Lawton man pleads not guilty to shooting sister to death

A Lawton man accused of shooting his sister to death in a fit of anger entered his plea of not guilty Wednesday.

Joshua Ray Pedro, 26, of Lawton, entered his plea to a felony charge of first-degree murder — deliberate intent and feloniously pointing a firearm in Comanche County District Court before District Judge Scott D. Meaders after waiving his preliminary hearing in September.

Pedro made his initial appearance April 17 in Comanche County District Court. The murder charge is punishable by life in prison, life without parole or death.

Lawton police arrived shortly after 3 a.m. April 14 to 1014 SE Alta Lane to find Mikayla Cozad-Black Eagle lying on the porch suffering from several gunshot wounds, the probable cause affidavit states. Pedro was taken into custody for questioning.

“Joshua started the interview saying he killed his sister,” according to Detective Marcus Rucker.

Pedro said he’d been brought over to the house by another woman and they’d been drinking and having fun, the affidavit states. At some point, he said, he and his sister began arguing and he said he wanted to leave. He told police he believed he was pushed or tripped and fell and it made him mad so he pulled his gun from his pants pocket, chambered a round and shot her. He said he shot her more than twice until she hit the ground.

A home surveillance camera captured the three “laughing and having a good time” before brother and sister turned physical with Pedro hitting her in the face and her hitting him back, according to the affidavit. They began fighting, the other woman tried to intervene and Pedro appeared upset before pulling the gun out.

Pedro is then seen walking closer to the women with the gun in his hand and is heard saying he’s going to kill them, the affidavit states. Moments later, he shoots the woman before the gun malfunctioned, then chambers another round and continues shooting her, according to the affidavit.

The other woman crouched down and Pedro is seen pointing the gun at her before walking off the porch, turning around and continuing to shoot Cozad-Black Eagle at close range before walking away, the affidavit states.

Investigators recovered 13 shell casings and one live round, according to the affidavit.

The Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s autopsy report of Cozad-Black Eagle showed she’d suffered multiple gunshot wounds to her legs, fracturing both femurs; multiple wounds to the torso and to the right upper arm; and a gunshot wound to the right cheek that resulted in skull fractures.

Pedro remains held on $1 million bond.