Prosecutors say the parents failed to protect 2-year-old Locklynn McGuire after an earlier incident raised concerns about the same family dog.
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — An Oklahoma couple is facing murder charges in the death of their 2-year-old daughter, who authorities say was fatally attacked by a family dog after being left in a bedroom equipped with locks that prevented the toddler from getting out.
Darci Lambert, 25, and Jorden McGuire, 35, are each accused of first-degree murder, with second-degree murder charged in the alternative, according to current case reporting. They also face animal-cruelty charges. A December 2025 announcement from the Oklahoma County District Attorney’s Office initially listed two animal-cruelty counts, while later reporting on the case lists five. The murder allegations center on prosecutors’ claim that the parents knew the dog posed a serious risk but failed to protect their daughter.
Oklahoma City police responded to a home near Northeast 26th Street and North Prospect Avenue at about 11:30 p.m. Nov. 18, 2025, after Lambert called 911 and reported that Locklynn was not breathing. Officers found the child dead in her bedroom with injuries that police said were consistent with a dog attack. Oklahoma City Animal Welfare removed four dogs from the home. Authorities said three of them appeared malnourished.
Investigators identified a black pit bull named Ella as the dog believed to have attacked Locklynn. According to an arrest affidavit described by local news outlets, McGuire told investigators he put his daughter to bed at about 7:30 p.m. and later took medication to sleep. He said he woke around 8:45 p.m., checked on Locklynn and saw her sleeping on a mattress with Ella. He told investigators the dog was kept in the girl’s room because it would fight with the family’s other dogs.
The affidavit said the bedroom had toddler locks on both sides of the door, preventing Locklynn from leaving on her own. Lambert was working until about 10:30 p.m. that night, police said. Investigators alleged she did not immediately check on her daughter after returning home and later found that the child had been attacked. The allegations in the affidavit have not been proven at trial.
A central issue in the prosecution is an earlier incident involving Locklynn and the same dog. Prosecutors have said evidence showed that Ella attacked the child 12 days before her death and caused serious injuries. Police records cited in local reports say Locklynn was taken to OU Children’s Hospital after suffering injuries to her ears. Investigators allege Lambert and McGuire nevertheless continued allowing the uncaged dog to stay in the toddler’s room.
An April 2026 review by Oklahoma’s Office of Juvenile System Oversight provides additional context about that earlier injury. The report says Lambert initially believed the dog had caused the wounds, but she reported that a treating doctor did not believe they appeared to have been caused by the dog and instead considered the child’s bed springs a possible cause. During a later forensic interview, an older sibling told investigators that the dog had hurt Locklynn’s ears. Medical records also noted concerns about possible non-accidental trauma, according to the oversight report.
Oklahoma Human Services received a report about the ear injuries on Nov. 7, the oversight review said, and accepted it as a priority investigation. Locklynn remained in the home. The agency later received the report of her death on Nov. 19. Following its investigation, Oklahoma Human Services made substantiated findings that included neglect or failure to protect and neglect resulting in death. A finding involving abuse by confinement was listed as unsubstantiated.
The oversight report also says a medical examiner’s investigative report classified Locklynn’s manner of death as an accident. Prosecutors, however, have pursued criminal charges based on the parents’ alleged actions before the fatal attack. Oklahoma County District Attorney Vicki Zemp Behenna called the death “an unspeakably tragic case” when announcing the upgraded charges and said prosecutors believe Lambert and McGuire failed to protect their daughter despite knowing she faced a serious risk.
Police arrested Lambert and McGuire on Nov. 21, 2025, initially on second-degree murder allegations. The District Attorney’s Office announced on Dec. 8 that prosecutors had upgraded the case to first-degree murder after reviewing the evidence. At that time, prosecutors said each defendant was being held on a $1 million bond and stressed that the charges were based on probable cause and that both defendants were presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
The criminal case remained pending into 2026. Law&Crime reported Sept. 10 that an arraignment originally scheduled for July had been continued until September. The latest report did not specify the new hearing date or indicate that either defendant had entered a plea. Lambert and McGuire remain accused of the crimes, and the allegations will be subject to further court proceedings.
Author note: Last updated September 10, 2026.