DNA and genealogy work lead to Oklahoma arrest in two 2021 sexual assault investigations

Arrest follows cross-border investigation connecting Texas and Oklahoma cases

Authorities have arrested a 27-year-old man in McLoud, Oklahoma, on a first-degree rape allegation after an investigation that connected two sexual assault reports from 2021—one in southern Oklahoma and one in North Texas. The suspect, Hunter Mackey, was booked into the Pottawatomie County Jail following an arrest on Feb. 17, 2026.

The case developed through coordinated work among local, state and regional investigators in both states. The investigation centered on forensic evidence collected in each case and subsequent comparison of DNA profiles, which ultimately produced a match identifying Mackey as a suspect.

Timeline: 2021 assaults, early DNA comparisons, and a renewed push in 2024–2025

• March 2021: A woman reported being sexually assaulted in Ardmore, Oklahoma. A sexual assault kit was submitted for forensic testing.

• Oct. 10, 2021: A woman in North Texas reported being sexually assaulted after meeting a man through social media. Investigators said she was picked up in a sedan with Oklahoma registration, driven to another location, and assaulted.

• Late 2021: DNA from the Texas case was entered into the national Combined DNA Index System (CODIS). Investigators later received notice of a potential link to the Oklahoma case, prompting additional cross-agency coordination, including attempts at a familial DNA search that did not produce an arrest at the time.

• August 2024–September 2025: Evidence from the Oklahoma case underwent additional testing and genealogy work under a sexual assault kit initiative that supports investigations of unresolved sexual assaults. That work narrowed investigators’ focus to potential relatives and ultimately supported identification of Mackey as a suspect.

• Feb. 17, 2026: Investigators located and arrested Mackey in McLoud.

How the identification was made

Investigators used DNA comparison between evidence collected in the two cases. In the Oklahoma investigation, authorities also compared the DNA profile from the sexual assault kits with a DNA sample Mackey had previously provided to the Carter County Sheriff’s Office in an unrelated matter, which investigators said matched the profile developed from the 2021 cases.

Anyone arrested is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

What happens next

Mackey remained in custody in Pottawatomie County as of the most recent public updates. Court proceedings will determine whether additional charges are filed in either jurisdiction and how prosecution is coordinated across state lines. The case also highlights how renewed testing and investigative genealogy can generate leads years after an initial report—particularly in investigations where early database searches do not immediately identify a suspect.

Authorities have not publicly released additional identifying details about the victims or the specific locations involved, citing the sensitivity of sexual assault investigations.