Adacia Chambers

STILLWATER, Okla. – The woman accused of killing four people when her car slammed into Oklahoma State University’s homecoming parade told jail officials she was suicidal at the time of the tragedy, according to a police affidavit.

Prosecutors released the probable cause affidavit Monday in connection with the initial court hearing for Adacia Chambers, 25, of Stillwater. The judge ordered her held on $1 million bail and directed she receive psychological evaluation.

The affidavit said Chambers told the city jail staff at her booking Saturday morning she felt suicidal as her car crashed into spectators watching the end of the annual parade in downtown Stillwater.

Payne County District Attorney Laura Austin Thomas, the lead prosecutor, told the court she intends to charge Chambers with second-degree murder for the death of the four victims, including a 2-year-old boy. She said additional charges could also be announced at Chamber’s next court hearing in two weeks.

“The evidence indicates Chambers consciously drove through a red light, around a police barricade, over a police motorcycle and farther into a large crowd of highly visible, innocent people enjoying the OSU homecoming day festivities,” said Thomas. “The acts alleged in the affidavit suggest this was a purposeful criminal act committed upon a large gathering of innocent men, women and children.”

Chambers appeared by television at the brief court proceeding, keeping her head bowed throughout. She made no statement except to acknowledge to the judge she understood what was happening.

Her attorney, Tony Coleman, asked for the psychological evaluation. He said he believes mental illness, not alcohol or drugs, played a role in the tragedy. He told news reporters she had been hospitalized for mental health issues on at least two occasions, the most recent in 2013. He also said her boyfriend, Jesse Gaylord, reported Chambers had tried to harm herself in the past.

Coleman said when he told Chambers at the jail that four people died in the crash “it had zero effect on her.” He said she had “a very blank, almost lifeless look in her face” and made “inappropriate reactions” when he discussed the details of the tragedy.

Lynda Branstetter, an aunt of the accused, said Chambers appeared happy on Friday night before the crash when she joined Branstetter and Chambers’ grandmother in the annual “Walkaround” to view homecoming house decorations created by sororities, fraternities and other campus organizations.

“The girl that was with me in the Walkaround was happy, funny, caring,” said Branstetter. “Even the friends I was with that she met for the first time made that comment.”

Chambers’ boyfriend, Gaylord, said she reported to work at Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers early Saturday despite having had only a couple of hours of sleep. He said she appeared happy when he last saw her.

Chambers’ attorney said she moved to Stillwater from Oogolah last winter to be near her boyfriend, who was a student at Oklahoma State. He also was from Oogolah, a tiny town in northeast Oklahoma near Tulsa.

High school classmates in Oogolah said Chambers was an honor student and a member of the school band, which performed in the homecoming parade. A mother of one of the band members, Sheri Bates, was among the critically injured.

Chambers’ father, Floyd Chambers of Oogolah, attended Monday’s court hearing and met with his daughter afterwards. He said he had no explanation for what happened.

“I just want people to know that Adacia is a kind, loving, caring person and she wouldn’t have done this purposely,” the father said. “She may have underlying problems that I wasn’t fully aware of.”

Details for this story were compiled from The Stillwater (Oklahoma) News Press and other media reports.