By early morning Sunday, Sheryls dad had driven to Norman to speak with police and report her missing. 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. He gets the rifle, which is a high capacity rifle, a .22 rifle might have a magazine of 22 rounds or more. Its every single step we take in our evidence transfer or testing or anything and is logged in a computer system. 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.. DNA testing wasnt being used yet, so police had few options. 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. I did not see the flashlight myself, but as he was shoving me out the door, my head hit the door. 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. Recording of Ken: Its my opinion that there were a lot of folks working against us. Soon after he testified, the jury began deliberations. 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.. 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 College students going out together, laughing with friends, looking forward to the future. He hoped to become director of the OSBI, Jacobson said, and a mark like this on someones record could derail a rising career. 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. One: Why a man with an aggravated assault charge in Texas had been hired as a Norman cop? When he arrived, he was arrested. 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.. They were spurred on by the initial evidence; the assault charge, Henslee hiring Gilley out of line with protocols and Gilley disappearing. In July, a hearing was held to determine whether the case had enough evidence to go to trial. At the end of episode four, police called Frank Gilley at work and told him to hurry home. And now I can talk about it without breaking down and crying. K: The phone call from the Amarillo TV station eventually prompted some case investigators to seriously look into Gilley. 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. When he arrived, he was arrested. 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.. Brake lives in Oklahoma City, working part time as a public information officer for the OKC county commissioners office. He was detained briefly and released. 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 But amid the chaos, David Sloan and Sheryl Benham were preparing for a date. He was going to drive to Amarillo, Texas, and kill him. Recording of Pearo: Its always a let down. NOTES: STEPHENS CO. More Info. The more I learned about that night, the more I realized it started off just like the fraternity parties today. 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: Next time, on Uncovered: The Lovers Lane Murders. Did you ever see Gilley with any type of badge other than the one he had? Police were spread thin. K: Brake and Jacobson had personal theories they shared with me on exactly what happened the night of the murders. I hope he died alone and a very painful death. 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. Type in Norman, OK in the upper left address window, then click on Go to Address.. You know, you think youre going to get out of this, youre going to go to class the next day or go to work or whatever you do. 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.. 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. Did Henslee know about the assault charge? SpotCrime crime details. I said my dad has been in Norman all day. Recording of Jacobson: David Sloan was from Amarillo, and when they tried Gilley on his aggravated assault out there, they tried it like a murder case because it was a horrible thing for a law enforcement officer to be accused of aggravated assault. Many thought a cop would never commit such a crime. The Norman Police Department begins investigations into the crime and receives tips on who might have been involved with the killings. WebBest Places to Live | Compare cost of living, crime, cities, schools and more. I call, my dad picks up the phone. 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. Particularly a lot more nowadays than there was back in the 1970s.. And theyre almost all headshots at that point. He maintained that his wife at the time of the murders was with him before he started his night shift, though she denied it. 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.. We were very close. WebNORMAN, Okla. Police have identified the two people killed in a double-homicide in Norman. K: The caliber of the weapon that killed Dave and Sheryl. They began surveillance on Gilley, finding out where he lived now, following him to work. WebCBS News Six people were killed in a series of shootings Friday in northwestern Mississippi, authorities said. Except one, a few days later. WebGet full property details, plus crime rates, environmental hazards, natural disaster risks and more at HomeDisclosure.com 145441690. 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. What truly happened to Dave and Sheryl is still and may always be speculation, but some people believe they have a pretty good guess. Said if I went out in the woods and took off all my clothes, he wouldnt take me to jail.. The Norman Police Department said it didnt hold any officials records back that far that we could use to verify specific details. That happens all the time at OU. 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. And now I can talk about it without breaking down and crying. WebCrime in Norman, Oklahoma. Recording of Linda: I dont know how to explain that. I think before when it was brought up, I still hurt so bad and my emotions. Our crime rates are based on FBI data. Mr. Gilley asked him another question and the boy answered it. An old pool cue, broken in half, was in the front seat. I think thats what happened and the autopsy points to that as well. Thats where Dave would have walked when he came to pick Sheryl up for their date Saturday night. WebCrime Statistics. 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. The National Guard was called in to contain the crowd, and shots were fired when students wouldnt disperse. 112 GREAT OAKS DR, NORMAN, OK 73071 Property Report 145441690 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. So he opens the trunk and he stands there with the rifle and just starts emptying the rifle into them. K: He kept the Benhams updated on the case. A tight knit group. 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. 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. He still lives in the area. But he signed off on the search warrant.. Recording of Pearo: The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, because they had helped out on the murder investigation as well and theyre the ones that have the labs and everything in the state of Oklahoma, so the evidence was all turned over the the OSBI. Then the boy said you didnt put down my $10. So I think in this case, at least from what Ive been able to read about it, there were a lot of questions about things disappearing or not being there. What do you think was the change there?, Recording of Linda: I dont know how to explain that. 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. NOTES: GRADY CO 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 Solorzano: Theres definitely more rules in place documented. How did you kill them? It is like a fairy tale now. Recording of Brake: There was no official record at any check in Texas to indicate that Gilley had ever made contact with Sloan, officially. Police identified the murder suspect as Isis McMullen. They were younger detectives and they knew that was kind of like a festering sore. 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. Today, that house is tall and long, bricked at the bottom. I dont anymore. The family was polite and helpful after the murders, but wanted more than anything to just move on. 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. Recording of Linda: I would just love to look him straight in the face and say What happened? 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 murders of David Sloan and Sheryl Benham remain unsolved. . Impersonating an officer today can lead to jail time and thousands of dollars in fines, but in 1971 Gilley didnt spend any time in jail. Sheryl met David Sloan at Steak and Ale, a restaurant in Oklahoma City where they both worked. I got to know her parents very well. Detectives are actively completing a thorough and detailed investigation. Recording of Brake: Wish we could have put the son of a bitch in the electric chair.. Words he said he believes she would have said.. 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 Episode 1 explores how The Daily came across the story of the two murdered teenagers, David Sloan and Sheryl Benham. Witnesses were dying, people were moving or losing track of them. K: NPD responded to public criticism of its officers over the years, said Major Kevin Foster. Tornadoes tore through Oklahoma, leaving severe damage in Norman, home to the University of Oklahoma. Recording of Kayla: Is that difficult to do?, Recording of Brake: Let me tell you, its not difficult to do for a true sociopath., K: Ex-policeman appears victim of hate plot, headlines a June 2, 1970 article in the Norman Transcript. 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. 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. But in March of 1970, just two months before the murders, he was hired, by police chief Bill Henslee. According to newspaper articles in the Norman Transcript from that first week, David was set to graduate the upcoming December with a business administration degree and then be commissioned through the Naval ROTC. Some guy said that to me and I kinda went off on him a little bit.. 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. On the way up, Mr. Gilley made several remarks to the Mexican, one remark was that he didnt like his face. As he was leaving the barn about 7 a.m., he saw two men standing next to two parked cars. On Nov. 21, 1990, officers were able to search Gilleys residence. There was a carnival coming to town and classes were ending soon, so students were hosting parties. He was married multiple times and had a few children. K: But investigators did find .22 caliber weapons in the house, however they were technically owned by Gilleys father. Recording of Kayla: Why do you think that is? 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. K: At this point, as we were learning all of this and trying to connect the dots, we started to have some questions. I had an awful time letting go of it. The three were found dead at a home in northeast Oklahoma City. 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. 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. So we called him at work. Gilley was brought in to the Amarillo police station and had his mug shots taken. They felt the options were running slim, until February 1991. Jacobson and a few other agents, like Norman detective Floyd Nash, dedicated themselves to finding enough hard proof to convict Gilley. The last known report was on April 16, 2018, investigators said. The police department brought in dozens of suspects, potential witnesses, family members and friends to interview. 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. Instead call the Cleveland County Sheriff at 405-701-7700. 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