December 19, 2016 - The Madera County Sheriff Department reports on Saturday morning, December 17, 2016 the Madera County Sheriff’s Deputies were called to a residence on Road 225 near North Fork after a man found his mother deceased on her front porch. Initial investigation revealed that the woman had injuries and had apparently been in some type of altercation. At about the same time deputies were also dispatched to a welfare check of another woman who lived nearby and was showing signs of having been in a physical fight.

(Left) North Fork resident Mary O’Keefe

Madera County Sheriff’s Detectives were called to the scene and began a homicide investigation. Evidence gathered at both locations indicated that the deceased female had been killed by the other woman. The deceased victim has been identified as Bonnie Hale, 76, of North Fork. Detectives arrested Mary O’Keefe, 63, of North Fork for murder and she was booked into the Madera County Department of Corrections on Saturday evening.

An autopsy will be conducted this week to determine exactly how the victim died. The murder investigation is on-going while Detectives are gathering more evidence and trying to determine the sequence of events leading up to the death.

This is the fourth murder case in the Eastern Madera County area this year. Arrests have been made in three of the cases so far.
Source: Madera County Sheriff Department