Authorities said two relatives were critically hurt and a 5-year-old boy was found unharmed after a search that ended in Love County.
ROFF, OK — An Oklahoma man was arrested Friday after deputies said he attacked his wife and stepson with a hatchet at a home in Roff, seriously injuring both victims before leaving with a 5-year-old boy who was later found safe.
The attack set off a multi-agency search and brought in state investigators as authorities worked to piece together what happened at the Pontotoc County property. Deputies said the two victims suffered severe injuries to the face and head and were taken to a hospital in critical condition. Investigators identified the suspect as 41-year-old Cody Pinkerton, who was booked into the Pontotoc County Jail on two counts of assault and battery with a deadly weapon. The case remained under investigation over the weekend, with officials still working to clarify motive, the exact sequence of the assault and whether more charges could follow.
Authorities said the case began just after 10 a.m. Friday, when Pontotoc County deputies were called to a property near Sauls Avenue and North Broadway in Roff. When deputies arrived, they found an adult man and woman with what officials described as severe injuries. One victim told investigators both had been attacked with a hatchet. Pontotoc County Sheriff Arnold Scott said deputies walked into what he called a “horrific crime scene,” and he said the woman and her son had been attacked, apparently by the husband. Both victims were taken from the scene for emergency treatment. Investigators soon identified Pinkerton as the suspect. Scott said authorities were especially alarmed because a 5-year-old child was no longer at the home, turning the case from a violent assault investigation into an urgent search for both a suspect and a missing child.
Officials said early information suggested Pinkerton may have been in a mental health crisis before the attack, though investigators have not released any medical finding or court record that would settle that question. Scott said deputies were worried about the child’s safety because they did not know Pinkerton’s condition or where he had gone. As the search widened, the Pontotoc County Sheriff’s Office asked the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation to assist. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol, U.S. Marshals Service and Chickasaw Nation Lighthorse Police were also alerted. Authorities used cell phone data to help track Pinkerton’s location. Scott said that work led officers south, and the search ended about 90 minutes after the first emergency call. Pinkerton was found along Highway 32 near the Red River in rural Love County and taken into custody without the public struggle or prolonged standoff that often marks cases involving injured victims and a missing child.
The town of Roff, a small community in south-central Oklahoma, became the center of a fast-moving investigation that stretched across county lines. What began as a domestic violence call quickly drew state and tribal law enforcement resources because of the seriousness of the injuries and the report that a young child had left the scene with the suspect. OSBI said the victims were an adult male and an adult female, while the sheriff more specifically described them as Pinkerton’s wife and stepson. Authorities have not publicly released the victims’ names, their ages or the hospital where they were taken. They also have not said whether the attack happened inside the home, outside it or in more than one location on the property. Even so, the broad outline of the case was clear by Friday afternoon: two people were badly wounded, a child was missing for a time, and investigators believed the suspect had fled south from Pontotoc County before he was found in Love County.
After the arrest, officials said the 5-year-old boy was found with Pinkerton and was unharmed. The child was being returned to Pontotoc County with the help of Chickasaw Nation Lighthorse police, according to Scott. Pinkerton was booked on two counts of assault and battery with a deadly weapon, and Scott said his bond was set at $500,000. As of Sunday, authorities had not announced any added count tied to the child’s removal from the home, and court records released publicly had not shown whether prosecutors planned to pursue kidnapping, child endangerment or other charges. That leaves several parts of the case unresolved. Investigators have not said whether the child is Pinkerton’s son, whether anyone else witnessed the attack or whether officers recovered the hatchet they believe was used. The OSBI said the investigation is ongoing, a sign that witness interviews, evidence collection and charging decisions were still underway.
For now, the legal case appears to be in its earliest stage. The booking on two felony counts means prosecutors have an initial basis to hold Pinkerton while investigators complete reports and present evidence for formal filing. In Oklahoma, early booking charges can be revised after additional witness statements, medical updates and a review by the district attorney. That matters here because both victims were reported in critical condition Friday, and serious changes in their medical status could affect how the case is charged. Authorities also have not said whether Pinkerton has an attorney, whether he has entered a plea or when he is next expected in court. The sheriff’s office and OSBI have both described the matter as active, which usually means investigators are still securing records, documenting the scene and coordinating with prosecutors before releasing more detail. The next public milestone is likely to come through court filings or a formal update from Pontotoc County authorities.
The voices from the scene have so far come mostly from law enforcement, reflecting how little is publicly known about the family involved. Scott’s remarks gave the clearest sense of the urgency officers faced when they arrived. “Found a horrific crime scene,” he said, adding that both victims had been attacked with a hatchet. He also described the pressure surrounding the missing child, saying deputies were “very concerned” because they did not know the child’s safety or Pinkerton’s state of mind. The OSBI, in a written update, thanked the sheriff’s office, highway patrol, Chickasaw Nation Lighthorse Police Department and U.S. Marshals Service for helping locate the suspect and child. Those statements underscored two realities at once: the violence of the initial attack and the speed with which the search was organized once authorities realized a young boy was gone from the home. But many personal details remain private, including the victims’ identities and any account from relatives or neighbors.
As of Sunday, Pinkerton remained in the Pontotoc County Jail on two counts of assault and battery with a deadly weapon, the child had been found safe and the two injured victims were last reported in critical condition. The next major update is expected when investigators or court records clarify the victims’ condition, any added charges and Pinkerton’s first scheduled appearance before a judge.
Author note: Last updated April 19, 2026.