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. last 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 investiga tors believe Taporc o ’ s children may have been inside the residence during the assault. Officials have not released more details about the children’s condition.
Court documents and local 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. A 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 in Oklahoma carries the most 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 Offi ce. 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 moving through the property.
Local leaders did not immediately return requests for comment.
A motion to deny bail for Kendrick was granted on Oct. 3, according to online court records, and he had been scheduled for a a preliminary hearing conference on Oct. 8.
