112 GREAT OAKS DR, NORMAN, OK 73071 Property Report 145441690 If you see them, do not try and apprehend them yourself as they are most likely armed and dangerous. 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. This meant that investigators were not only working a difficult case, but also working against bosses and colleagues, politics and public perception. Words he said he believes she would have said.. And now I can talk about it without breaking down and crying. Investigators were also dealing with the biases of the Norman community. WebCBS News Six people were killed in a series of shootings Friday in northwestern Mississippi, authorities said. On the way up, Mr. Gilley made several remarks to the Mexican, one remark was that he didnt like his face. Recording of Minty: He just sat there quietly at the defense table the entire time. I call, my dad picks up the phone. The explanation that Gilley was being framed ended up as somewhat of the official stance of the police department. K: Sheryls mom died in 1995 and her dad in 2001. 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. K: Lubbock and Amarillo are nearly two hours away from each other. When police got there, the crime scene had been swept clean. Recording of Brake: 200 people. So he passed the polygraph. You know they were sort of at least at peace, at least a little bit. He maintained that his wife at the time of the murders was with him before he started his night shift, though she denied it. The judge for the jury was the former Cleveland County DA who had previously refused to go after Gilley, Jacobson said. Potter County, where Gilley was working directly before he came to Norman, covers the northern half of Amarillo. And we think that was sort of a mistake because of what the jurors said in some of their questionnaires. A reporter there had a tip about someone on Normans police force. WebCrime Map. The phrase good ol boys was repeated to me several times. They take that very seriously because they testify to that in court as to who exactly has touched that piece of property, analyzed it, when it left to go to OSBI, when it returned. WebNorman Cleveland County Oklahoma Arrests, Warrants & Most Wanted. And its important to remember here that Gilley left the Norman police force on May 15. She was 19. K: Next time on Uncovered: The Lovers Lane Murders. They were younger detectives and they knew that was kind of like a festering sore. Jacobson said calls flooded in, but every one of them led to a dead end. It was another disappointing end again.. It was a much smaller department then, often only a few police officers would be out patrolling the city at a time. -36.90% lower than the Oklahoma violent crime rate of 458.6 per 100,000 people. 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.. 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. 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. As the night hours of May 9 wear on, Sheryls dadbecomes worried. 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. These types of crimes may include homicide, sexual assault, robbery, and physical Bill Maher funeral home. K: Frank Gilley lived in Texas working odd jobs until he died in March 2002, according to the Amarillo Globe-News. Recording of Solorzano: Theres definitely more rules in place documented. 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.. There was a carnival coming to town and classes were ending soon, so students were hosting parties. The Benhams became close with investigators, especially Ken Jacobson, the lead investigator from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. I had an awful time letting go of it. Thats what I wish., Recording of Linda: Oh hey, 10 years ago, 15 years ago, it was so hard for me. Gilleys attorney, Robert Perrine, said most of the evidence was not conclusive. 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?. They checked his police car, finding that on an average night, he would drive well over 100 miles on patrol. K: Brake had the actual statements that Jacobson is referring to, from when Butch was questioned by investigators on Nov. 24, 1970. 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. The murders of David Sloan and Sheryl Benham remain unsolved. K: Undeterred by the two passed polygraphs, investigators kept digging. It was like, Hey look, that case will probably never go anywhere, so forget that one, you can look at the rest of them. Ended up, I dont know how many days and nights we first worked on that, several, and now 48 years later, its terrible.. NORMAN Investigators arrested a man in connection with the death of a woman whose remains were found at Lake Thunderbird last Monday. Yeah we should do that. Recording of Linda: This was one of the weirdest things ever. What happens is you have blood seepage into the lung., Recording of Ken: I think he came out of that car and Frank had to shoot him a couple times, I dont think he intended to shoot anybody, he just wanted, you know, to do his thing. I would just bawl. WebExplore recent crime in Norman, OK. SpotCrime crime map shows crime incident data down to neighborhood crime activity including, reports, trends, and alerts. Its every single step we take in our evidence transfer or testing or anything and is logged in a computer system. 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 then he comes back. K: NPD responded to public criticism of its officers over the years, said Major Kevin Foster. Two counts of first-degree murder. Police reported that in 2018 Sandoval described Sanchez as her brother and that he and his wife were abusing her. For Linda, talking openly about her sister is something thats relatively new. Hogue is now charged with first-degree murder in her sons death. 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. They believe the incident started before Gilleys NPD shift started around midnight Saturday. Munoz said he had to call police to get Sanchez to leave. WebIf you reside in Norman, then there is a 1 in 321 chance that you will experience a violent crime. 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. K: But investigators did find .22 caliber weapons in the house, however they were technically owned by Gilleys father. You know and Frank and David were both described as hotheads and so you put two hotheads together I think Frank his only choice was to shoot him to protect himself and then Sherry probably just did whatever he wanted her to do., Recording of Brake: heek. He was arrested early May 6, 1977, after being found by a neighbor asleep outside the bloody apartment. Mr. Gilley asked him another question and the boy answered it. Recording of Kayla: Why do you think that is? But as 1970 wore on, other facts started showing up that were strange, Jacobson told us, describing them as being too many coincidences to not be connected. And after almost 50 years, she said the pain is more manageable. Everyone was referring to the idea that during the time of the murders, the men stuck together no matter what. It says after being acquainted with Frank Gilley, it was the opinion of this officer that Gilley is very capable of committing such an act of which he is being investigated by your department. 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.. And they did a good job, far as cleaning it up and everything.. Recording of Brake: Ava Yvonne Boden, this was her statement on Nov. 14, 1970. Benham did write the letter on May 11, 1971, exactly one year after the body of his daughter and her date were found in the trunk of Daves car. 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. 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. Grady 2 Views. 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. He spoke of how Gilley admitted to him he did know David before the murders, though Gilley previously testified he had never met David. Sarah Jensen, a spokeswoman for the Norman Police Department, said the investigation is active and ongoing. A suspect is in custody, the sheriff's office in Tate County, Mississippi, Perrine put in dozens of requests, ranging from declaring a mistrial to requesting that words like grotesque not be allowed in the courtroom. 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. K: The phone call from the Amarillo TV station eventually prompted some case investigators to seriously look into Gilley. They picked through old evidence and files, contacting anyone who would still have a good recollection of what happened two decades before. 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. They had broken up a few months before, but Jacobson said he just wasnt the type to commit a murder. Tornadoes tore through Oklahoma, leaving severe damage in Norman, home to the University of Oklahoma. Recording of Linda: He looked at my mom and said, Sue, Im going after him and theyre not going to do anything, and he got his truck and took off and I know he had a rifle. They took in Sheryls ex-boyfriend for questioning. Dave Pearo and some of those guys, they really wanted to go after it.. Lets go! Well, they did find her. 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 There would have been music, talking, some drinking, maybe dancing. NOTES: GRADY CO And they are locked in the trunk now, what are they going to do. Police questioned Gilley and Henslee, who both said Gilley had never owned a .22 caliber weapon, the type of gun used in the murders. Splashed along the front pages of newspapers and TV station headlines were two words: not guilty. He brought up the likelihood that Butch Green, his former partner who died a year after the murders, was the real potential suspect. Jacobson and a few other agents, like Norman detective Floyd Nash, dedicated themselves to finding enough hard proof to convict Gilley. He was detained briefly and released. 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. Then the boy said you didnt put down my $10. Well start back up with thoughts from Linda Adams, Sheryls older sister. 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.. And the further you get into it, the further you want to get into it. Hes reading a statement from a boy in Amarillo who witnessed a crucial altercation involving Frank Gilley. Two years later, it seems like charges might be put against Gilley, but nothing is certain. Recording of Brake: He answered the relevant question truthful. As he was leaving the barn about 7 a.m., he saw two men standing next to two parked cars. Crime news across America. 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. 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.. But amid the chaos, David Sloan and Sheryl Benham were preparing for a date. And theyre almost all headshots at that point. Jacobson also testified. Re-reading articles and court documents, its clear he challenged every step of the trial. FIND A FACILITY. WebNorman man arrested in connection with murder of woman found at Lake Thunderbird; Former Norman car dealer accused of tampering in criminal case; Body recovered at Lake In addition to debris, there are cars with Get full property details, plus crime rates, environmental hazards, natural disaster risks and more at HomeDisclosure.com 202371154. 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. . She looks like she died almost immediately. 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. 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. Recording of Ken: But we jumped in the car in Oklahoma City and drove out to Lubbock, drove all night. When he arrived, he was arrested. A Daily staffer began flipping through pages in our large, dusty archive books. Recording of Pearo: So what we had done in retrospect was probably a mistake. Pearo retired in 2004 and moved to Florida where he spends time scuba diving. 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. He was part of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. 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. And so were not letting that go. 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. 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. K: In the spring of 1971, the bodies of Gilleys former partner Butch Green and Greens mistress were found after her husband shot and killed them when he found the pair together. K: Boden and her date Rick had been west of Norman, in the same area that David and Sheryl were just 30 days earlier. She talked about Sheryl like this every time we had a phone call. So I go, Dad did you find Sherry? They walked up and down the field, finding a few things more bullets, mostly. Most of the trial information was kept from the public, but news articles indicated that Henslee and other officers testified, as did Jacobson and the other investigators. 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. It was pretty tough. According to articles, testimonies and interviews, Henslee was worried. K: 1970. During the May 14 search of Sanchezs home, authorities made contact with Sanchez near his garage. Violent Crime Rate Norman, OK Oklahoma USA 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 100 After 20 years, they couldnt see putting a guy to death. 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. Cold Cases, Missing and Unsolved Crimes. Uncovered: The Lovers Lane Murders is a five-part investigative podcast into the murders of two teenagers in Norman, Oklahoma in 1970. WebMost accurate 2021 crime rates for Norman, OK. He was married multiple times and had a few children. Investigators said Bill Henslee, the Norman police chief at the time, wanted to make sure this case didnt reflect poorly on him or the department. They spoke to an ex-girlfriend of Davids, who said they had sometimes went to the Ten-Mile Flats area after dates. Brake saved a newspaper article about Sheryls funeral the next day. Tornado hits Norman damaging the electric system and causing power cuts. An old pool cue, broken in half, was in the front seat. Investigators spoke with former wives of Gilleys who said he was obsessed with his former life as a cop, keeping firearms, badges, uniforms and other police paraphernalia,close by, that he had a rampant temper and always carried a gun. According to the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office, 30-year-old Austin Blake Godwin was booked into the Cleveland County jail early Wednesday, shortly after surrendering himself at the Norman 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. Sherry and I, yes. Six: Why Gilley was allowed to resign days after the murders? Now Im almost like, not mad, I dont wanna use that word but damn, I wish they had had DNA back then.. Well, we shared the same bedroom. Recording of Ken: There was just like half a dozen guys on the police department that would even talk to us. Oklahoma is 10.8% cheaper than Norman, Oklahoma. Now detectives believed themselves to be without any physical evidence. Gilley said he was not guilty. Oklahomas Failure to Protect law treats those who enable child abuse the same as actual abusers. K: Youre listening to Uncovered: the Lovers Lane Murders. K: Jacobson left the OSBI almost a year later. He was working as a recent recruit to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation in 1970 and was assigned to the case full time. 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. Recording of Pearo: Frank had rented a house from this guy and he brings in this .22 caliber rifle.. Recording of Brake: Some friends told me that the man was Frank Gilley and that he hit me in the head with a flashlight. 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