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. 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: Sheryls mom died in 1995 and her dad in 2001. After the test, Henslee told reporters Gilley was innocent, that the polygraph proved it, and then Gilley packed his bags and resigned from the force that same day. View on Google Maps Street View. I think thats what happened and the autopsy points to that as well. 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.. 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. 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. K: Boden and her date Rick had been west of Norman, in the same area that David and Sheryl were just 30 days earlier. It was the first night of Girl Scout camp when 3 young girls were killed and sexually molested. The medical examiner said Byron He had showed me all of these at one time or another and also offered to loan them to me. They covered for one another and allowed scandals and corruption to be swept under the rug. Perrine put in dozens of requests, ranging from declaring a mistrial to requesting that words like grotesque not be allowed in the courtroom. 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. 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. 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. Brake lives in Oklahoma City, working part time as a public information officer for the OKC county commissioners office. The highest number of murders were reported on Now Im almost like, not mad, I dont wanna use that word but damn, I wish they had had DNA back then.. WebMost accurate 2021 crime rates for Norman, OK. youve got this policy thats a lot stronger than some other places. Police identified the murder suspect as Isis McMullen. He spoke of other things he usually did on weekends, like playing card games with friends. The Benhams became close with investigators, especially Ken Jacobson, the lead investigator from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. 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 States Violent Crime: 24: 14.7: 22.7 Property Crime: 60: 40.9: 35.4: The Crime Indices range from 1 (low crime) to 100 (high crime). I did not see the flashlight myself, but as he was shoving me out the door, my head hit the door. Uncovered: The Lovers Lane Murders is a five-part investigative podcast into the murders of two teenagers in Norman, Oklahoma in 1970. A reporter there had a tip about someone on Normans police force. Click on the image below to view the Lexis Nexis Community Crime map. The calls got further apart, but somebody would always call and would say what do you think about this thing, did you look at this, and all that. 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. The Hippie Era was still blazing, but now, the kids coming of age had become increasingly politically active. 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. They were from a .22 caliber weapon. At the end of episode four, police called Frank Gilley at work and told him to hurry home. I think he started his lovers lane harassment and I think David recognized him. Hes got a big smile, seems confident. 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. 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. And now youve seen me.. 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. Words he said he believes she would have said.. Shes a grandmother too, visiting her grandchildren as they graduate from college and get drivers licenses, close to the same age Sheryl was when she died. Mike Brake, a police reporter for the Oklahoma Journal in 1970, went out to the crime scene with officers. Soon after he testified, the jury began deliberations. K: Jacobson left the OSBI almost a year later. Frank wanted you to know that he was on top of everything and that he was better than these other guys.. He told Jacobson he needed to shift his focus elsewhere, but Jacobson was already convinced Gilley was the main suspect. Oklahoma is 10.8% cheaper than Norman, Oklahoma. Episode 1 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. Recording of Pearo: This case was in there. After President Richard Nixon announced plans to invade Cambodia, riots, protests and demonstrations broke out all over the country. But Frank, from the time David got out and it was apparent that he did recognize him, theyre both from Amarillo, I mean, what are the chances of that happening?. The daughter of one of his wives said Gilley had answered yes when she asked if hed ever killed anyone, though there is no record of a lawful killing on Gilleys police file. 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. 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. 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. 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.. And they are locked in the trunk now, what are they going to do. 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. K: Undeterred by the two passed polygraphs, investigators kept digging. 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.. Investigators believed they reached a tipping point in March of 1971 when they persuaded the district attorney to bring Gilley in on charges of impersonating an officer in connection with the statements given to police by the various teen couples. 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.. They tried to set up sting operations, but they came up with no solid evidence. I think he just thought it was embarrassing to have the guy being investigated.. On the way up, Mr. Gilley made several remarks to the Mexican, one remark was that he didnt like his face. 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. NOTES: GRADY CO 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. One: Why a man with an aggravated assault charge in Texas had been hired as a Norman cop? It was the summer after Woodstock and Americas counterculture was thriving. 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. But it was one that, it was kind of a taboo subject., Recording of Kayla: Why? 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. (The US average is 35.4) NOTE: Click on the links below to see charts for each crime category. Type in Norman, OK in the upper left address window, then click on Go to Address.. Jacobson also testified. We were told he had been living in a nursing home. In addition to debris, there are cars with Recording of Ken: Well it was open but they didnt do anything on it The agent that was signed to that after I left, I doubt if he did half a dozen interviews. K: A few months into the investigation, detectives persuaded Henslee to give Gilley a second polygraph test. He had a .22 caliber rifle in his locker at the Norman Police Department and also has several pistols of this caliber in his residence in Norman. Im Kayla Branch. Splashed along the front pages of newspapers and TV station headlines were two words: not guilty. I hope he died alone and a very painful death. The jury went on for a few days, but thats really the end of it. K: Youre listening to Uncovered: The Lovers Lane Murders. Recording of Ken: One of the hardest things about something like this is what you know happened but you cant prove it. K: Gilley rushed home to a frenzy of officers. What do you think was the change there?, Recording of Linda: I dont know how to explain that. The two stayed there for an unknown amount of time. The explanation that Gilley was being framed ended up as somewhat of the official stance of the police department. K: But investigators did find .22 caliber weapons in the house, however they were technically owned by Gilleys father. There arent families like that now, I dont think. Three, four and five: Why before Gilley was hired, he didnt take a polygraph test, have a background check or enter his fingerprints into the system? What happens next leaves him and his family reeling while the Norman Police Department begins investigation. While Sandoval lived with Sanchez and his wife, there were multiple reports filed with law enforcement and state agencies, investigators said. Maybe altered and those things would be extremely difficult to occur today based on the procedures that are in place.. These types of crimes may include homicide, sexual assault, robbery, and physical 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. 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? He agreed to give Gilley a polygraph test, unbeknownst to case investigators. 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 whos who and what do I need to do to keep a job or to get that promotion. And about 10 or 15 minutes later, we looked up and dont know how long this guy had been standing there, but we looked up and there was a man standing there and he had a badge and he showed it to us. 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 Its been 48 years and the case has been closed and reopened, seen two grand juries and one trial. 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. The phrase good ol boys was repeated to me several times. Gilley was brought in to the Amarillo police station and had his mug shots taken. Pearo retired in 2004 and moved to Florida where he spends time scuba diving. In the safe we found some more weapons, one of them was a sawed-off shotgun, which is illegal. 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. So he passed the polygraph. This was the only physical evidence in the entire case. Come on home. So I hung up. 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.. Just after 3 p.m. Wednesday, officers responded to a 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. Compare Norman crime data to Were just, you just dont let it go. Said hes shoot rabbits with it and stuff. 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.. 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 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. Lets go! Well, they did find her. I would just bawl. You know they were sort of at least at peace, at least a little bit. 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. If you come across them, do not attempt to apprehend them yourself. Its just that willingness to listen and to take action on those things.. A few days after he came here, to the state crime bureau for a polygraph test. Tornadoes tore through Oklahoma, leaving severe damage in Norman, home to the University of Oklahoma. Recording of Linda: When something like this happens, you feel like, What could I do? And the neighbor across the street had gone to OU So I called her and explained that you know Sherry went on this date last night, and she isnt home yet. Everyone was referring to the idea that during the time of the murders, the men stuck together no matter what. We were very close. But there were also bullet casings, almost 30 of them, scattered in the dirt and brush. I was taken into his car and handcuffed to be taken to the jail, along with some of the other boys . Mr. Gilley asked him another question and the boy answered it. 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. Any kind of doubt that he could create was important to him. . And theyre almost all headshots at that point. He moved to Edmond as an administrator for the Edmond Police Department and died in May 1999. He brought up the likelihood that Butch Green, his former partner who died a year after the murders, was the real potential suspect. Particularly a lot more nowadays than there was back in the 1970s.. WebCrime rate in Norman, Oklahoma (OK): murders, rapes, robberies, assaults, burglaries, thefts, auto thefts, arson, law enforcement employees, police officers, crime map Crime rate in 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. K: Brake had the actual statements that Jacobson is referring to, from when Butch was questioned by investigators on Nov. 24, 1970. I had an awful time letting go of it. So theres checks and balances to make sure the stuff isnt happening. K: The lost evidence and the hiring of Gilley in the first place played major roles in the Benham-Sloan case, but so did the alleged obstruction by the various law enforcement agencies. 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.. 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