Bristow Man Sentenced for Second-Degree Murder

TULSA, Okla. - Today, U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell sentenced Chad Alan Hudgins, 35, to 360 months imprisonment for Second Degree Murder in Indian Country. Additionally, Judge Frizzell ordered Hudgins to five years of supervised release.

According to court documents, in Dec. 2021, the Creek County Sheriff's Office received a call requesting a well-being check of Britney Smith. Upon arrival, officers noticed blood on the exterior of the house. Upon entry of the home, the deputies found the victim, Britney Smith, deceased. According to witnesses, Hudgins was in a dating relationship with Britney Smith. Hudgins told a friend that he was arguing with Britney and shot her. Hudgins fled to Kansas, where he was arrested with a loaded 9mm pistol.

Hudgins will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. The victim, Britney Smith, was a tribal citizen.

The FBI, the Creek County Sheriff's Office, and Muscogee Creek Nation Lighthorse Police investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric O. Johnston and Julie Childress prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about PSN, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.