- Autopsy
found Colleen Hufford, 54, had defensive injuries to both hands and her
right arm after deadly attack in Oklahoma on September 25
- Alton Nolen, 30, accused of beheading Hufford with 8-inch serrated kitchen knife
- Nolen also allegedly tried to decapitate victim's co-worker Traci Johnson, 43, but she survived
- The Muslim convert was shot by CEO of Vaughn Foods food processing plant
Published:
01:47 GMT, 27 November 2014
|
Updated:
11:18 GMT, 28 November 2014
An
autopsy shows the Oklahoma grandmother who was beheaded at a
food-processing plant apparently tried to fight off her attacker, who
had a serrated cooking knife.
Colleen
Hufford, 54, was killed in the savage September 25 attack at Vaughan
Foods in Moore allegedly carried out by a Muslim convert who had worked
at the plant.
The autopsy released Wednesday indicates she died of decapitation resulting from sharp-force trauma to her neck.
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Brave:
Autopsy showed that Colleen Hufford, left, fought back when Alton Nolen,
right, attacked her with a serrated knife in the Oklahoma beheading
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Charged: Nolen could face the death penalty if convicted of first-degree murder in the deadly attack
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Matriarch: Mrs Nolen, 54, is survived
by her husband, KC (center), their daughter, Kelli (left), and their
granddaughter, Riley (bottom)
The
medical examiner found defensive injuries to both hands and her right
arm. The weapon was a cooking knife with a blade about 8 inches long and
1 ½ inches wide and a plastic handle.
Prosecutors
have charged 30-year-old Alton Nolen with first-degree murder and
assault with a deadly weapon in the case. They plan to seek the death
penalty.
Police say Nolen, a recent convert to Islam, attacked Hufford after learning he'd been suspended from his job at the plant.
After
decapitating Hufford, Nolan allegedly attacked his other co-worker
Traci Johnson, 43, who suffered serious injuries but survived.
The owner of the plant, Sheriff's Deputy Mark Vaughn, put an end to the carnage when he grabbed a rifle and shot Nolen.
in
the days after the tragic killing, Hufford, a wife, mother and
grandmother, was described by her friends and family as a 'beautiful
soul' who loved sports and was known for her upbeat personality.
Mrs
Hufford, who had been married to her husband KC for 25 years, had only
just recovered from the trauma of losing her family home in the
devastating Moore tornado last year.
She is survived by her daughter, Kelli, and granddaughter, Riley.
Her
neighbors described her as 'quick to smile' and said her husband picked
her up from the food processing plant every night and he was outside
when he found out she had been killed.
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Workplace slaughter: Hufford was
attacked from behind and beheaded as she worked at Vaughn Foods
processing plant in Oklahoma September 25
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Hero: The
owner of the plant, Sheriff's Deputy Mark Vaughn (left), put an end to
the carnage when he grabbed a rifle and shot Nolen after he attacked
another employee, Traci Johnson (right)
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Mortally wounded: The medical examiner
found defensive injuries to both hands and Hufford's right arm. The
photo above shows the woman with her daughter and granddaughter
A
funeral for Mrs Hufford was held at a Baptist church in Moore last
week. Around 450 mourners attended the service, which was closed to the
media.
In
an official statement issued two days before the funeral, her family
mourned their loss and deplored the violence which led to her death.
It said: 'Losing our mom, wife and grandmother has been one of the most difficult challenges any of us have faced in our lives'.
'For her life to have been taken in such a tragic act of violence adds a depth of grief we are trying to comprehend.'
It
was revealed in late September that Nolen had served less than two
years of a six-year prison sentence for possession of cocaine with
intent to distribute.
According
to records, he went to prison March 10, 2011, to start a two-year
sentence for marijuana possession and another two-year sentence for
assaulting a highway patrol trooper, the website reported.
He
began his six-year sentence for cocaine possession April 26, 2011.
Records show that due to plea agreements, he was allowed to serve the
three prison sentences at the same time.
He was released on March 22, 2013, the documents reveal.
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