Then the boy said you didnt put down my $10. The jury went on for a few days, but thats really the end of it. Some personal belongings had been strewn around the car, like a bracelet Ken Jacobson, the OSBI investigator from earlier, found and gave back to Sheryls parents. Its just that willingness to listen and to take action on those things.. 112 GREAT OAKS DR, NORMAN, OK 73071 Property Report 145441690 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. Back to Brake reading Bodens statement: Recording of Brake: We watched it go down and when it was down, we were still there for a few minutes and a car drove by and I didnt see it but Rick did. 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. Potter County, where Gilley was working directly before he came to Norman, covers the northern half of Amarillo. She was 19. You know You had this last so where is it?. WebCrime Statistics. State police officers came to assist. Recording of Pearo: So what we had done in retrospect was probably a mistake. 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. K: At this point, as we were learning all of this and trying to connect the dots, we started to have some questions. Because you know her parents were there. 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.. We think David recognized him from that trial in Amarillo, Recording of Brake: Heres whats interesting about the autopsy report that told me at the time how I think it transpired. 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. A daughter of an ex-wife said Gilley told her he had killed someone and kept a diary of old cases with pictures of dead bodies. A suspect is in custody, the sheriff's office in Tate County, Mississippi, At the end of episode four, police called Frank Gilley at work and told him to hurry home. WebExplore recent crime in Norman, OK. SpotCrime crime map shows crime incident data down to neighborhood crime activity including, reports, trends, and alerts. Investigators said Sandoval was last known to be alive and residing with Sanchez and his wife in an apartment in the 1600 block of Ann Branden Boulevard. When the couples started coming to police, investigators put together a line up of photos of officers. He said the politics were too much, that true policing was impossible because of it. How did you kill them? 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. 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. K: Brake had the actual statements that Jacobson is referring to, from when Butch was questioned by investigators on Nov. 24, 1970. NOTES: GRADY CO WebNORMAN, Okla. Police have identified the two people killed in a double-homicide in Norman. College students going out together, laughing with friends, looking forward to the future. There arent families like that now, I dont think. Jacobson said calls flooded in, but every one of them led to a dead end. On the following Wednesday and Thursday, funerals were held. It was like, Hey look, that case will probably never go anywhere, so forget that one, you can look at the rest of them. Recording of Brake: They asked, Were you acquainted with Frank Gilley when he was employed by the Norman Police Department? Investigators spoke with former wives of Gilleys who said he was obsessed with his former life as a cop, keeping firearms, badges, uniforms and other police paraphernalia,close by, that he had a rampant temper and always carried a gun. K: Thats Chip Minty, a reporter at The Oklahoman who covered the trial, describing Gilleys demeanor on Oct. 21, 1991, as jurors were picked. And then relayed to me that that rifle actually belonged to his wife so he wasnt lying. WebThis horrific crime happened on June 13, 1977 at Camp Scott in Mayes County. JOSEPH WAYNE McCOOL The jurors came back Monday, Nov. 11 with a verdict. David came to OU as a student from Amarillo, Texas, in 1966. It would be the publics first look at new details and theories regarding the case. So he passed the polygraph. And then we were afraid that if we didnt let him know, we wouldnt know when he was coming home. K: Lubbock and Amarillo are nearly two hours away from each other. Munoz said he had to call police to get Sanchez to leave. Case Number: 2023-00010701. K: That was the voice of Mike Brake, the reporter from the Oklahoma Journal who covered the Sheryl Benham-David Sloan case in the early 70s. I call, my dad picks up the phone. This one kind of absorbs you. 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. They spoke to an ex-girlfriend of Davids, who said they had sometimes went to the Ten-Mile Flats area after dates. Munoz told investigators he last saw Sanchez in May of 2020 when Sanchez was trying to get into the house uninvited, according to the search warrant affidavit. Recording of Ken: Well, Id been to law enforcement academy at LSU for 90 days and I got back that Sunday, Mothers Day was going to take a couple of days off but was going by the office to get my expenses I was actually in the bank parking lot, I remember where I was, and the chief agent called me on the radio and asked if I would go to Norman to help them with a vehicle theyd recovered in a missing persons case. Recording of Ken: Im thrilled that somebody is still interested enough in it to try to put something together, thats why I didnt hesitate to meet with yall. The Girl Scout Murders of 1977 still remains unsolved to 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? 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. And then all of a sudden one day, he said he found it. K: Youre listening to Uncovered: the Lovers Lane Murders. 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. whos who and what do I need to do to keep a job or to get that promotion. On the last day of the pretrial, one of the most interesting pieces of evidence emerged, though it was never corroborated, when a new witness was called to the stand. I think when he came back he stood back and fired a couple rounds in the side of the car to see if they were still in there and alive and he probably heard them oh please you know and he popped the trunk and started killing. She talked about Sheryl like this every time we had a phone call. K: He told us about finding the old case information from the murders and becoming interested. . Certain convictions you cant have to get hired at a police department. Sarah Jensen, a spokeswoman for the Norman Police Department, said the investigation is active and ongoing. 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. Many thought a cop would never commit such a crime. The case is almost 50 years old and remains unsolved. Officers also started looking into Gilleys personal life, interviewing the woman he was married to in the 70s about his whereabouts the night of the murders. Recording of Brake: Wish we could have put the son of a bitch in the electric chair.. So we had him with an illegal weapon there in Dallas County. K: Thats David Pearo, the lead case investigator for the Norman Police Department in the 1990s. . 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. He then cut the body up into a hundred pieces and cooked and ate from them for days. 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. 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. K: Youre listening to Uncovered: The Lovers Lane Murders. He might have fired most of the ammunition from it already and he doesnt have the firepower to kill them both. Recording of Linda: She also loved her first nephew, my son that was living there with us She was just crazy about him She had, believe it or not, she had a blue Mustang, a baby blue Mustang. 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: The defense strategy was one of continual questioning. Once completed, we will present the case to the District Attorneys office, who will review the case and file the appropriate charges., Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. That's 22.24% higher than the national rate of 2,346.0 per 100,000 people K: In the spring of 1971, the bodies of Gilleys former partner Butch Green and Greens mistress were found after her husband shot and killed them when he found the pair together. Recording of Brake: Ava Yvonne Boden, this was her statement on Nov. 14, 1970. He was only on the force for three years, mostly focused on this one case. Dave Pearo and some of those guys, they really wanted to go after it.. WebCrime Map. He called us one night and said Franks agreed to take a polygraph and were going to do it in Lubbock. The Norman Police Department begins investigations into the crime and receives tips on who might have been involved with the killings. 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. Im Kayla Branch, and when we left off in episode one, the murders of David Sloan and Sheryl Benham had just happened after they left a fraternity party in Norman. 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. The DA at the time, I told him I wanted to file kind of a lesser charge on Gilley, just so hed go to jail, because I thought hed fall to pieces in jail. So I wanted to file impersonating an officer and he would tell these kids he was the sheriff and the DA refused to file. Yes, he had a badge in a black badge holder that was for the sheriffs office.. I can talk about it now, I can., Recording of Kayla: Why do you think that is? And so were not letting that go. Two: Why Henslee hadnt focused the investigation closer on Gilley from the beginning? K: Along with the drive NPD felt to clear its name, the clock was ticking. David was shot 11 times and Sheryl 14. I think thats what happened and the autopsy points to that as well. K: Almost two days later, their belongings were found dropped in and around Daves car, a 1966 Pontiac GTO. Sheryls family started thinking of possibilities of what could have happened. Per page 1; 2; 3 > Christopher Sanders. Around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, police were called to reports of a shooting in the I hope you do. But then, he got pretty far but not real far, and started thinking. Recording of Brake: He answered the relevant question truthful. But there was not one piece of evidence the jury would go in and say Evidence A says Frank Gilley killed those kids on that night. It just wasnt there, I cant quarrel with the jury even though I hated to see it turn out the way it did.. Weve got pictures of them but thats it. Another unsolved case is that of 2-year-old Riah Thomas. What more do you want me to say?, Recording of Linda: What all he did to how many people after Sherry and Dave? 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. I had an awful time letting go of it. 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. K: From interviews, news articles and court documents, we were able to piece together an outline of that night. Other officers also took the stand, saying Gilley kept several guns in his work locker at the police department, one of which was a .22 caliber rifle with a hexagon barrel, the specific caliber of weapon used in the murders. Recording of Ken: It turns out, there werent that many people working toward the same goal., Recording of Brake: Frank Gilley did it. K: When Jacobson and the team of investigators finally have enough evidence to put real pressure on Gilley, they run into opposition from Henslee and other Oklahoma law enforcement. Recording of Pearo: Its bad enough in a normal murder case, I mean we know we take every murder seriously but if theres a dirty cop somewhere, that looks bad on all of us. Maybe altered and those things would be extremely difficult to occur today based on the procedures that are in place.. The Norman Police Department said it didnt hold any officials records back that far that we could use to verify specific details. I dont think she was shot at that point. Keep in mind that they had been at a fraternity party at the SAE house. Dallas in De Soto, Texas, in the early 90s. WebAllegations 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. Why? He was taken before a grand jury in Amarillo and indicted, given a suspended sentence and put on probation for an aggravated assault charge, though it was deemed a misdemeanor. And now I can talk about it without breaking down and crying. Rarely did he make any type of gestures that would draw any interest.He was quiet and he didnt do anything to call attention to himself.. K: Welcome back to Uncovered: The Lovers Lane Murders. She looks like she died almost immediately. He told Rick that it would cost us a $20 fine each or he would have to take us down As he was leaning up against the car, he asked me, and this was one of the first things he said, eh asked me if Rick and I had ever gone all the way together or something like that. He resigned and worked for an amusements company before being hired at the Norman Police Department, according to articles in the Norman Transcript. Not only does the department interact with the Norman community on a more regular basis, but the hiring protocols for officers have completely changed. Munoz told investigators he knew nothing about a dead body in the basement and gave them his consent to conduct a search. And on March 1, 1991, after roughly a month of testimony and deliberation, the second Cleveland County grand jury looking into Gilley returned an indictment. But one officer leaves just four days after the murders. Mike Brake, a police reporter for the Oklahoma Journal in 1970, went out to the crime scene with officers. Fraternity parties always being what they were, I suspect David had a few beers., Recording of Jacobson: They tell us David was a hot head and David said youre not the sheriff. Words he said he believes she would have said.. 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. K: Police had starting investigating where Sheryl and David could have been after Sheryls dad filed the missing persons report. Described as ornery but well-liked and friendly, he was on a tennis scholarship for his first two years. I think he was but was not dying or dead, maybe not even dying. And they are locked in the trunk now, what are they going to do. 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.. Recording of Linda: I dont know how to explain that. One: Why a man with an aggravated assault charge in Texas had been hired as a Norman cop? Well start back up with thoughts from Linda, Recording of Kayla: Now what does that mean?, 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. So we called him at work. Im Kayla Branch. But in March of 1970, just two months before the murders, he was hired, by police chief Bill Henslee. The Benhams became close with investigators, especially Ken Jacobson, the lead investigator from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. K: Ten days before Green told investigators what he knew about Gilley, they learned that multiple young couples had recently been harassed by an unknown man on lovers lanes. The funnel was just one instance of severe weekend weather in various parts of the U.S. Those pressing to charge Gilley uncover what they believe to be undeniable evidence, but the stakes may have been too high for those who wished to keep Gilley from being arrested. Said if I went out in the woods and took off all my clothes, he wouldnt take me to jail.. K: Welcome back to Uncovered: The Lovers Lane Murders. WebNorman Cleveland County Oklahoma Arrests, Warrants & Most Wanted. Before Green died, Gilley had come back to investigators claiming that Green had something to do with the murders of Sheryl and David. She found the newspaper with the requested photo, but also found what led to the months long Daily investigation into that pair of murders. And the further you get into it, the further you want to get into it. Recording of Linda: I thought whoopie, OK good, fine, you know? Recording of Pearo: Its always a let down. 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. Frank wanted you to know that he was on top of everything and that he was better than these other guys.. 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. 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.. We were very close. They were from a .22 caliber weapon. My mom, of course, is there, and I was there with her. K: They talked to other officers he worked with and they said he liked to run gulleys, a slang term for driving through lovers lane areas and harassing teens. Maybe Sheryl had been drugged. 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. The final episode explores the trial that took place 20 years after the murders and follows up with current law enforcement administrations on evidence and hiring protocols. And we think that was sort of a mistake because of what the jurors said in some of their questionnaires. A lot of blood and congestion in the right lung from a wound in the lung. Next time on Uncovered: The Lovers Lane Murders: Recording of Linda: It changes your whole entire life., Recording of Ken: First of all, he quit the police department and got out of town, which was brilliant., Recording of Brake: If it really came out that he hired this guy on suspended sentence for beating up prisoners, itd make him look awfully bad., Recording of Linda: Its just such a sad, sad thing, not just because of the murder but because of the way it happened and ended up.. An article almost 15 years later cites the grand jurys final decision, saying, We have investigated any and all complaints against the district attorney or his office and find them without merit., Recording of Ken: Some people just couldnt believe that a police officer had done something like this and of course I didnt believe it at first. NORMAN Investigators arrested a man in connection with the death of a woman whose remains were found at Lake Thunderbird last Monday. Police were spread thin. 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