a matter of inches, is not just a random shooting.”

Notably, two days after this event, Markes’ brother-in-law, Brian Lovell — a 59-year-old associate judge in Garfield County, Oklahoma — reported that a firearm had been stolen from his vehicle.

As the year progressed to September 11th, a man was seen in a white SUV near the crossroads of Matamoros and Santa Maria in Austin, Texas, allegedly pointing a weapon and firing at other vehicles. A witness described the suspect as “a white male, wearing a baseball-style hat and grey shirt.”

The suspect reportedly fired a minimum of five shots, with police finding “several vehicles with projectile defect in them,” according to the affidavit. Three .40-caliber shell casings were later discovered at the scene.

Interestingly, about an hour later, Judge Brian Lovell was arrested less than two miles from the intersection where the shooting occurred, after his white SUV with Oklahoma plates allegedly hit another vehicle twice.

The affidavit stated, “This SUV was driven by a white male, wearing a baseball-style hat and a grey shirt who was identified as Brian Noel Lovell … by his Oklahoma Driver’s License.” Police also spotted “a black firearm in the front passenger floor board of Lovell’s SUV.”

Lovell confirmed that he had hit the woman’s vehicle twice but denied doing so intentionally. When questioned about the shooting earlier that day, he seemed to draw a blank. “Lovell advised he did not know why he would have shot his gun and he could not recall any part of the shooting incident,” the affidavit said.

Fortunately, no one was hurt in either the Austin shooting or the minor vehicle accident.

In November, two months after the Austin shooting and nine months after Markes’ ranch shooting, ballistic tests revealed both incidents involved the same weapon, a Glock 23 .40-caliber.

Fast forward to February 2024, Lovell found himself under arrest and facing eight felony counts of deadly conduct — discharge of a firearm relating to the Austin shooting. He was granted a $10,000 bond and released upon payment. His hearing for this case is set for June.

Recently, Lovell was arraigned on one felony count of use of a vehicle to facilitate the discharge of a firearm and an alternative felony count of discharging a firearm into a dwelling in relation to the shooting at Markes’ residence. As Lovell did not enter a plea, the court entered a not-guilty plea on his behalf. He was given a $25,000 bond and released under the condition that he avoids Markes and his family and all firearms.

Stephen Jones, Lovell’s defense attorney in Oklahoma, questions the indictment. “It was a long time before the indictment was returned and that bears on him and his family. But he’s a strong character,” Jones stated. “And in my view, he’s innocent.”

Jones further conveyed the defense’s intention to “attack the jurisdiction and soundness of the indictment.” “From our own investigation, the evidence is insufficient to convince a jury beyond a reasonable doubt,” Jones argued.

Meanwhile, Markes displayed less confidence in his brother-in-law’s innocence. “I had no idea that it could’ve been Brian Lovell,” Markes shared. He reiterated his earlier sentiment: “Seeing a person in a window, and missing by a matter of inches, is not just a random shooting.”

Lovell’s court hearing concerning the shooting at Markes’ ranch is scheduled for late August. Garfield County District Judge Paul Woodward previously stated that Lovell had agreed not to preside over cases until his own case is fully resolved.

Watch a local news report about the incident below:

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