Court records say the 16-year-old told investigators he struck 49-year-old Spring Weems with a hammer and moved her body to a curbside trash cart.
GUTHRIE, OK — A Logan County teenager was charged Friday with first-degree murder after deputies found his adoptive mother dead in a trash cart outside her Edmond-area home on Wednesday afternoon. The teen, identified in court filings as Jordan Cole Weems, 16, appeared in shackles for a brief arraignment in Guthrie as prosecutors outlined allegations of a planned attack inside the house.
Authorities say Spring Weems, 49, was discovered around 1 p.m. Wednesday after a welfare check at the residence in the 9000 block of Treviso Trail, a subdivision north of Edmond. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation is assisting the Logan County Sheriff’s Office. Prosecutors filed three counts against the teen — first-degree murder, desecration of a human corpse and unauthorized removal of a dead body — and moved to hold him without bond. The case has jolted the quiet Cascata Falls neighborhood and drawn attention to what investigators described as days of escalating trouble inside the home before the killing.
According to an affidavit summarized in court, relatives grew worried when they hadn’t heard from Spring Weems, whose car sat in the driveway and bedroom door was locked. A family member contacted authorities. Deputies who responded spoke with two teenagers at the home before locating Spring Weems’ body inside a trash cart near the curb. In a recorded interview, the affidavit says, Jordan Weems told investigators he retrieved a hammer from the garage late Tuesday night, waited in a hallway and struck his mother when she stepped from the kitchen, continuing to hit her until she stopped moving. He then cleaned up, placed her in the cart and rolled it to the street. “This is a terrible case,” state bureau spokesperson Hunter McKee said earlier in the week, noting agents were still working to confirm a motive.
Court filings allege Jordan had voiced intent to kill his mother in the days before the attack. Another adopted son told investigators the brothers had recently been punished for sneaking out at night, and described a discipline routine that included writing apology letters, restrictions on clothing and bedding, and wearing an orange jumpsuit “to show what life as a prisoner might be like.” Prosecutors say witnesses reported hearing threats and that the teen waited overnight before the assault. A motion to deny bail states the killing was not impulsive but planned, with the suspect “laying in wait” and striking Spring Weems in the head more than a dozen times. Officials said the teenager is being held at the Canadian County Juvenile Center while the murder case proceeds in adult court. The state medical examiner is conducting an autopsy to confirm the cause and manner of death.
Neighbors told investigators they saw the household’s teenage boys arguing and intervened before calling 911. One neighbor later said a teenager told her his brother had killed their mother, prompting the welfare check that led deputies to the curbside cart. The Logan County Sheriff’s Office and state agents say they have identified no other suspects and do not believe the public is in danger. Records indicate the home sits near Bryant Road and Simmons Road in a master-planned community with regular trash pickup; deputies secured the area and notified the sanitation provider to preserve potential evidence. Prosecutors identified Assistant District Attorney Matthew Adams as the attorney who addressed the court Friday, summarizing the affidavit and emphasizing statements attributed to the teen about the planning of the attack.
Prior contacts with law enforcement and recent hospitalizations for the teen are referenced in court records, though authorities have not released specific dates or diagnoses. Investigators have not publicly confirmed whether any in-home cameras, electronics or handwritten notes were recovered. They also have not addressed whether any prior child-welfare referrals involved the family. As the autopsy proceeds, detectives are collecting timelines from relatives and neighbors, reviewing phone records, and seeking additional witnesses who may have seen activity at the home late Tuesday or early Wednesday. Officials said the second adopted teen was interviewed and released to juvenile authorities on a separate matter not detailed in the charging documents.
Jordan Weems, charged as an adult, appeared before Special Judge Diane Vaughan for an initial appearance that lasted about eight minutes. Wearing a gray sweatshirt and black sweatpants, he kept his head down as the charges were read. Vaughan ordered him held without bond and set the next procedural step for early February. The District Attorney’s Office indicated it will present the case for a formal probable-cause hearing and then preliminary hearing setting, where a judge will decide if there is sufficient evidence to bind the case over for trial. Prosecutors said additional filings — including a detailed probable-cause narrative and discovery notices — will be provided to the defense in the coming days.
In the neighborhood, yellow tape had been removed by Friday but tire marks remained near the curb where deputies found the cart. A bouquet sat beside the driveway as friends stopped by to check on family members. “Everybody’s traumatized,” said neighbor Garland Hall, who described the area as tight-knit and not accustomed to violent crime. Another friend said Spring Weems “would go above and beyond for the cause,” recalling her willingness to help relatives and her church. OSBI’s McKee said agents have been in regular contact with the family and will provide updates as major steps in the investigation are completed.
As of Saturday morning, the teen remains in custody at the juvenile center in El Reno while the murder case proceeds in Logan County District Court. The medical examiner’s report and the court’s next scheduling order are expected in the coming week. Prosecutors say further filings could refine the timeline of events leading up to the killing.
Author note: Last updated February 1, 2026.