Recording of Ken: There was just like half a dozen guys on the police department that would even talk to us. And now youve seen me.. 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. 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. They patted each other on the back, good to see you, and all that stuff. This incident is alleged to have happened in early June. 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. K: Linda lives in Oklahoma City and has multiple children of her own. We got out there and the polygrapher is an old Texas Ranger, one of Hensleys buddies. I had an awful time letting go of it. 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.. And he told me, he said if I file a case like that, itll set law enforcement back 20 years in Oklahoma., Recording of Kayla: Now what does that mean? 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. WebCrime in Norman, Oklahoma. 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. By early morning Sunday, Sheryls dad had driven to Norman to speak with police and report her missing. She was outgoing and fun and their family was close. The call came from a TV station in Amarillo, Texas, a few days after the murders. Another unsolved case is that of 2-year-old Riah Thomas. He sent it to the Norman mayor, the DA and even Mike Brake, who still has an original copy. So I go, Dad did you find Sherry? 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. K: After finding the car and the bodies, officers from all of the agencies came together to sweep the area. Recording of Ken: It turns out, there werent that many people working toward the same goal., Recording of Brake: Frank Gilley did it. The murders are intrinsically tied to the decade they occurred the type of technology available for investigations, the loss of trust in police and the beginnings of harsh public scrutiny into government bodies. The OSBIs Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program and State Incident-Based Reporting System (SIBRS) are part of a nationwide, cooperative statistical effort 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. I mean this guy was a cop and he did this stuff. Police questioned Gilley and Henslee, who both said Gilley had never owned a .22 caliber weapon, the type of gun used in the murders. NOTES: STEPHENS CO. More Info. Of the 249 murders, 139 were cleared by arrest or exceptional means, yielding a 55.8% clearance rate. WebAccording to the most recent data from the FBI, the total crime rate in Norman is 2,867.6 per 100,000 people. 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: In the search warrant, officers claimed that Gilley likely still had possession of items from the crime scene, like Davids shoes and car keys, a scrapbook of newspaper articles and personal photos of the scene and possibly the murder weapon. Jacobson and a few other agents, like Norman detective Floyd Nash, dedicated themselves to finding enough hard proof to convict Gilley. K: Youre listening to Uncovered: the Lovers Lane Murders. 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. 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. He was found to not be involved with the case at all. WebCrime Map. He spoke of other things he usually did on weekends, like playing card games with friends. JOSEPH WAYNE McCOOL And even though these statements were coming in after the murders of Sheryl and David, police were including pictures of Gilley. What more do you want me to say?, Recording of Linda: What all he did to how many people after Sherry and Dave? That's 22.24% higher than the national rate of 2,346.0 per 100,000 people I think before when it was brought up, I still hurt so bad and my emotions. WebMost accurate 2021 crime rates for Norman, OK. Any kind of doubt that he could create was important to him. 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. 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. 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. David came to OU as a student from Amarillo, Texas, in 1966. K: Many of the individuals named in our investigation died within 10 or 15 years of the case going to trial. K: Most of these testimonies didnt come as a shock to those intimately involved with the case. FIND A FACILITY. 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. 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. Based on a tip, investigators discovered Sandovols decomposing body in a residential basement at 715 W Lindsey St. Detectives interviewed Miguel Munoz at the home, according to an affidavit for a search warrant. K: He kept the Benhams updated on the case. And they did a good job, far as cleaning it up and everything.. It was the first night of Girl Scout camp when 3 young girls were killed and sexually molested. 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. Compare Norman crime data to He hoped to become director of the OSBI, Jacobson said, and a mark like this on someones record could derail a rising career. Brake lives in Oklahoma City, working part time as a public information officer for the OKC county commissioners office. K: Perrine also focused on technicalities, like Gilley not being read his Miranda Rights at certain points or the lawfulness of using testimony from witnesses who had died before the trial started. Recording of Kayla: Why do you think that is? 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. His secretary had said he got mail, so we think he called that old sheriff out there and said write me a letter from Frank and date it back.. They stayed at the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity house for a few hours, hanging out with friends. I said my dad has been in Norman all day. Recording of Ken: One of the hardest things about something like this is what you know happened but you cant prove it. I asked him why and he relayed to me that when he was in Amarillo, he went and would bust the parkers up and make them get out of the car and harass them and then let them go. 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. Hes got a big smile, seems confident. Jacobson also testified. This was the only physical evidence in the entire case. 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. 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. There arent families like that now, I dont think. Potter County, where Gilley was working directly before he came to Norman, covers the northern half of Amarillo. 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. My mother finally said, Ive got to call Ms. Sloan and tell her what is going on. My mother hung up the phone and said, She is on her way.. It was pretty tough. WebBest Places to Live | Compare cost of living, crime, cities, schools and more. But there were also bullet casings, almost 30 of them, scattered in the dirt and brush. Recording of Ken: As far as physical evidence, evidence is required to sustain a murder conviction, we didnt have any. 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. It was the summer after Woodstock and Americas counterculture was thriving. WebOn Feb. 13, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation opened a suspicious death investigation after remains were found at the lake in Norman. Did they find Sherry? Yes. 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. 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. 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. The state Medical Examiners Office confirmed the body as that of Sandoval. 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. They took the weapons and tried to match them with some of the shell casings from the crime scene, but the tests came back without a ballistics match, Jacobson said. Gilley took the test four days after the bodies were found. 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. Dave and Sherry deserved something better than what they got and their families Maybe there is something in there we missed.. K: Along with the drive NPD felt to clear its name, the clock was ticking. An old pool cue, broken in half, was in the front seat. . Its been 48 years and the case has been closed and reopened, seen two grand juries and one trial. Gilleys parents testified he was at his home the night of the murders, but his former wife said she couldnt confirm where he was that night. They felt the options were running slim, until February 1991. Badge was in a black holder. And its also important to remember the climate of the time, that even though the majority of Normans community trusted law enforcement officials, the younger generation was having increasingly negative run-ins with officers, whether through protesting or individual incidents. WebForty years ago this month, Oklahoma suffered one of its most horrific murder scenes near the small town of Locust Grove. Recording of Pearo: Ken never gave up on the case. So theres checks and balances to make sure the stuff isnt happening. Shortly afterward, he heard gunshots. That was good enough for me to go after him with everything I had.. He has an old binder with newspaper clippings, police reports and photos he took of the crime scene when it was discovered. Get full property details, plus crime rates, environmental hazards, natural disaster risks and more at HomeDisclosure.com 202371154. 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. We still do polygraph examinations. 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. And then we sort of told him Weve got some good news and bad news. I think dad was with him for a long time with what was going on He was so honest and wanted justice done. So he passed the polygraph. 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. So we got Ken involved and he became really instrumental in being able to help us out with kind of what happened back in the beginning, how the case got convoluted into this big cover up thing by the then chief of police.. 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. 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. youve got this policy thats a lot stronger than some other places. The last known report was on April 16, 2018, investigators said. Keep in mind that they had been at a fraternity party at the SAE house. 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. Property Crime Rates In Norman 3,261 Property Crimes 2,578.3 Property Crimes / 100k People 31.67% Above National Average Recording of Brake: This is a contact with the Dave Kelley, who was with the DA office in Potter County, Texas. Its every single step we take in our evidence transfer or testing or anything and is logged in a computer system. K: Brake had the actual statements that Jacobson is referring to, from when Butch was questioned by investigators on Nov. 24, 1970. What happens next leaves him and his family reeling while the Norman Police Department begins investigation. 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 [] Episode 4 crosses state lines into Dallas, Texas, where the investigation is reopened in the 1990s. But I was. 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. I dont anymore. The verdict was inevitable in my opinion. They just couldnt get past the death penalty portion., Recording of Brake: I think there were people on that jury who said I believe he did it but I can not send him to the electric chair When NPD first contacted me back then and said they were going to try and revitalize the case and they started running through all the material again, I remember sitting down there in the homicide office down in Norman with the file sitting on the desk between us saying Its great what you guys are doing but I dont think you can nail him. At the end of episode four, police called Frank Gilley at work and told him to hurry home. 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. Maybe the war protesters from earlier that week had started rioting. They had broken up a few months before, but Jacobson said he just wasnt the type to commit a murder. They left the fraternity house around 11:30 p.m. and went to a place in western Norman known as Lovers Lane. In 1970, Norman was going through a period of growth, but this part of town, out past the main highway and now home to a large residential area with houses and schools, was still just farmland and brush. College students going out together, laughing with friends, looking forward to the future. So you can get on our little system and see where something is so if something goes missing and then you would have the person transferring the evidence or the criminal list that has the evidence so something goes missing, it would be pretty easy to go in there and pinpoint. 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. 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. Hes reading a statement from a boy in Amarillo who witnessed a crucial altercation involving Frank Gilley. Except one, a few days later. A few days after he came here, to the state crime bureau for a polygraph test. When he arrived, he was arrested. As a matter of fact, he, even all those years later, he kept track of where Gilley was on the sly, would leave him a little note on his car every once in a while, Gilley wouldnt know where it came from, but were still looking at you, that kind of stuff, a little psychological warfare. We talked to more than just that agency to try to uncover those things and those issues such as in this case an issue we had in Amarillo., Recording of Kayla: You mentioned that that was kind of a change. Episode 1 It may have been almost 50 years since the murders, but Linda said it rarely feels that long. Lets go! Well, they did find her. Web9801 DEERFIELD DR, NORMAN, OK 73026 Get a FREE Property Report for this home. Maybe Sheryl had been drugged. Well we thought that was unusual because Frank lived in Amarillo.. What truly happened to Dave and Sheryl is still and may always be speculation, but some people believe they have a pretty good guess. The family was polite and helpful after the murders, but wanted more than anything to just move on. Henslee never did get his promotion to be the director of the OSBI. K: This was one of the houses Gilley lived in full-time while he was on the Norman police force and on and off for a few months after the murders. 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. 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