And inside the trunk were the bodies of David and Sheryl, shot and mutilated. My mind was, Where could I go, what couldve happened? She drove me to Norman. I hope he died alone and a very painful death. Police questioned Gilley and Henslee, who both said Gilley had never owned a .22 caliber weapon, the type of gun used in the murders. K: Frank Gilley lived in Texas working odd jobs until he died in March 2002, according to the Amarillo Globe-News. NORMAN Investigators arrested a man in connection with the death of a woman whose remains were found at Lake Thunderbird last Monday. A monthslong extradition fight began, ending in May 1991 with Gilley being brought to the Cleveland County jail. Shortly afterward, he heard gunshots. K: This past spring, our newsroom got a call asking if we could look through our old newspapers to find a picture taken of a Jimi Hendrix concert on campus from the May 12, 1970 paper. After the test, Henslee told reporters Gilley was innocent, that the polygraph proved it, and then Gilley packed his bags and resigned from the force that same day. Type in Norman, OK in the upper left address window, then click on Go to Address.. 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 was us that broke into your house and youre under arrest. So he started looking around and he looked at me and he said, Where are you from? and I said Norman, Oklahoma. And he said I thought so.. There would have been music, talking, some drinking, maybe dancing. Recording of Ken: The reason a .22 was used is because you cant do any type of ballistics on them like you can with larger guns. Hes got a big smile, seems confident. A tight knit group. He still lives in the area. Investigators located in the basement a 3 feet by 4 feet container heavily wrapped in high density plastic, packing tape, and rope stored under the stairs of the basement. As I remember it, they thought he was guilty but after 20 years, you know hes sitting there, Dave and Sheryl had been dead for 20 years. Maybe hes just gone away and somebody will rescue them or find them. WebHome / Select Cities / 2023 Comparing Bakersfield, CA vs. Norman, OK 2023 Compare Crime Rates: Bakersfield, CA vs Norman, OK Change Cities : Bakersfield, CA: Norman, OK: United He told Jacobson he needed to shift his focus elsewhere, but Jacobson was already convinced Gilley was the main suspect. I think before when it was brought up, I still hurt so bad and my emotions. The phrase good ol boys was repeated to me several times. K: Boden and her date Rick had been west of Norman, in the same area that David and Sheryl were just 30 days earlier. That was good enough for me to go after him with everything I had.. Come on home. So I hung up. So theres checks and balances to make sure the stuff isnt happening. And they did a good job, far as cleaning it up and everything.. He told my mother, Then I remembered, I still got you, I still got Linda and I still got Steve. So he drove back home.. De Soto PD called him, and said Is this Mr. Gilley? and he said yeah. They picked through old evidence and files, contacting anyone who would still have a good recollection of what happened two decades before. Hes reading a statement from a boy in Amarillo who witnessed a crucial altercation involving Frank Gilley. When police got there, the crime scene had been swept clean. Episode 1 Ended up, I dont know how many days and nights we first worked on that, several, and now 48 years later, its terrible.. That happens all the time at OU. I dont fault them for trying. Mike Brake, a police reporter for the Oklahoma Journal in 1970, went out to the crime scene with officers. 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.. K: With Gilley arrested, Pearo believes detectives can finally charge him with the murders of Sheryl and David, but the Cleveland County DA wants to give a grand jury another try. Dave Pearo and some of those guys, they really wanted to go after it.. State police officers came to assist. Gilley said he was not guilty. We flipped through the following days, seeing article after article following police officials and community groups. When we found Lindas phone number and reached out to her, she had reservations about telling her story to another set of reporters, but she became an invaluable source, sharing personal details from a family struck with tragedy. Splashed along the front pages of newspapers and TV station headlines were two words: not guilty. Police are still investigating the homicides of Elijah Mothershed, his fiancee Carnesha Powell and their daughter Roshawna Stevens. There arent families like that now, I dont think. Map Browse By State It was another disappointing end again.. They began surveillance on Gilley, finding out where he lived now, following him to work. Recording of Brake: They asked, Were you acquainted with Frank Gilley when he was employed by the Norman Police Department? Norman investigators tried to use these charges to connect Gilley with Sheryl and Daves murders, but in the end, nothing ever came of that either. Tornadoes tore through Oklahoma, leaving severe damage in Norman, home to the University of Oklahoma. The family was polite and helpful after the murders, but wanted more than anything to just move on. We were very close. WebIn 2019, Oklahoma law enforcement reported 249 murders. Recording of Pearo: And he told us where hed gotten it. Investigators said Bill Henslee, the Norman police chief at the time, wanted to make sure this case didnt reflect poorly on him or the department. Recording of Pearo: So what we had done in retrospect was probably a mistake. Linda, Sheryls older sister by two years, stayed at their family home in Oklahoma City with her mom. So when I walked in there, and they say, Can we help you? And Im just here, My sister is missing and Ive just wondered, and they stopped me and go, What is her name? And when I said Sherry Benham, they turned to me and say, You need to go home. Im like, Well my dad-, No, you need to go home, now. Youre probably gonna think, how could anyone be as nave as I was. WebAccording to the most recent data from the FBI, the total crime rate in Norman is 2,867.6 per 100,000 people. Every issue theyve had including internal affairs investigations at the current agencies theyre with, talking to officers that they work with those agencies also and friends neighbors and things to see if anything else comes up. 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. On Nov. 21, 1990, officers were able to search Gilleys residence. Why?, Recording of Brake: I think Gilley was just out there trying to get a glimpse of some boobies and harass some kids like hed done many times before and runs into somebody that knew who he was.. He was tall with thick brown hair and a lean build. If you come across them, do not attempt to apprehend them yourself. K: Youre listening to Uncovered: The Lovers Lane Murders. Gilley said he had never met Sloan. It was like, Hey look, that case will probably never go anywhere, so forget that one, you can look at the rest of them. 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. K: Welcome back to Uncovered: The Lovers Lane Murders. Lets go! Well, they did find her. Investigators called former colleagues and bosses of Gilley, looking for character statements. Hundreds of court documents back that up. WebFOX23 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. Four students were killed and nine others were wounded. Recording of Foster: Back then a lot more of that stuff what went on. A Norman man has been arrested in connection with the murder of a Wellston woman whose remains were found at Lake Thunderbird, the Oklahoma Bureau of Investigation reported Wednesday. I dont think she was shot at that point. Some guy said that to me and I kinda went off on him a little bit.. I think he started his lovers lane harassment and I think David recognized him. Maybe the war protesters from earlier that week had started rioting. Compare Norman crime data to The two stayed there for an unknown amount of time. David came to OU as a student from Amarillo, Texas, in 1966. I got to know her parents very well. Weve got pictures of them but thats it. SpotCrime crime details. He was married multiple times and had a few children. 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. Enhanced Cost of Living Calculator Now includes childcare, taxes, health, housing for home owners vs renters, insurance costs and more when you upgrade to premium. The car was riddled with bullet holes. The explanation that Gilley was being framed ended up as somewhat of the official stance of the police department. On Tuesday, May 5, the University of Oklahoma Student Association gathered hundreds of students to protest not only the war, but the actions of law enforcement in Ohio. College students going out together, laughing with friends, looking forward to the future. They walked up and down the field, finding a few things more bullets, mostly. Recording of Ken: Well Frank and Henslee and the sheriff were all buddies from out there and so we asked Henslee if we could take a look at that letter and he couldnt produce it. 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 And about 10 or 15 minutes later, we looked up and dont know how long this guy had been standing there, but we looked up and there was a man standing there and he had a badge and he showed it to us. WebIn April 2004, the Oklahoma Senate, by a vote of 38 to 7, and the Oklahoma House of Representatives, by a vote of 92 to 4, approved a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage.On November 2, 2004, Oklahoma voters approved Oklahoma Question 711, a constitutional amendment which banned same-sex marriage and any "legal incidents We were told he had been living in a nursing home. He says he found the gun in Aug. of 1970,, Recording of Pearo: but kept it for 20 years and didnt know that there was any significance to the fact that it was a .22 rifle and that it may have belonged to Gilley So we didnt know if this was the gun or not, but it sort of caught Gilley in a lie. 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. 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. Henslee said he had fired Gilley a few days after the murders because of the tip that Gilley liked to harass couples on lovers lanes, but also said he had never seen any physical evidence to this day that ties Gilley to the crime., Recording of Ken: One of the comments Henslee made was that he didnt have enough power to influence a murder investigation. The cloudy past of the man suspected for the murders is investigated in episode 3, as well as the beginnings of a cover-up, a retracted alibi and testimony from various couples who were also harassed on Lovers Lanes. K: Almost two days later, their belongings were found dropped in and around Daves car, a 1966 Pontiac GTO. Its not that we know everything and that the other side of that is us hearing it but its that the public is coming to us and telling us because in the past, a lot of people didnt, it didnt affect them they didnt care or if it was affecting them they was too afraid to come to the police because theys like Ill just be in more trouble if I try to tell them were doing some wrong. You know they were sort of at least at peace, at least a little bit. Sheryls family started thinking of possibilities of what could have happened. About 20 miles (32 kilometers) south of Oklahoma City, the Norman Police Department responded Sunday night to storm damage on the south and eastern sides of Norman. Address: 6400 BLOCK OF 36TH AVENUE NW, Norman, OK. View Source Square with arrow pointing upper right. We never found anyone from Daves family to speak to like this, so we were given a much clearer look at the Benham family from Lindas vivid recollections of almost 50 years ago. Gilley took the test four days after the bodies were found. Recording of Brake:Sheriff Johnston said he believed Gilley was very much capable of committing the type of crime that is involved in this case, he said in his opinion, GIlley was a very sadistic personality.. We had talked about wanting to devote resources to an investigative piece, and what unfolded left us determined to tell the stories of not only of those who died, but really about those who spent their lives with the case and how police at the local and state level conduct investigations. Violent Crime Rate Norman, OK Oklahoma USA 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 100 There was every bit of circumstantial case you could have wanted to the point of you have to ask, who else in the world could have done it? WebWJ Edwards 2-15-39, Convicted of Murder Story 1: Two Are Held in City Death, Shots Blamed on Robbery Fear Two men were held in the city jail Monday and funeral arrangements completed for a third as the aftermath of a shooting Sunday night in a one-room house at 129 West Chickasaw Avenue, Services for [] Except one, a few days later. So got a lot of fire power.. And then he goes on duty and comes back in the police car and finishes them off., Recording of Brake: And you notice there were a couple bullet holes in the fenders of the car. He had lived in small towns in northern Texas his whole life and spent over a decade in the Amarillo area as a sheriffs deputy for Potter County. And even though these statements were coming in after the murders of Sheryl and David, police were including pictures of Gilley. Keep in mind that they had been at a fraternity party at the SAE house. He said his assault charges and even the call from the Amarillo TV station were retaliation for a contentious sheriff election in Amarillo in 1968, among other things, and that he was being used as a, quote, political football.. Case Number: 2023-00010701. Two counts of first-degree murder. W. E. Joslin, a worker on the Norman dairy farm owned by Charles Haynes in western Norman, said he arrived at the property, which has a view of the lovers lane where David and Sheryl were killed, at about 3 a.m. to go to work on Mothers Day 1970. -36.90% lower than the Oklahoma violent crime rate of 458.6 per 100,000 people. 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. K: Back to that Tuesday in 1970: the OU protest ended peacefully, but police and residents were on edge for the rest of the week. Oklahoma City, OK Recording of Pearo: In February of 1990, just out of the blue, the old landlord for where Frank Gilley, where he used to live.. She told them he was home with her, but later recanted her statement, saying she didnt know exactly where he was. Date: 2/28 #1 stephens co hold. When officers are tipped off to start investigating Frank Gilley as a suspect in the double homicide of David Sloan and Sheryl Benham, the Norman police force splits into two groups working against each other. Recording of Ken: It turns out, there werent that many people working toward the same goal., Recording of Brake: Frank Gilley did it. WebIn April 2004, the Oklahoma Senate, by a vote of 38 to 7, and the Oklahoma House of Representatives, by a vote of 92 to 4, approved a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage.On November 2, 2004, Oklahoma voters approved Oklahoma Question 711, a constitutional amendment which banned same-sex marriage and any "legal incidents Using the testimonies from other young couples and from Butch Green, they eventually secured a warrant to search Gilleys home in Amarillo in December of 1970. K: The new team of investigators led by Pearo took the gun and ran tests, but it came back without a match. Recording of Ken: But we jumped in the car in Oklahoma City and drove out to Lubbock, drove all night. Ten years later, his mother, Sharleen Resor, is finally close to experiencing closure. Whether he actually knew or rather it was just oh my gosh this is embarrassing, I dont know, I think more likely the latter. Be Brake saved a newspaper article about Sheryls funeral the next day. 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. Davids fraternity went out to search the field as well, but they didnt find anything helpful. What truly happened to Dave and Sheryl is still and may always be speculation, but some people believe they have a pretty good guess. Officers with assault charges arent usually allowed to continue policing. Of the 249 murders, 139 were cleared by arrest or exceptional means, yielding a 55.8% clearance rate. K: 1970. What more do you want me to say?, Recording of Linda: What all he did to how many people after Sherry and Dave? When it was decided the case would once again be brought to a grand jury in February 1991, the trajectory looked similar to when the murders were first investigated in the 1970s: A team of investigators followed Gilley, arrested him for a related but not directly connected charge and then a grand jury determines whether he could stand trial. K: Investigators on the case soon discovered that Gilley had been hired by Henslee without a background check or fingerprints taken, which we were told were normal hiring steps at the time. Henslee claimed that he had gotten a letter of recommendation from one of Gilleys old bosses, but OSBI agent Ken Jacobson said when case detectives asked him to show them the letter, he couldnt find it. K: At this point, as we were learning all of this and trying to connect the dots, we started to have some questions. K: Next time on Uncovered: The Lovers Lane Murders. It was really hard for them when we told them we were reopening the case again because it had been so long and sort of accepted the fact as much as they could. 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 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 And if he did know, what did he think when investigators were first tipped off by an Amarillo reporter to look into Gilley as a possible suspect in the murders of Sheryl and Dave? DNA testing began right around the time this case was reopened for trial, but when it was discovered that almost all of the evidence had disappeared, it didnt matter. K: Gilley rushed home to a frenzy of officers. Maybe altered and those things would be extremely difficult to occur today based on the procedures that are in place.. 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. They felt the options were running slim, until February 1991. And over the years, when we went back and started looking for those things, the OSBI couldnt locate them. Three, four and five: Why before Gilley was hired, he didnt take a polygraph test, have a background check or enter his fingerprints into the system? Particularly a lot more nowadays than there was back in the 1970s.. Yeah we should do that. They spoke to an ex-girlfriend of Davids, who said they had sometimes went to the Ten-Mile Flats area after dates. WebNorman police shoot suspect who allegedly killed 1, shot another The shooting happened around 6 p.m. Thursday in the 300 block of East Comanche. About 20 miles (32 kilometers) south of Oklahoma City, the Norman Police Department responded Sunday night to storm damage on the south and eastern sides of Norman. Gilleys attorney, Robert Perrine, said most of the evidence was not conclusive. Two of Gilleys ex-wives testified, saying he never mentioned to them his work in Norman as a police officer, though they knew of his work in Amarillo. We got several Norman officers lined up and walked across the area to see if we could find anything He told me, I knew that smart punk in Amarillo. At the time, I thought, Boy, thats a cold statement to make, the guy just got taken out of the trunk, he was shot a couple dozen times or so. He came up to me and volunteered that, none of the officers had anything to say, they just did what they had to do. Map Browse by State it was us that broke into your house and youre under arrest were coming in the! I hope he died in March 2002, according to the Cleveland County jail Gilley... 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