A 19-year-old Oklahoma man has been charged in connection with the death of a 16-year-old girl who was reported missing in June, authorities announced.
Brayden Brown was arrested on Thursday, Oct. 30, and charged with second-degree murder, according to a statement from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI). At the time of the arrest, he was already in custody at the Beaver County Jail on unrelated charges.
The charge follows an investigation into a suspicious death after a teenage girl’s body was discovered on June 12 in a rural area of Beaver County. Authorities identified the victim as 16-year-old London Valdez of Hooker, Oklahoma.
Valdez had been reported missing by her grandmother five days earlier, according to reports from KFDA, KVII, and KAMR.
The OSBI determined that Valdez’s cause of death was acute methamphetamine toxicity combined with hyperthermia. Investigators allege that she had been traveling with Brown in the days leading up to her death. During interviews, Brown reportedly told investigators that he was under the influence of methamphetamine while driving with Valdez.
According to the OSBI statement, Brown’s vehicle became stuck on a dirt road north of the intersection where Valdez was later found. He then fled the scene on foot — the last known time Valdez was seen alive.
An obituary for Valdez notes that she died on June 7 and describes her as having “a big heart for rescuing animals.” She loved playing softball, listening to music, and spending time with friends. Her favorite moments were hiking in Red River, New Mexico, or the mountains, and driving around Ponca Lake with her mother, Brittany.
The obituary also remembered her compassion for others: she was “always there for anyone who needed her or just needed someone to listen,” and “particularly kind to the underdog, always putting others before herself.”
“London will be forever 16 in the hearts of those who loved her,” the tribute reads.
Authorities say the investigation remains ongoing. It is not clear whether Brown has an attorney to represent him at this time.
