EMILY KALKA Editor A man facing trial for four felony counts was found dead on Tuesday, with authorities believing that it was self-inflicted.
Charles Douglas Lemaster was on trial for two counts of rape by instrumentation, one count of possession of child sexual abuse material and one count of pattern of criminal offenses, according to court documents.
His trial began on Monday, June 1 and he was due in court on Tuesday. District Attorney Adam Panter stated that they were wrapping up jury selection and law enforcement went out on a welfare check when attorneys were unable to contact Lemaster.
Stroud Police Chief Clint Gaylord said his department received a call that Lemaster had sent a suicide note to his defense attorney. As his last known location was in Chandler, the Chandler Police Department checked the location where Lemaster had been staying but didn’t locate him.
Gaylord said the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office then located his cell phone south of Chandler and a few miles west of Highway 18. It was there that they found Lemaster deceased with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Gaylord said Lemaster was originally arrested on Oct. 18, 2024. Court documents show that he was charged on Nov. 4, 2024 with two counts of rape by instrumentation and one count of pattern of criminal offenses.
Gaylord said a search warrant was carried out on Lemaster’s phone and computer, where law enforcement found explicit images of the victim. An additional charge for possession of child sexual abuse material was added in January 2025. Lemaster was arrested and booked into the Lincoln County Jail on Jan. 10, with the charge filed on Jan. 13, 2025, according to court documents.