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Oklahoma Cold Cases

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Oklahoma Murders

If you would like to look further into the number of murders in Oklahoma by year, you may visit the websites of many local, state, and federal law enforcement organizations, who often times publish comprehensive reports with more information about the crimes committed in that area over specific time frames. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, in addition to Oklahoma’s multiple law enforcement agencies, creates and publishes an annual Uniform Crime Report that shows detailed information and statistics about the various types of crimes and their crime rates for every state in the U.S., including many counties and cities within each state. Another great resource is Project: Cold Case, who, in partnership with the Murder Accountability Project, produced a comprehensive list of all of the unsolved homicides in each state from 1980-2019. According to this list, there were around 11,922 murders in Oklahoma during that nearly 40-year time frame. Looking further into this, roughly 9,618 of those same homicides have been solved during that same time frame, leaving law enforcement with approximately 2,304 unsolved murders in Oklahoma as of the website’s most recent update.

In addition to Project: Cold Case’s unsolved homicide statistics webpage, their website is also home to a database of nearly 25,000 unsolved cases from across the U.S., in addition to several other law enforcement and government agencies across Oklahoma who provide their own lists of cold cases. For example, unsolved murders in northern Oklahoma that may be found within these lists/databases include the 1994 murder of Nola Baldwin, the 1984 murder of Lisa Ann Ledbetter, the 1989 murder of Christine Miller, the 1984 murder of Jim Bourk, and the 1974 murder of Tina Duffell, as well as the unsolved 2019 disappearance of Aubrey Dameron. Other cases that are frequently included are the many unsolved central Oklahoma murders, which include the 1994 murder of Johnetta Johnson, the 1987 murder of Debra Jean McClendon, the 1983 murder of Treva Cannon, the 1973 murder of J.C. Dunn, and the 1982 murder of Debra Bowser, among others. Additionally, the 2009 murder of Tyrell Bolton, the 2016 murder of Joseph Jackson, the 1988 murder of Gerald Finney, the 2011 murder of Alina Fitzpatrick, and the 2010 murder of Roger Britt are some of the many unsolved murders in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Lastly, the 2018 murder of Eric Trammell, the 2014 double murder of Shelby Hughes and Bryan Van Assche, and the 1996 murder of Edward Trotter are a few of the unsolved murders in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, which can be found within various lists and databases.

Joseph Smedley
Joseph SmedleySuspicious Death, 2015
Asha Degree
Asha DegreeMissing, 2000

Consider this

More than 200,000 unsolved cases have gone cold since 1980, and murder clearance rates continue to drop. With equity for BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and other underserved victims not prioritized in the true crime community—together we can do better.

Famous Oklahoma Murders

If you’re interested in true crime, more than likely you may have an interest in unsolved crimes in addition to solved crimes, some of which may be included within the list of all murders in Oklahoma. Within a list of Oklahoma murders or list of murders in Oklahoma, not only will you find both solved and unsolved crimes, you may also find famous Oklahoma murders, notorious Oklahoma criminals, well-known Oklahoma disappearances, and even notorious Oklahoma serial killers.

Some of the most infamous Oklahoma murders which you may frequently find on these lists that remain unsolved include the 1997 murder of Doris Milner, Lori Farmer, and Michelle Guse, also known as the Oklahoma Girl Scout Murders, the 2000 murder of Nancy Probst, the 2004 murder of Brittany Phillips, and the 1970 murder of E.C. Mullendore. Additional examples of Oklahoma’s many cold cases include some lesser-known missing persons cases, which could include the 2018 disappearance of Kristyn Richerson and the 2019 disappearance of Aubrey Dameron.


Homicide Rate in Oklahoma

One of the many reasons that the Federal Bureau of Investigation makes an amazing resource for people researching true crime is their annual Uniform Crime Reports, which share the number of crimes and their respective crime rates that occur in most cities and counties in every state in the United States. Based on the Uniform Crime Report released by the FBI in 2019, the violent crime rate in Oklahoma was sitting at about 431.8 crimes per 100,000 people in the state. In addition, the homicide rate in Oklahoma in 2019 was approximately 6.7 per 100,000 inhabitants, meaning that nearly 7 people for every 100,000 living in Oklahoma were murdered that year.

The capital city of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, possesses a population of over 665,000 inhabitants as of the 2019 census, making it the most populated city in the entire state. Based on various sources, the violent crime rate in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, in 2018 was approximately 867.31 per every 100,000 residents, and the Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, murders rate was roughly 7.96 per 100,000 inhabitants. Despite the fact that we cannot yet determine how many murders in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 2021 or how many murders in Oklahoma 2021, we can look through archived Uniform Crime Reports released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation along with several Oklahoma law enforcement agencies to determine the current crime trends.


Oklahoma County Murders

As of the 2019 census, the total population of Oklahoma County, Oklahoma was over 797,000 residents. With a seemingly average violent crime rate and homicide rate, there are fewer homicides which remain unsolved for greater periods of time than many other states. Although we don’t know exactly how many Oklahoma County murders have been committed in the past few years, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s annual Uniform Crime Reports can shed some light on some accurate statistics. According to these archived reports, there were 5 Oklahoma County murders in 2016, 1 in 2017, 1 in 2018, and 1 in 2019. Based on these numbers, it appears as if the number of homicides in Oklahoma County per year has decreased since 2016, but has remained stable from 2017-2019.

Occasionally, homicide investigators can gather the sufficient amount of Oklahoma County murders evidence needed to arrest and charge a suspect with the murder, before bringing them to Oklahoma County murders trial. The most common types of evidence that are used in Oklahoma County homicide trials, depending on the nature of the crime, include DNA evidence, trace evidence, biological evidence, and even Oklahoma County murders crime scene photos.

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Murders

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, murders seemingly occur more frequently than those in most, if not all, cities in the state, most likely a result of the city’s large size and population. As we can see within Oklahoma’s homicide clearance rate, which sits at around 81% according to Project: Cold Case, most of the murders in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, are quickly solved, thanks in part to law enforcement efforts and improvements in forensic technology. Of course, authorities continue investigating the state’s remaining unsolved murders. As with every other state, until all of their murders are solved, Oklahoma City murders discussion will continue within various social media platforms. Facebook, Websleuths, and Reddit are among the most popular within the true crime community, where users gather to speculate, share theories and information, and have conversations about every detail of a case, often including examples such as Oklahoma City murders pictures, Oklahoma City murders crime scene photos, and even Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, murders autopsy photos.

Thanks to breakthrough improvements in DNA technology, the U.S. has seen hundreds, if not thousands, of cold cases of every age be solved in every state. Some examples of the several cold cases in which Oklahoma City murders DNA or DNA from crimes which occurred in other parts of Oklahoma has been used in order to solve cold cases include the following: the 1976 murder of Virginia Grace Kegans, the 1985 murder of Paul Aikman, the 1983 murder of Tammy Gastineau, and the 1997 murder of Kirsten Hatfield.

Oklahoma Serial Killers

If you’re interested in true crime, most likely you may also be interested in the topic of serial killers. If you’ve ever looked through any serial killer list, you may have come across any of the multiple Oklahoma serial killers, without even knowing or recognizing their names. Surprisingly, there are more Oklahoma killers than you may imagine, and to learn more about them, you can search for list of serial killers in Oklahoma and Oklahoma serial killer list. The most notorious Oklahoma serial killers who frequent these lists include Nannie Doss, also known as “The Giggly Granny,” who killed 11 of her own family members, as well as one of the most well-known Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, serial killers: Roger Dale Stafford, also known as “The Oklahoma City Butcher,” who murdered at least 9 people from 1974-1978 in Oklahoma City, but who is suspected of murdering up to 34.


Crimes in Oklahoma

Project: Cold Case, the Murder Accountability Project, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation are all great resources to learn more about crime in Oklahoma, specifically the statistics of crimes in Oklahoma. The FBI’s Uniform Crime Report, as well as a Uniform Crime Report that is published by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) are both perfect for seeing what types and locations of crimes occur in Oklahoma, as well as showing the crime rates for each area.

Although it may seem as if Oklahoma may never be able to close every Oklahoma homicide or all of the true crime stories in Oklahoma, just think of how far they have come in recent history. To summarize, there were approximately 11,922 murders in Oklahoma from 1980-2019. Since then, around 9,618 of those cases have been solved, leaving the state with only 2,304 unsolved murders in Oklahoma. The progress that has been made is thanks to breakthroughs in forensic technology as well as to law enforcement’s efforts and persistence in even the most difficult cold cases. In the end, investigators within various law enforcement and investigating agencies across the state will continue to investigate the remaining cold cases, until they are able to solve all of Oklahoma’s true crimes.


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Additional Oklahoma Cold Cases

Louay AamerFawn AbellRozlin AbellLewis AbrosMaurio AcostaLisa AddingtonMichael AdkinsSergio AguileraSimran AhluwaliaBryan AlexanderRhett AllenEzeakel AllumsGail AndersonRhonda AndersonCordilia AndersonJames AndersonLoud AntonioAlfred Apperson JrJason ArmstrongIna ArnallBrendan ArringtonBrianna AshleyKeith BaileyMichalyn BakerTravis BakerKay BakerShannon Baldwin HokansonJohnnie BallLeanna BallShirley BanningAmber BarkerPaul BarnettMaytte BarreraKierra BaskeyfieldNichole BattCarol BattermanGreen BaylionteIda BeardJessica Becerra-GarciaKelly BeeneJohn BegayAshton BellNathaniel BellCarey BellLarry BellMartha Bell KadaysoMariah BennettRicky BentonChristopher BerryhillLauria BibleClinton BlakelyVijaya BodigadlaMessiah BoltonAquantae BowlerChin BowlesSavannah BransonTina BrashearDanielle BriggsAndrew BrosseitKevin BrownJarred BrownBrandi BrownIsaiah BryantCaleb BuckalooEdwinna or Edwina BullMelvin BurnsAngela BurnsHeather BurrowsRoley ButlerKeith ButricksTrinity CadamyNyda CandidoJacquelinn CannonShambrai CarterDustin CarverNathan CaseyEarl CashHailey CassadyChristian CastilloHomer Castoe, JrChelsey ChaffinMichael ChapmanArchie ChapmanStephanie ChaseColt ClarkDustin ClarkWanda ClarkAngelique ClarkLayla ClarkCharles ClaunchJustin CobbSamuel CobbsCoolidge CochranJoyce CogburnJosephine CogburnChristopher ColburnBrenda ColeRonnie ColeDaryn CollieLawrence ColtonNathaniel ConwayKenneth CookKristi Coppinger (Kidwell)Genaro CoronadoClinton CoteJerry CottinghamDavid CrabtreeWilliam Crandell SrElijah CravensMichelle CrawfordWilmer CrawfordZayne CrislerJoan CroftMaria CruzTeresa CuppsRonald CurbyVickie DahlJohn DaltonAubrey DameronMonique DanielsSammul DardenMelissa DarlingRonnie DavisLinda DavisAlden DavisRonald DavisLee DavisTony DayNadia DeavilaBradford DelgaritoOrlandas DensonWinslow DerekBlake DewberryKenneth DietrichLeonard DiricksonCrystal DittmeyerDe'Auna DorityColby DorityTammy DriverSavanah DruryFrankie DuvallPerry DycusHollis DykesJohn EatonKylee EdenKiayah EdwardsBraelynn EllisTeddy EllisJudith ElwellErik EnriquezJorge EscalanteGavedencio EscamillaAlejandro EscobarJack EslickSteven EtcheisonMary EtterMatthew FaganDeborah FarmerLisa FarmerKevin FarrisMisty FaulknerBarbara FerreeNichole FieldingShane FieldsJose FierroKenia FigueroaLatricia FippsKeyara FleetwoodMelissa FloresTracy FlorezFlint FlorySymone FlowersEdward ForemanRobert FosterDione FoxMiguel FraireDarrell FranklinSusan FreehaufAshley FreemanKayla FrisbieKevin FrostRichard FryeDavid Fulps IiJ. 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JohnsonChester JohnsonTianna JohnsonAlexis JohnsonBarbara Johnson-WillardMelody JonesPshara JonesBrittanie JonesIsaiah JonesMary JonesDorian JordanMaria JuarezFennell Kai'vonJascie KaywayklaNaola KearneyShannon KetronJoe KeyZachary KiesewetterJesse KincannonGwendolyn KingDonna KingstonArdie KinkadeCynthia KinneyCharlotte KinseyCakeab KirbyMarcus KnightPaul Knight JrJames KnowlesSteven Kozak Jr.Larry KrebbsMark KudskRickey KutejChori LaneBilly LangeJames LarabeeJoseph Lartey IICamri LawrenceBrooklyn LeeRandall LeeKylie LehenbauerKayla LeifheitAnthony LennonXaviah LeonardCarey LewisRachel LewisAmy LieblFaith LindseyYancy LittlemanRobert LiversZachary LogsdonToni LongMabel LopezLuis Lopez-GomezMiria Lopez-RodriguezBranaji LylesMichael MacdougalAnthony MackSilvia MadridTimur MardeyevKenia MarisolJuana Martenez-SalinasShawn MartinEdward MartinArly MartinezSteven MatthewsJohn MayRichard McArthurApril McCaslinMichael MccaullaJamie McChurinLisa McCraryKamry McgowenNathan McGrewPeggy McGuireLora McIntireBrock McManusJeramiah McnealBobby McNuttMeredith MedinaNancy MedinaJames MeekHope MeekIgnacio MendezMary MestasKenroy MichaelJaxen MichaelsMary MilamTrinity MillerAustin MillerMolly MillerDana Milligan-CurrenEric MinnisMike MinorSherri MinterFredrick MitchellTomarion MomodouDavion MonroePaige MooreJaidian MorrisShariya MorrisonDennis MorrisonKimberly MullensJames MurphyBryan MurphyTravis MurrowTiffany MyersAndrew NailsDawn NakedheadSheena NakisoRufino NasserDonovan NimmoDominique NoboaMohamed OdowaAriel OfieldAndre OgansRicky OhlerKeosha OliverJuan OrozcoRodger OsbornJarral OsburnShaniqwa OwensAmber PagoriaBrianna PaisCinda PallettWinter ParksHeather PatrickJames PeavyPenny PeelerGlenda PetersenHeather PetersonEarl PeytonDonald PhillipsPaula PhillipsLonda PhillipsYsia PittsAlex PoCurt PointerAlexis PowellJeremy PowersGenice PratherTena PreastCourtney PriceFlint QualkBennjamyn QuantrilleOscar QuilimacoSteve RadziewiczMahkenzie RainesYesenia RamirezHailey RamseySally 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