murders in norman, oklahoma

Sheryl graduated from Putnam City High School in 1969 and was living in Oklahoma City with her parents, her older sister Linda and Lindas oldest son. He told me that if he asked Rick if I were a virgin and he told him I was and he asked me if I myself was and I told him no. As the night hours of May 9 wear on, Sheryls dadbecomes worried. It sits in a quiet neighborhood. K: For Ken Jacobson, that was his introduction to the murders of Sheryl Benham and David Sloan. And we were brought up, we went to church, my dad was a Mason. K: Boden and her date Rick had been west of Norman, in the same area that David and Sheryl were just 30 days earlier. I was able to talk to my supervisor, went up the chain and went to the chief and said Hey look, can we maybe open this case back up and take another look at it, see where we can go with it? He said yeah, but go to the DAs office and talk things over with him.. According to articles, testimonies and interviews, Henslee was worried. That's -25.38% lower than the national rate of 387.8 per 100,000 people. Recording of Brake: 200 people. And I think he did use time as an ally to just cast some doubt on the allegations that were made and the accuracy of the allegations and the accuracy of the witness recollection. Henslee never did get his promotion to be the director of the OSBI. So he opens the trunk and he stands there with the rifle and just starts emptying the rifle into them. FOX23 spoke with survivors who are just grateful to be alive following Sundays EF-2 tornado that ripped through Norman at around 9:20 p.m. He agreed to give Gilley a polygraph test, unbeknownst to case investigators. It would be the publics first look at new details and theories regarding the case. NORMAN, Okla. - Special agents from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation have arrested a man in connection to the murder of a woman who was found at Lake Thunderbird. Case Number: 2023-00010701. WebForty years ago this month, Oklahoma suffered one of its most horrific murder scenes near the small town of Locust Grove. The highest number of murders were reported on He was tall with thick brown hair and a lean build. Recording of Ken: Its amazing to me the interest thats continued in this case. Henslee backed him, saying Gilley wasnt the kind of man to commit any serious crimes, definitely not murder. In addition to debris, there are cars with And even though these statements were coming in after the murders of Sheryl and David, police were including pictures of Gilley. A woman who was a clerk for NPD in 1970, said Gilley was in the office around 3:30 a.m. Sunday, within a few hours of the murders, and acted unusual. That's 22.24% higher than the national rate of 2,346.0 per 100,000 people On Saturday, May 9, 1970, Dave was 21. Mike Brake, a police reporter for the Oklahoma Journal in 1970, went out to the crime scene with officers. According to the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office, 30-year-old Austin Blake Godwin was booked into the Cleveland County jail early Wednesday, shortly after surrendering himself at the Norman It chronicles what Gilley called a scandal, telling detectives and reporters there was a plot against him. It was like, Hey look, that case will probably never go anywhere, so forget that one, you can look at the rest of them. I think while he was shoving her into the trunk he had to slug her a couple times. Having a conversation with Gilley in reference to his activities when he was a deputy sheriff in Amarillo, he told me of several investigations he had made and also relayed to me that during patrolling for our police department, he asked where any parkers went. There would have been music, talking, some drinking, maybe dancing. What do you think was the change there? Well But Jacobson, never did let go of the case. The three were found dead at a home in northeast Oklahoma City. They felt the options were running slim, until February 1991. State police officers came to assist. K: Brake had the actual statements that Jacobson is referring to, from when Butch was questioned by investigators on Nov. 24, 1970. And its important to remember here that Gilley left the Norman police force on May 15. Im Kayla Branch and at the end of episode three, investigators had taken testimonies from 14 young adults who came forward claiming Frank Gilley had harassed them while they parked on lovers lanes. It is like a fairy tale now. JOSEPH WAYNE McCOOL Tornadoes tore through Oklahoma, leaving severe damage in Norman, home to the University of Oklahoma. And said something like, You son of a bitch, youre not a real cop, I remember you from Amarillo, you got in trouble up there, Recording of Ken: David had a pool cue, a cut-off pool cue by the drivers door under his seat, and his friends tell us thats the first thing he drug out if there was going to be trouble. But by that point, he was gone. Police questioned Gilley and Henslee, who both said Gilley had never owned a .22 caliber weapon, the type of gun used in the murders. An officer who cut into the plastic detected an odor that they could identify with a decomposing human corpse.. Margarita Sandoval was 19 years old when family first reported her missing in 2018. While Sandoval lived with Sanchez and his wife, there were multiple reports filed with law enforcement and state agencies, investigators said. And over the years, when we went back and started looking for those things, the OSBI couldnt locate them. Heres a quote about Sher right there: She loved life and lived to make people happy. Dr. Bailey said he told her young friends that detailing her high moral character and firm Christian beliefs, then urged the crowd especially the young to trust in God. The police department brought in dozens of suspects, potential witnesses, family members and friends to interview. What we think happened is Sloan and Benham were up on the lovers lane and Gilley approached them, probably came up to David Sloan, his side of the car, and said Im the sheriff of Cleveland County, probably made David get out and talk to him. He was part of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. When he arrived, he was arrested. K: Most of these testimonies didnt come as a shock to those intimately involved with the case. You know You had this last so where is it?. (The US average is 35.4) NOTE: Click on the links below to see charts for each crime category. They were spurred on by the initial evidence; the assault charge, Henslee hiring Gilley out of line with protocols and Gilley disappearing. He had a .22 caliber rifle in his locker at the Norman Police Department and also has several pistols of this caliber in his residence in Norman. Investigators called former colleagues and bosses of Gilley, looking for character statements. On March 8, 1972, the grand jury met for the first time in Cleveland County to listen to witness testimonies and decide if there were any charges that could be filed against Gilley or if there was mishandling they could hold the local law agencies accountable for. K: Ballistics tests had come back negative for guns collected from a search of Gilleys home in November 1990, when officers found a sawed-off shotgun and tried to connect it with the murders of David and Sheryl. The verdict was inevitable in my opinion. Recording of Pearo: In February of 1990, just out of the blue, the old landlord for where Frank Gilley, where he used to live.. Maybe Sheryl had been drugged. Tornado hits Norman damaging the electric system and causing power cuts. Recording of Ken: One of the hardest things about something like this is what you know happened but you cant prove it. K: Linda told us about her dad, overcome with anger and sadness, jumping in the car one night a few months after the murders to go find Frank Gilley himself. Maybe altered and those things would be extremely difficult to occur today based on the procedures that are in place.. But again, a guy has knowledge of firearms would pick a .22 to use, you know, all you have to worry about is that firing pin, and if you throw the gun in the river, the evidence is gone. Pearo and Jacobson worked closely at times, and as Pearo found out more about the case, his determination to give Sheryl and David justice mimicked his predecessor. Recording of Linda: I dont know how to explain that. Crime news across America. Your chance of being a victim of violent crime in Norman is 1 in 316 and property crime is 1 in 32. WebRT @dtblove05: Oklahoma University football team helping out one of their teammates clean up after a tornado destroyed his house in Norman, OK. 28 Feb 2023 01:09:39 There was a carnival coming to town and classes were ending soon, so students were hosting parties. So I wanted to file impersonating an officer and he would tell these kids he was the sheriff and the DA refused to file. The boy had been dropped off at a party in late May or early June 1968, and later in the evening he got into a fight until Gilley pulled him off. NORMAN, Okla. - Special agents from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation have arrested a man in connection to the murder of a woman who was found at Lake Thunderbird. Recording of Pearo: Because of the way it was handled back in the 70s and the fact that the main suspect had been a Norman officer. Allegations of obstruction and cover-ups have plagued the Norman Police Department in the years since the murders, but changes made hope to rectify those concerns. K: The first full day of the July hearing had testimony from seven witnesses, including Gilleys parents, a former wife and the Norman police chief from the 1970s, Bill Henslee. There were press conferences asking for information and a reward fund was set up, raising thousands of dollars to give to anyone who could provide helpful details. K: Many of the individuals named in our investigation died within 10 or 15 years of the case going to trial. K: Solorzano said protocols for handling evidence have become much more strict in the last 50 years, every step being documented in a complex computer program. What happens is you have blood seepage into the lung., Recording of Ken: I think he came out of that car and Frank had to shoot him a couple times, I dont think he intended to shoot anybody, he just wanted, you know, to do his thing. Most of the trial information was kept from the public, but news articles indicated that Henslee and other officers testified, as did Jacobson and the other investigators. He had showed me all of these at one time or another and also offered to loan them to me. We announced that we were going to go for the death penalty on those cases because of the circumstances. On Nov. 21, 1990, officers were able to search Gilleys residence. We were never able to get in contact with any of these family members, though. Recording of Linda: When I walked into that courtroom in Norman and he was sitting right there, and I was, you know, a foot away from him and saw his face, I just *sharp inhale* Oh God.. The murders of David Sloan and Sheryl Benham remain unsolved. And theres probably a million cases like that This one is really unique in that it involved a police officer and I think that if we had had 100 percent cooperation from the get go, that we could have cleared it., K: It wasnt until 1972 that the case seemed like it might pick back up again. whos who and what do I need to do to keep a job or to get that promotion. At the end of episode four, police called Frank Gilley at work and told him to hurry home. The Hippie Era was still blazing, but now, the kids coming of age had become increasingly politically active. He gets the rifle, which is a high capacity rifle, a .22 rifle might have a magazine of 22 rounds or more. Before she left that house, she turned to my mother and said, Here mom, heres your Mothers Day present early the next day was Mothers Day. Recording of Foster: One, we have basic requirements of age. WebNORMAN, Okla. Norman police on Thursday released the identities of two men who died in an apparent murder-suicide. Recording of Linda: When something like this happens, you feel like, What could I do? And the neighbor across the street had gone to OU So I called her and explained that you know Sherry went on this date last night, and she isnt home yet. Norman violent crime is 14.7. Many thought a cop would never commit such a crime. Its every single step we take in our evidence transfer or testing or anything and is logged in a computer system. I think before when it was brought up, I still hurt so bad and my emotions. Said if I went out in the woods and took off all my clothes, he wouldnt take me to jail.. The next few days were chaos. Pearo also testified, noting that almost all the evidence from the crime scene had disappeared, except one bullet casing. . We walked into his office and we had our probable cause for the search warrant and then he kind of looked at the case and looked when it was and said, Trails kind of cold, isnt it boys? and we said yeah.. The next day, after testimony from 33 witnesses and 21 years since the murders, District Judge Patricia Herron ruled Gilley would stand trial in Cleveland County for the murders of David Sloan and Sheryl Benham. I call, my dad picks up the phone. I got to know her parents very well. Shortly afterward, he heard gunshots. He told me that he still keeps an eye out for talk of the murders, mentioning in particular a message board where he saw people talking about the case. There was a lot of talk about cover up from the chief of police back then and everything, so the whole thing just had kind of a bad smell to it I guess. Which, the police chief, if he doesnt have enough power to influence, whos going to?. DNA testing wasnt being used yet, so police had few options. Im Kayla Branch and at the end of episode three, investigators had taken testimonies from 14 young adults who came forward claiming Frank Gilley had harassed them while they parked on lovers lanes. K: Mike Brake, the reporter who covered the case in its earlier days, said the same thing. And my mother still to this day, Why did she give that to me? Was there a premonition, I dont know, no one will ever know.. With the information from the previous investigation, the gun turning up and interviews with every single original witnesses, except one that died, detectives decided to try and get a warrant to search Gilleys De Soto residence. The articles mention the relationship between Henslee and Gilley, that they had worked numerous cases together when Henslee was a Texas Ranger assigned to Pampa, Texas and Gilley was still in Potter County, about an hour southwest. Recording of Foster: Back then a lot more of that stuff what went on. Recording of Ken: I dont know. Ronald Lee McMullen Jr., who hails from Norman, was charged with first-degree murder after Kailee Jo McMullen was found deceased from a single gunshot wound to the face on the morning of June 29, 2017, according to a People Magazine report. With the information from the previous investigation, the gun turning up and interviews with every single original witnesses, except one that died, detectives decided to try and get a warrant to search Gilleys De Soto residence. Recording of Pearo: So we went to De Soto, went in his house, we found a gun safe in his house that we couldnt get in to Frank was at work, so we got a locksmith to come out and get us in the safe. When Davids mom arrived at the Benham house later that Sunday, Linda decided she was going to leave for Norman to see if she could help find Sheryl. K: There were clothes, a bloody blanket, hair and the roughly 30 shell casings that were all missing. They were from a .22 caliber weapon. K: Gilley was living close to Dallas in De Soto, Texas, in the early 90s. Lets go! Well, they did find her. Violent Crime Rate Norman, OK Oklahoma USA 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 100 Benham did write the letter on May 11, 1971, exactly one year after the body of his daughter and her date were found in the trunk of Daves car. View on Google Maps Street View. 112 GREAT OAKS DR, NORMAN, OK 73071 Property Report 145441690 Born on Dec. 28, 1935, he was in his mid-30s during the early 1970s. When the couples started coming to police, investigators put together a line up of photos of officers. . K: There was plenty of evidence in the case right after the murders happened that today would have most likely garnered a conviction through DNA testing, said Jordan Solorzano, the public information officer at the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. When I googled the names of those involved, dozens of articles popped up, spanning decades. Thats what I wish., Recording of Linda: Oh hey, 10 years ago, 15 years ago, it was so hard for me. But one officer leaves just four days after the murders. I think thats what happened and the autopsy points to that as well. After President Richard Nixon announced plans to invade Cambodia, riots, protests and demonstrations broke out all over the country. During the May 14 search of Sanchezs home, authorities made contact with Sanchez near his garage. K: The Norman Police Department also changed its evidence protocols, said Sarah Jensen, the public information officer for NPD. I can talk about it now, I can., Recording of Kayla: Why do you think that is? So he passed the polygraph. In the following months, officers deliberated how best to pin Gilley down for the murders. Recording of Pearo: Ken never gave up on the case. Splashed along the front pages of newspapers and TV station headlines were two words: not guilty. If you see them, do not try and apprehend them yourself as they are most likely armed and dangerous. If you come across them, do not attempt to apprehend them yourself. According to the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office, 30-year-old Austin Blake Godwin was booked into the Cleveland County jail early Wednesday, shortly after surrendering himself at the Norman The driveway is to the left, the sidewalk running along the length of the house for a few yards before the steps to the front door. Just after 3 p.m. Wednesday, officers responded to a At the end of episode two, we first heard the name Frank Gilley as a possible suspect in the murders of Sheryl Benham and David Sloan in early May of 1970. Recording of Linda: I thought whoopie, OK good, fine, you know? NORMAN Investigators arrested a man in connection with the death of a woman whose remains were found at Lake Thunderbird last Monday. A lot of blood and congestion in the right lung from a wound in the lung. You know they were sort of at least at peace, at least a little bit. He spoke of other things he usually did on weekends, like playing card games with friends. Did you ever see Gilley with any type of badge other than the one he had? When the OSBI, along with the Norman Police Department and the Cleveland County Sheriffs Office, found the bodies on Monday, May 11, Sheryl and David had been missing for just over 24 hours. The funnel was just one instance of severe weekend weather in various parts of the U.S. Recording of Ken: Frank stood on the porch and he said, Well Rangers can come in, but you guys from Oklahoma cant come in. And the Ranger said, You dont have any choice Frank, these guys are with us and were all coming in. Frank said, I dont have any .22 caliber weapons, I never owned one, I wouldnt have one.

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