DURANT, Okla. (The Oklahoma Post) January 30, 2026
A Bryan County advocacy group is calling for stronger enforcement of protective orders, tighter bond practices in violent domestic cases, and evidence based prosecution, as organizers prepare for a peaceful public gathering outside the Bryan County Courthouse on Feb. 2.
Shelley Dunnam, an advocacy coordinator and public relations lead for the initiative known as Never Again Bryan County, said the event is timed to coincide with a protective order hearing connected to a current survivor, and is meant to spotlight what she described as a repeated pattern in domestic violence cases: reports are made, offenders bond out, violations follow quickly, and accountability comes only after irreversible harm.
“This is not for fun,” Dunnam said in an interview with The Oklahoma Post. “I’m tired of watching my friends die slow. They’re still alive, but I’m the 2 a.m. phone call when they’re getting threats. I refuse to sit here and let nobody hold these people accountable.”
Dunnam said local law enforcement leadership has expressed support for reform efforts, including the Durant Police Department and the Bryan County Sheriff’s Office. She identified Sheriff Joey Tucker as a new sheriff who, she said, is familiar with earlier domestic violence homicides in the county and has indicated a desire for change.
Dunnam said her group’s main concern is prosecutorial response. “Our biggest issue we’re having is our DA is ignoring everybody,” she said. Dunnam also described what she believes is a system problem that harms both survivors and defendants by allowing repeated release without meaningful safety planning or enforcement.
A case example, and a short timeline
In the interview, Dunnam described a recent case involving a survivor she identified as Eve. Dunnam said the alleged offender was arrested, appeared before a judge, and was released on bond with a no contact condition and service of a protective order. Dunnam said the offender then returned to the survivor’s porch within minutes of release. Dunnam described a second arrest and a second bond, followed by another alleged violation days later, and delays she said occurred in report filing.
A message shared with The Oklahoma Post suggests the core dispute is not whether a protective order exists, but whether it is enforced. Organizer Shelley Dunnam says Eve received a text from the district attorney’s office stating it would not file reported stalking as a protective order violation and would instead “note the file.” Advocates argue that approach converts a safety order into a paper trail, leaving survivors to absorb the risk. Dunnam said the group has messages and documentation supporting some of the timeline and communications they received.
Dunnam also raised concerns about intimidation and anonymous threats directed at survivors who speak publicly, and argued that protective orders must be treated as enforceable conditions, not merely paperwork.
“The protective order does not protect him,” Dunnam said. “It is his job not to violate it.”
The cases that formed the movement
The Never Again Bryan County packet circulated by organizers outlines several tragedies and near tragedies over the past five years, including domestic violence homicides and survivors still living inside high risk escalation windows.
Dunnam pointed to the 2020 murders of Jessica Espinoza and a bystander, and to the October 2025 homicide of Kayla Taporco, who Dunnam said was physically disabled and repeatedly reported abuse before being killed in front of her children. Dunnam said the goal is not simply memorial, but prevention.
“We refuse to wait for the next obituary to demand reform,” Dunnam said.
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What organizers want changed
Organizers say the initiative is focused on practical reforms, including:
- Enforcement of protective orders and bond conditions
- Stronger bond standards in violent domestic cases
- Evidence based prosecution models that do not depend solely on victim participation
- Risk escalation protocols, including high risk indicators
- Community accountability and survivor safety planning
The gathering is planned as peaceful and public, and Dunnam said the intent is education and sustained civic pressure, not disruption.
Event details
Never Again Bryan County public gathering
Date: February 2, 2026
Time: 10:00 a.m.
Location: Bryan County Courthouse, Durant, Oklahoma
Contact: Shelley Dunnam, Advocacy Campaign Coordinator and Public Relations
Phone: (806) 260 1099
Email: MarketingShelley08@gmail.com
The Oklahoma Post will continue requesting public records and comment from the District Attorney’s office regarding charging practices, bond recommendations, and handling of protective order violations.
Writing By: Robbie Robertson | Editing by Robbie Robertson
Sources
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