By Fox23.com News Staff
BIXBY, Okla. — A Bixby father who pleaded guilty to charges related to a 2024 rollover crash that killed his 15-year-old daughter has been sentenced to prison.
The Tulsa County District Attorney’s office said Elliot Binney has been sentenced to serve five years in prison.
In April, Binney entered a guilty plea during a court appearance. He pled guilty to several charges including first degree manslaughter, leaving the scene of a fatality collision and child neglect.
In January of 2024, Binney was arrested in Checotah after leaving the scene of a crash that resulted in the death of his daughter.
Two other kids were inside the car with Binney’s wife. They were taken to the hospital for treatment.
A Tulsa County judge sentenced Binney to 10 years, with five in prison and the following five on probation.
Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler shared a statement on the sentencing:
“The death of 16-year-old Shelby Binney is no doubt a tragedy. Her family was deprived of her smile, her youthful enthusiasm, and her companionship. Her father, Elliot Binney is responsible for her death and he is going to prison for her death.
While some may think that criminal prosecution is like a Hollywood produced TV crime drama like Law and Order, the actual job of criminal investigations, and presenting proof in a courtroom, is not for entertainment.
It is not for political gamesmanship or for the exploitation of victims. Local law enforcement does the best job it can in gathering evidence of the crimes which can be proven in a courtroom. It is a difficult job, and it takes experience to make sure that the evidence introduced in a courtroom is admissible and reliable.
In Mr. Binney’s case the provable facts were that he was driving recklessly in raining conditions at a high rate of speed. He lost control of the vehicle and it rolled several times resulting in the ejection of Shelby and injuries to his wife and two other children in the car. Mr. Binney fled the scene – leaving his wife and children behind. He was eventually apprehended in Checotah, Oklahoma. Only Mr. Binney knows why he left. It was those behaviors which resulted in his conviction for the crimes of First-Degree Manslaughter, Leaving the Scene of a Fatality Collision, and Child Neglect.
It is easy to be a Monday morning quarterback – to speculate on what the evidence might have been. However, the law is clear – we should only prosecute those crimes for which we have admissible evidence which will convict a person charged with a crime.
Occasionally, other factors also affect the ability to prosecute a case – to include the cooperation of key witnesses. This case was no different. Mrs. Binney was put in the very difficult position of losing her daughter while also knowing her husband was responsible for Shelby’s death based upon his reckless driving. She opposed my position that her husband needed to go to prison. Sometimes criminal cases are like that – where a victim may prefer one outcome, and I have to take a position inconsistent with the victim’s desires. That is what makes this job tough, but it is a job I have been doing for over 36 years.
The Tulsa County District Attorney’s Office places its focus on every case to find truth and seek justice. Each case has its own unique facts and circumstances, and this case was no different.
Judge Holmes ordered a presentence investigation of Mr. Binney by the Oklahoma Department of Corrections. That agency, which performs hundreds of these investigations every year, agreed with my recommendation for the disposition of Mr. Binney’s crimes. Mr. Binney requested a judicial review of his sentence after he serves two years in prison. Whether the court chooses to modify his sentence – upwards or downwards – is solely up to Judge Holmes.
I find it interesting that there are those out there who proclaim a different version of what justice should be in this case. However, those individuals never spoke with the members of the victim’s family to see what they wanted done. Those individuals never spoke with any of the crime scene witnesses. Those individuals never read all of the police reports, nor did they review the crime scene evidence. Decisions made on charging and punishment should be made by those who have experience and the actual evidence in hand – not by individuals who all too readily speculate what they think the evidence may be, without ever knowing what it actually is.”
The DA’s Office also shared a Victim Impact Statement from Binney’s wife, Brittany:
My name is Brittany Binney, I am the wife of Elliott & the mother of our daughter Shelby who tragically lost her life in the automobile accident.
There are no words that can describe the pain of losing a child. Our daughter was loved beyond measure and brought so much joy, laughter, and light into our lives each day. Her absence is felt in every family gathering, every holiday, every birthday, and every ordinary day that now feels incomplete without her.
As her mother, I live with this grief every moment of every day. But I also witness the grief my husband carries. He did not simply lose a daughter that day, he lost a part of himself. He must live every day knowing that he was behind the wheel when the accident occurred. The emotional burden that he carries is one that no sentence could exceed. I see the pain, guilt, heartbreak, and sorrow he experiences daily. He loved our daughter deeply and would have given his own life to save hers.
What happened was a terrible tragedy but was not intentional. The cause of the accident was due to bad weather conditions and not ideal driving. My husband is not a violent or reckless person by any means. He was not intoxicated or under the influence of alcohol or any substance. He was not drinking and driving. We thought Shelby had her seatbelt on just as the rest of us in the car did. He is a loving and devoted father and the loss of our daughter has devastated him and that punishment will remain with him for the rest of his life.
I am also deeply concerned for our other children. They have already suffered the unimaginable loss of their sister. They continue to grieve and struggle with the changes this tragedy has brought to our family.
If their father is removed from their lives through a lengthy incarceration they will experience another profound loss. I do not think it is necessary AT ALL to lock him away in prison! They need his love, guidance, support, and presence now more than ever.
I respectfully ask the court to consider the unique circumstances of this case and the lasting consequences that already exist. The children and I do not want Elliott to go to prison! Our family has been permanently changed by this accident. No sentence can restore our daughter to us and no one feels that loss more than her father.
I simply ask that you consider the tremendous emotional punishment my husband already carries and the impact of further separation from our surviving children and our family as a whole.
Thank you for your time, consideration, and compassion.
Respectfully,
Brittany Binney (Mother of Shelby Binney)”
