A new documentary set for release Friday, June 19, will revisit the 2023 Verdigris murder-suicide that shocked Oklahoma and led to changes in state law aimed at strengthening child safety protections in certain supervised visitation cases.
The film, titled “Deadbeat,” follows two fathers who lost their children in the tragedy and later turned their grief into advocacy at the state Capitol. Investigators said a Verdigris mother with a history of mental health struggles shot and killed her three children before taking her own life. In the months that followed, questions about mental health, child safety and court-ordered visitation fueled a push for change.
“I struggled to see God’s plan. How could you know a God that we love do something like that? But what I’ve realized over time is there was a plan, and in what’s happening, it’s, it’s beautiful, it’s, it’s horribly sad, but it’s beautiful,” said Billy Jacobson.
That effort ultimately led to the passage of the Three Angels Law. The law requires additional mental health treatment and substance abuse monitoring in certain supervised visitation cases.
Billy Jacobson, identified as Little Billy’s father, said he believes warning signs were missed before the killings.
“There were many signs that she wasn’t healthy and wasn’t safe, and yet they still continued to give her more visitation, which gave them the opportunity to do what happened,” Jacobson said. “So, you know, the laws are in place that should be working towards men being seen more equal as parents, and it being about who’s the best parent, not if you’re a man or a woman.”
The fathers said the law is part of the legacy their children left behind, and they have continued their work beyond the bill’s passage.
“I’ve had clients and friends that we’ll be talking about our story, and they’ll mention that, and they’ll say 1756 and mentioned that, yeah, we had part in that, being able to co-author that, so it is helping, and I hear about it almost a good basis, and we’re happy, it’s more impactful than we, than we ever anticipated” said Ryan “Shae” McGee the father of Noe.
The documentary’s producer, Louis Holmes, said the film highlights persistence through the process. “It’s important because sometimes history repeats itself, and this is for educational purposes so that if you’re a father out there and you’re watching this and you feel that the mother is having mental issues, and she should not be the custody parent, you do everything in your power to make sure that you can get custody of your son, you do everything you have to do” Holmes said.
“It’s bittersweet. You know, many people live their whole lives and don’t get the chance to leave a true impact in our world, and I could say, you know, we are so blessed to know that when we leave this earth, that we have made a difference” said Jacobson.
“Deadbeat” is set to be released Friday, June 19, on Apple TV. The fathers said they hope viewers come away understanding the law and what the changes mean for families across Oklahoma.
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