Man accused of killing Cecil found competent for trial

The man accused of killing a 24-year-old Chickasha resident has been found competent to stand trial. 

Grady County Assistant District Attorney Leah Edwards said Lofton Gray Jr. will have his preliminary hearing March 4. 

Gray admitted to shooting Amanda Cecil in her head during an interview with investigating authorities in late September of last year. 

"On September 7, 2014 New Mexico State Police Criminal Investigator Marcus Lopez, Chickasha Police Detective John Young and OSBI (Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation) Special Agent Lynn Williams interviewed Lofton Gray Jr. at the Gallup Indian Medical Center...," a Grady County District Attorney incident affidavit states. "Gray stated he shot Amanda Cecil during the night time hours of Sept. 4, 2014 or the early morning hours of Sept. 5, 2014 with his Walther 9mm pistol."

Gray said he wanted to move back to California, but Cecil would not allow him, according to the report. 

"Gray admitted that Cecil was asleep when he shot her," the report states. 

Cecil was reportedly living Gray, who investigators sought in the immediate aftermath of her death. 

He was later found in New Mexico after State Police there reported that Gray was involved in a road rage incident in which he threw a crow bar at a motorist who then struck Gray with his vehicle.

Gray was released from hospital and then placed under arrest in New Mexico for possession of a stolen vehicle. He was later extradited to Oklahoma.

Gray is charged with murder in the first degree.