Oklahoma teen’s manner of death changed amid investigation into drowning
Community members are calling for the truth to come out regarding Oluwatoyin Adewole Amuda's death in Oklahoma County.
An Oklahoma community is calling for answers after a Black teenager drowned in Oklahoma county. Oluwatoyin Adewole Amuda, 18, was pronounced dead at his friend’s home in the early morning hours of June 16, according to local news outlet KFOR.
As community members wait for the truth to surface, they started an Instagram page in Amuda’s memory and to raise awareness. The page is called @justice.for.toyin.amuda and has garnered more than 2,700 followers.
“Toyin Amuda just graduated this past May. Excited to start his life, made it into OU, and was a remarkable and charming young man,” the Instagram caption reads. “Of course, we know the news that went around about Toyins passing, but s&*% is NOT adding up. Stories have switched, different people are being blamed, and the timing of his death is being switched around too.”
According to local reports, the home where the incident occurred is located in the 21600 block of Villagio Drive. The Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office got a call at 2:28 a.m. about an 18-year-old male unresponsive in a swimming pool at an upscale home in the area, KFOR shared.
Initially, the manner of Amuda’s death was ruled an “accident,” according to a sheriff’s office incident report shared by KFOR. Now, that has changed.
KFOR shared more details about the incident after receiving an email from Kari Learned, the division manager for the office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
“The cause of death is listed as ‘drowning,’ and the manner is now listed as ‘pending.’ The manner was originally listed as ‘accident’, however, our physician has changed the manner to ‘pending’ until the case is finalized,” Learned told KFOR in the email.
A sheriff’s office incident report obtained by KFOR says that when deputies arrived on the scene, they found Deer Creek firefighters performing CPR on Amuda. EMSA arrived soon after and tried to assist in reviving him but at 3:11 a.m., they pronounced him dead, KFOR reported.
The homeowner told sheriff official Lt. W. Fretz he was in bed when his daughter approached him and told him there was a boy in the pool, KFOR reported. They say that Amuda was at the home of a former classmate.
According to the sheriff’s office, the homeowner said he went outside and found people at the home pulling the victim out of the water and then laying him down on the deck near the deep end side of the pool. He said he tried to administer CPR until firefighters arrived.
KFOR reported that Fretz asked the homeowner if he knew if there was any alcohol consumed.
“I asked [him] if anyone here was drinking and if there was any alcohol here and he stated not to his knowledge,” Fretz said in the police report.
The official said he found two empty beer cans on the hot tub, a small plastic empty vodka bottle, and an empty Jell-O package when he walked around to the backyard. He also said he discovered at least three areas around the pool where there was vomit.
They also found “two garbage receptacles in the home’s driveway, filled with empty beer cans and assorted liquor bottles,” according to the KFOR. The next day the homeowner reported finding a marijuana ‘roach’ discarded as well.
Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Aaron Brillbeck says that the incident is still under investigation.
“We’re investigating all aspects of it,” Brillbeck said. “We’re waiting on toxicology to come back.”
When asked if foul play could have been involved in Amuda’s death, he said, “At this point, we don’t know. The investigation is still ongoing; we’re looking into that, but at this point, we simply don’t know.”
Though the homeowner says that he had surveillance cameras on the property, but that they haven’t been operational in two years.
The investigation is ongoing as Oklahoma community members seek to find the truth in what happened to their loved one.
“I understand the community’s frustration, but it’s important for our investigators to make sure this is done properly,” Brillbeck said, according to KFOR. “His family deserves answers, the community deserves answers; we have to make sure we do this properly. Only we can do the investigation. We’re still gathering evidence. We’re still gathering information. We don’t want to put anything out before we know it’s 100% factual.”
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