WebUPDATE: Two people killed during shooting in Norman residential area, police say possible murder-suicide MAPS 4 planning improvements for OKC parks Local News / Feb 21, 2023 I was taken into his car and handcuffed to be taken to the jail, along with some of the other boys . 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. 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. The stories they told were shrouded in conspiracy theories and different ways the case was mishandled by the Norman Police Department and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. I think before when it was brought up, I still hurt so bad and my emotions. K: We heard this again from Brake, who had a copy of the official police reports Ken filed the day they found the bodies. I think he started his lovers lane harassment and I think David recognized him. Pearo said investigators were discouraged by how the case was previously handled, but when they met up with original case detectives like Ken Jacobson, it was a new opportunity for collaboration. Who knows.. K: Sheryls mom died in 1995 and her dad in 2001. 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. David came to OU as a student from Amarillo, Texas, in 1966. 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. Crime Rate per 100,000 Pop. He probably has a .22 pistol. NORMAN Investigators arrested a man in connection with the death of a woman whose remains were found at Lake Thunderbird last Monday. WebAccording to the most recent data from the FBI, the total crime rate in Norman is 2,867.6 per 100,000 people. 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. K: Boden and her date Rick had been west of Norman, in the same area that David and Sheryl were just 30 days earlier. He then jumped up and grabbed the boy by the shoulders, shoved him against the wall and banged the boys head against the wall several times.. 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.. Why that change?, Recording of Foster: Its just due to the public pressures on things and us relooking at things and listening to the public go Oh yeah yeah, that does make sense, that would be a lot better. Investigators called former colleagues and bosses of Gilley, looking for character statements. And inside the trunk were the bodies of David and Sheryl, shot and mutilated. K: NPD responded to public criticism of its officers over the years, said Major Kevin Foster. 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. I didnt really want to, but I thought itll be pretty easy; I live in Midwest City and Ill drive down there and we can process that car in an hour or two. Norman violent crime is 14.7. WebThe following are some of the more dangerous Most Wanted individuals in Cleveland County, the state of Oklahoma and the United States. The Girl Scout Murders of 1977 still remains unsolved to Said if I went out in the woods and took off all my clothes, he wouldnt take me to jail.. The state Medical Examiners Office confirmed the body as that of Sandoval. Many, if not most should be considered armed and dangerous. This one kind of absorbs you. The OSBIs Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program and State Incident-Based Reporting System (SIBRS) are part of a nationwide, cooperative statistical effort Your chance of being a victim of violent crime in Norman is 1 in 316 and property crime is 1 in 32. Recording of Pearo: There were a bunch of them that sat there and kind of kicked it around and decided that they werent going to go for an arrest warrant but wanted to go for a grand jury, which to me was very disappointing because Im a go get them arrest them kind of guy.. Crime news across America. K: Sheryls dad, Ben Benham, testified, answering questions on what it was like to file a missing persons report for his daughter. Then the boy said you didnt put down my $10. 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 Recording of Brake: He told me that if anyone asked me about a .22 rifle, which he might own, to tell them no. K: In fact, for 20 years, he, the initial investigator and pursuer of justice, kept a single shell casing in an envelope, one he picked up while walking the fields after finding the bodies of Sheryl and Dave. He brought up the likelihood that Butch Green, his former partner who died a year after the murders, was the real potential suspect. Thats what I wish., Recording of Linda: Oh hey, 10 years ago, 15 years ago, it was so hard for me. -36.90% lower than the Oklahoma violent crime rate of 458.6 per 100,000 people. Maybe altered and those things would be extremely difficult to occur today based on the procedures that are in place.. So theres checks and balances to make sure the stuff isnt happening. Compare Norman crime data to K: Welcome back to Uncovered: The Lovers Lane Murders. Pearo also testified, noting that almost all the evidence from the crime scene had disappeared, except one bullet casing. Recording of Linda: Our family was very close, very close. DALLAS -- A 56-year-old former Oklahoma policeman has been arrested and charged with killing two University of Oklahoma students on a rural lovers lane more than 20 years ago. Hes reading a statement from a boy in Amarillo who witnessed a crucial altercation involving Frank Gilley. Recording of Ken: So we showed them photographs and they picked Gilley We ended up with seven couples, 14 kids, that picked Gilleys picture out that claimed this had happened to them on Lovers Lane.. And even though these statements were coming in after the murders of Sheryl and David, police were including pictures of Gilley. This meant that investigators were not only working a difficult case, but also working against bosses and colleagues, politics and public perception. Grady 2 Views. 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. Police said the double-murder occurred late Tuesday night in this University of Oklahoma community 20 miles south of Oklahoma City. K: This was the same polygraph Henslee had Gilley take shortly after the murders, the test Henslee said proved Gilleys innocence. 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. A monthslong extradition fight began, ending in May 1991 with Gilley being brought to the Cleveland County jail. 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. 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.. K: Frank Gilley lived in Texas working odd jobs until he died in March 2002, according to the Amarillo Globe-News. The more I learned about that night, the more I realized it started off just like the fraternity parties today. According to articles, testimonies and interviews, Henslee was worried. The judge for the jury was the former Cleveland County DA who had previously refused to go after Gilley, Jacobson said. And we think that was sort of a mistake because of what the jurors said in some of their questionnaires. WebExplore recent crime in Norman, OK. SpotCrime crime map shows crime incident data down to neighborhood crime activity including, reports, trends, and alerts. Busken was abducted from her Norman apartment complex parking lot the morning of Dec. 20, 1996. K: By this point, it had been over a year since the murders and the small group of dedicated investigators had spent hundreds of hours on the case. I know who you are, youre Frank Gilley, Recording of Brake: So what I think happened is they stopped there to make some whoopie, and I think maybe Sherry was already undressed when Gilley approached. Gilley said he had never met Sloan. Investigators told me that they started to hear rumors, that GIlley had an obsession with lovers lanes, just like the one where David and Sheryl were found. He was found to not be involved with the case at all. I think he locked them in the trunk after wounding David., Recording of Brake: I think at this point hes just got the little .22 pistol. Recording of Brake: He contacted somebody here, said theres a guy in your town there who was a bad apple out here, who is known for messing with Lovers Lane couples, and they started checking into him and found out he is on probation and shouldnt have ever been hired by the Norman Police Department in the first place., Recording of Ken: Frank made a couple of comments to me after the bodies were taken out of the car. The violent crime rate in Norman is 289.4 per 100,000 people. Recording of Linda: I would just love to look him straight in the face and say What happened? She was just, oh, well-respected, very intelligent, just you know My dad was a very strict father, but he, uh, you just knew what to do and what not to do.. 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.. And now youve seen me.. Ended up, I dont know how many days and nights we first worked on that, several, and now 48 years later, its terrible.. Uncovered: The Lovers Lane Murders is a five-part investigative podcast into the murders of two teenagers in Norman, Oklahoma in 1970. And we were brought up, we went to church, my dad was a Mason. Did you ever see Gilley with any type of badge other than the one he had? NORMAN, Okla. An Oklahoma man shot and killed his estranged wife and her divorce lawyer, then took his own life, police reported Wednesday. Recording of Pearo: Frank had rented a house from this guy and he brings in this .22 caliber rifle.. No murder weapon, no footprints, no tire tracks. K: He kept the Benhams updated on the case. And then he said something about Well you couldnt even convict him again or something like that. They picked through old evidence and files, contacting anyone who would still have a good recollection of what happened two decades before. And then we were afraid that if we didnt let him know, we wouldnt know when he was coming home. 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. SpotCrime crime details. The Benhams became close with investigators, especially Ken Jacobson, the lead investigator from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. Get to know their families and the rural Norman road that is just the beginning of the unsolved mystery. K: Many of the individuals named in our investigation died within 10 or 15 years of the case going to trial. WebForty years ago this month, Oklahoma suffered one of its most horrific murder scenes near the small town of Locust Grove. Believed under the right circumstances, especially if the possibility of discovery were probable, that Gilley would not hesitate to kill a person or persons to help cover an illegal act he was committingThis is also from Sheriff Johnston, Randall County Texas, where Gilley worked at one point. 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. 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. And its important to remember here that Gilley left the Norman police force on May 15. And now I can talk about it without breaking down and crying. Recording of Linda: Well, she loved her job I love, theres this one picture of Sherri, she looked so cute she had the little red skirt and the white top, you know, and she was just so cute in it.. They began to feel the full weight of frustration that only a couple of guys were truly working together to bring down a case held back by politics. What truly happened to Dave and Sheryl is still and may always be speculation, but some people believe they have a pretty good guess. And after almost 50 years, she said the pain is more manageable. NOTES: STEPHENS CO. More Info. WebOklahoma Bookings. The police department brought in dozens of suspects, potential witnesses, family members and friends to interview. 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. Sloans ex-girlfriend, who helped find the car after Ben Benham reported his daughter missing, told the jury she drove to the lovers lane area and happened upon the car, but left and reported it to police when she realized there was blood in the front seat and she smelled what she described in news articles as the smell of death. The medical examiner explained in detail how Dave and Sheryl died, both shot over 10 times, including bullets fired directly into each of their eyes. Gilley had taken his first polygraph a few days after the murders and when Henslee said he passed, Gilley packed up his bags and left the force. They were from a .22 caliber weapon. When he arrived, he was arrested. 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. K: Jacobson, who had been involved with the case from the very morning the bodies were found, was happy another set of investigators would take up where he left off. Pearo and his fellow investigators would drive to Dallas frequently, watching Gilleys house, following him to work, trying to put together enough evidence to arrest him. K: Jacobson left the OSBI almost a year later. 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. 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. 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. But agents like Ken Jacobson didnt believe that and kept investigating. And they said Well Mr. Gilley, Im standing here in your living room and it looks like somebody broke into your house.. Recording of Kayla: What was it like for you at the time that you retired was the case still open or had it kind of effectively gone cold?. K: Youre listening to Uncovered: The Lovers Lane Murders. K: Most of these testimonies didnt come as a shock to those intimately involved with the case. But in March of 1970, just two months before the murders, he was hired, by police chief Bill Henslee. 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. Dave and Sherry deserved something better than what they got and their families Maybe there is something in there we missed.. They were spurred on by the initial evidence; the assault charge, Henslee hiring Gilley out of line with protocols and Gilley disappearing. Recording of Brake: 200 people. 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. By early morning Sunday, Sheryls dad had driven to Norman to speak with police and report her missing. Around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, police were called to reports of a shooting in the Maybe Sheryl had been drugged. Seven: How much Henslee knew but wasnt letting on? Grady. Certain convictions you cant have to get hired at a police department. It was just gone, all the evidence was just gone.. Its every single step we take in our evidence transfer or testing or anything and is logged in a computer system. In the following months, officers deliberated how best to pin Gilley down for the murders. Well we thought that was unusual because Frank lived in Amarillo.. K: Undeterred by the two passed polygraphs, investigators kept digging. K: Youre listening to Uncovered: the Lovers Lane Murders. 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. They arrested a man who was picked up on the side of the road in a different town because someone reported him as having blood on his clothes. 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. 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