Now this detail, the assault charge, is crucial because case investigators used it to show that Gilley should never have been hired by the Norman Police Department in the first place. So we had him with an illegal weapon there in Dallas County. 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. 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. So if you come across something at a department where something may have beentried to be swept under the rug because the department didnt want to look bad, the current chief or sheriff didnt want to look bad for whatever reason you might think that happens. 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. . They stayed at the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity house for a few hours, hanging out with friends. They spoke to an ex-girlfriend of Davids, who said they had sometimes went to the Ten-Mile Flats area after dates. K: Mike Brake, the reporter who covered the case in its earlier days, said the same thing. Episode 1 explores how The Daily came across the story of the two murdered teenagers, David Sloan and Sheryl Benham. They patted each other on the back, good to see you, and all that stuff. If you see them, do not try and apprehend them yourself as they are most likely armed and dangerous. 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. And so were not letting that go. A monthslong extradition fight began, ending in May 1991 with Gilley being brought to the Cleveland County jail. But by that point, he was gone. 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. Most of the case takes place in central Oklahoma and Northern Texas, but our story begins five days earlier in Kent, Ohio, on Monday, May 4, 1970. WebAbout 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: Next time on Uncovered: The Lovers Lane Murders. Recording of Pearo: In February of 1990, just out of the blue, the old landlord for where Frank Gilley, where he used to live.. K: Randall County is a small portion of land encompassing the southern half of Amarillo, a lake and a few other small towns with a current population of about 120,000. 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. Sanchez was charged with possession of a firearm after a former felony conviction. On Thursday. Recording of Brake: Wish we could have put the son of a bitch in the electric chair.. The murders of David Sloan and Sheryl Benham remain unsolved. 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. 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 Norman Police Department begins investigations into the crime and receives tips on who might have been involved with the killings. And then we were afraid that if we didnt let him know, we wouldnt know when he was coming home. For Linda, talking openly about her sister is something thats relatively new. Violent Crime Rate Norman, OK Oklahoma USA 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 100 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. When he arrived, he was arrested. Sanchez and his wife lived at the Ann Branden Boulevard apartment until October 2018, according to investigators. 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. K: Thats David Pearo, the lead case investigator for the Norman Police Department in the 1990s. And we started to hear this idea that the Norman police were covering themselves and trying to make up for the public outcry against them 20 years earlier. Police reported that in 2018 Sandoval described Sanchez as her brother and that he and his wife were abusing her. Recording of Minty: He just sat there quietly at the defense table the entire time. Sloans was in Amarillo at the First Presbyterian Church that Wednesday. Recording of Ken: I dont know. 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.. Five days later, a few miles west of OUs campus, shots were fired again, ending the lives of two college students. He was tall with thick brown hair and a lean build. Well start back up with thoughts from Linda Adams, Sheryls older sister. He resigned and worked for an amusements company before being hired at the Norman Police Department, according to articles in the Norman Transcript. She told them he was home with her, but later recanted her statement, saying she didnt know exactly where he was. I think thats what happened and the autopsy points to that as well. It was the summer after Woodstock and Americas counterculture was thriving. 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. David and Sheryl were each shot at least 10 times, and Davids car had multiple bullet holes through the rear of the car and the trunk. 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.. He moved to Edmond as an administrator for the Edmond Police Department and died in May 1999. 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. Sheryl met David Sloan at Steak and Ale, a restaurant in Oklahoma City where they both worked. Soon after he testified, the jury began deliberations. They picked through old evidence and files, contacting anyone who would still have a good recollection of what happened two decades before. Cold Cases, Missing and Unsolved Crimes. Munoz told detectives he moved into the home in 2019, and allowed a friend, Octavio Sanchez, 34, to store items in the basement. Its just that willingness to listen and to take action on those things.. Maybe hes just gone away and somebody will rescue them or find them. FIND A FACILITY. The National Guard was called in to contain the crowd, and shots were fired when students wouldnt disperse. Recording of Pearo: You could see some of the resentment from people who are now adults still going back to their college days and being really critical on the police. I just dont think its there. Turns out I was right. And he answered a crucial question about why the case came into the spotlight again after nearly 20 years since the initial investigation. I think while he was shoving her into the trunk he had to slug her a couple times. Grady 2 Views. Recording of Brake: Well the second one, the guys at the Norman Police Department really wanted to solve the darn thing. They were younger detectives and they knew that was kind of like a festering sore. 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.. 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. Witnesses were dying, people were moving or losing track of them. I told him we hadnt. He agreed to give Gilley a polygraph test, unbeknownst to case investigators. K: A few months into the investigation, detectives persuaded Henslee to give Gilley a second polygraph test. 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. K: This is one of the only times we ever came across the Sloan family coming to Norman to be involved with the case. 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? 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. Tornadoes tore through Oklahoma, leaving severe damage in Norman, home to the University of Oklahoma. So I go, Dad did you find Sherry? And your first thought is Good! 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. After 20 years, they couldnt see putting a guy to death. He had showed me all of these at one time or another and also offered to loan them to me. NORMAN Investigators arrested a man in connection with the death of a woman whose remains were found at Lake Thunderbird last Monday. Another unsolved case is that of 2-year-old Riah Thomas. Case Number: 2023-00010701. And then relayed to me that that rifle actually belonged to his wife so he wasnt lying. Davids fraternity went out to search the field as well, but they didnt find anything helpful. 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. K: Linda lives in Oklahoma City and has multiple children of her own. TWO FOUND DEAD IN TRUNK. Those five words, in large bold font, headlined a story on the bottom right corner of the May 12 front page. Theyd see Gilleys pictures in the papers, on TV Amarillos not that big of a town. And inside the trunk were the bodies of David and Sheryl, shot and mutilated. Its seized, its packaged. Described as ornery but well-liked and friendly, he was on a tennis scholarship for his first two years. WebAccording to the most recent data from the FBI, the total crime rate in Norman is 2,867.6 per 100,000 people. Some guy said that to me and I kinda went off on him a little bit.. David was shot 11 times and Sheryl 14. They began surveillance on Gilley, finding out where he lived now, following him to work. The medical examiner said Byron I think when you ask around about other places or just other people that are in this profession when they talk about getting hired at Norman youll learn that our process is a lot harder and a lot more scrutinizing than a lot of places We still do psychological testing. Jacobson said calls flooded in, but every one of them led to a dead end. Episode 4 crosses state lines into Dallas, Texas, where the investigation is reopened in the 1990s. Compare Norman crime data to The OSBI later identified the Henslee said he thought Gilley was the target of a hate plot and a smear campaign. He hoped to become director of the OSBI, Jacobson said, and a mark like this on someones record could derail a rising career. At the end of episode four, police called Frank Gilley at work and told him to hurry home. The car was riddled with bullet holes. When we got upstairs, Mr. Gilley was filling out the paperwork on the Mexican boy and he asked the boy how much money he had and the boy said $10. I hope you do. But then, he got pretty far but not real far, and started thinking. It was private enough for young couples to park their cars and be intimate. Recording of Linda: Early the next morning, my sister had not come home and we knew something was wrong I remember my mother shaking me saying, Linda, Linda. Im like, What? She said, Have you heard from Sherry? Im like, What are you talking about? And I begin to hear all this, She never came home last night. My very first thought was Oh my god, Sherry, are you in trouble now. My dad was gone before daylight driving to Norman. WebForty years ago this month, Oklahoma suffered one of its most horrific murder scenes near the small town of Locust Grove. An officer who cut into the plastic detected an odor that they could identify with a decomposing human corpse.. Recording of Ken: Its amazing to me the interest thats continued in this case. WebMost accurate 2021 crime rates for Norman, OK. Police traveled to the Two counts of first-degree murder. If you come across them, do not attempt to apprehend them yourself. And even though these statements were coming in after the murders of Sheryl and David, police were including pictures of Gilley. K: A few days in, the couples that identified Gilley in 1970 as the man who harassed them on Lovers Lanes told the grand jury Gilley had mentioned the murders of David and Sheryl to them when he approached their cars. FOX23 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. 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.. NORMAN Investigators arrested a man in connection with the death of a woman whose remains were found at Lake Thunderbird last Monday. K: Welcome back to Uncovered: The Lovers Lane Murders. Hundreds of thousands of college students were protesting the Vietnam War. After President Richard Nixon announced plans to invade Cambodia, riots, protests and demonstrations broke out all over the country. Its every single step we take in our evidence transfer or testing or anything and is logged in a computer system. When he arrived, he was arrested. Investigators were also dealing with the biases of the Norman community. How did you kill them? Ten years later, his mother, Sharleen Resor, is finally close to experiencing closure. I had an awful time letting go of it. He then cut the body up into a hundred pieces and cooked and ate from them for days. Recording of Ken: Henslee set it up and at that time, we werent sure if Henslee was for us or against us. Now Im almost like, not mad, I dont wanna use that word but damn, I wish they had had DNA back then., Left in the Dark: Patients, teachers and graduate students left behind after closure of Counseling Psychology Clinic, Oklahoma football: Many players have tattoos, some have special meaning, Hidden Legends: Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher, OU College of Laws first black student, Hidden Legends: Clara Luper, Oklahoma City Sit-in, Hidden Legends: Sylvia Lewis, University of Oklahomas first African American regent, Oklahoma football: Kyler Murrays 2018 season defined by big moments, confidence in self, Oklahoma football: Kyler Murray wins 2018 Heisman, Black History Month 2019: David Surratt returns to OU amid cultural reckoning on campus, Black History Month 2019: Prentice Gautt, first black football player on scholarship at OU remembered for humility and respect, Black History Month 2019: George Henderson reflects on activism, years of service at OU, Oklahoma football: Creed Humphrey and other Sooners stayed in their home state to play football, OU scores three 5-star wide receivers, each with a similar story, OU football: CeeDee Lambs journey full of hardship and pain makes him the perfect leader for Sooners, We all kind of felt that was our own little Woodstock: Norman residents reminisce on music glory days, reflect on current scene, Norman businesses, apartment complexes struggle to recycle at low costs as city program initiatives continue to fall short, A board in repair: University of Oklahoma Board of Regents seek best practices for university governance, Five years after SAE: OU community discusses universitys efforts to address diversity, acknowledges more work needs to be done. Bill Maher funeral home. Decades of investigations followed, creating ripples in the Norman community still felt today. Were just, you just dont let it go. Joshua Bookout. 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. 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. Get to know their families and the rural Norman road that is just the beginning of the unsolved mystery. K: 1970. On the night of the murders , his car logged only about 30. It was the first night of Girl Scout camp when 3 young girls were killed and sexually molested. Why? So I think that helped cloud their decision was the fact they thought he was guilty by a good percentage that he was guilty, probably enough to convict. NORMAN Police conducting a murder investigation say the decomposed body of a woman with special needs was found inside a container in the basement of a home about three years after she went missing. Recording of Pearo: And he told us where hed gotten it. No murder weapon, no footprints, no tire tracks. On the following Wednesday and Thursday, funerals were held. Recording of Brake: Henslee, I think, after the murder happened, I think he thought right away Oh this guy might have done it and Im going to look terrible for hiring him, so lets just get him the heck out of town. So Henslee was in cover up mode at that point. The highest number of murders were reported on The That's 22.24% higher than the national rate of 2,346.0 per 100,000 people Yes, he had a badge in a black badge holder that was for the sheriffs office.. 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 Recording of Pearo: This case was in there. 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. 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. K: Jacobson left the OSBI almost a year later. But he signed off on the search warrant.. Just after 3 p.m. Wednesday, officers responded to a Just, you need to go home on Uncovered: the Lovers Lane murders that and. 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