Two defendants flee their trials

Two jury trials slated to begin this week have been thwarted due to defendants taking flight before facing juries.

Bennie Warren McCurtain, a.k.a. Benny, 42, of Elgin, was set to begin trial Monday in Chief District Judge Scott D. Meaders’ court on felony counts of first-degree rape and lewd or indecent acts to a child under 16, records indicate.

McCurtain failed to appear for his trial and a bench warrant was issued Tuesday for his arrest and his bond forfeited. He had been free on $35,000 bond since his initial court appearance in April 2021.

McCurtain is accused of sexual misconduct with the girl in June 2015, according to the probable affidavit. The girl told investigators in 2015 that when she was 6 years old, she was lying on the couch when McCurtain laid behind her, pulled his pants down and rubbed himself on her. He stopped because someone came back to the house, she said.

The girl told investigators McCurtain also had molested her on separate occasions in Fletcher and at his Elgin mobile home, the affidavit states.

Oklahoma Department of Corrections records indicate McCurtain received two felony convictions in Cotton County in December 2004 for assault and/or battery with a dangerous weapon.

Anthony Vincent Montana, 40, of Lawton, appeared Monday morning for jury selection in District Judge Jay Walker’s court for a felony charge of unauthorized use of a vehicle, records indicate.

After his jury was impaneled after vior dire Monday, Montana failed to reappear at 1 p.m. for the trial’s opening arguments.

Montana has been free on $10,000 bond since May 2022. A bench warrant for his arrest was issued Tuesday and his bond has been forfeited, records indicate.