A quiet stretch of the College Inn Apartments was cordoned off by investigators overnight after police arrested 35-year-old Antonio Rashawn Kendrick and booked him on a charge of first-degree murder in the death of 37-year-old Kayla Taporco, authorities said. Kendrick was taken into custody and booked into the Bryan County Jail at 1:25 a.m. Friday, according to jail records and law-enforcement reports.
Neighbors and onlookers described a heavy police presence at the complex on the south side of Durant as crime-scene tape surrounded a portion of the property and forensic teams conducted an initial investigation. The Bryan County Sheriff’s Office and responding officers said Kendrick and Taporco were in a relationship, and investigators believe Taporco’s children may have been inside the residence during the assault. Officials have not releasedfurtherdetailsabout the children’s condition.
Courtdocumentsandlocal records show Kendrick has an existing criminal history in the region, including pleas of no contest last year to felony domestic assault and to methamphetamine possession; those cases resulted in probationary sentences in 2024.
Investigators allege Kendrick beat Taporco to death; the Bryan County medical examiner will perform an autopsy to determine the official cause and manner of death, a step that could take several days as toxicology and other forensic testing proceed. Prosecutors have filed a formal charge of First-Degree Murder, a felony that inOklahomacarriesthemost severe penalties. At this stage, Kendrick is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
The arrest unfolded after responding officers and detectives executed an on-scene investigation that involved interviews with witnesses and the collection of physical evidence. A spokesperson for the investigating agency told reporters that evidence at the scene led them to arrest Kendrick; investigators have not yet released a public statement detailing the full timeline of events or any possible motive.
Law enforcement also asked anyone with information or video footage from the College Inn Apartments area to contact the Bryan County Sheriff’s Office. The case has already prompted concern among residents of the apartment community and the broader Durant area, where violent crime remains an uncommon and jarring departure from daily life for many.
Neighbors described Taporco as a familiar presence in the complex; others said they awoke to the sound of sirens and later saw officers movingthroughtheproperty. Local leaders did not immediately return requests for comment.
Legal proceedings in Bryan County will determine how quickly Kendrick is arraigned and whether prosecutors will pursue additional charges or seek enhanced penalties based on prior convictions or evidence developed by investigators. Online court listings and the county jail roster confirm Kendrick’s booking; however, many of the important decisions, grand jury action, formalindictmentandacourt schedule,willbesetbycounty prosecutors and the district court in the coming days. As the medical examiner completes the autopsy and the sheriff’s office continues its probe, the community awaits clarity about what led to Taporco’s death and how the justice system will proceed.