And then, on the last full day of trial, on Friday, Nov. 8, Perrine put Gilley on the stand. We still do polygraph examinations. He asked me if Id ever had sexual intercourse. 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. If you come across them, do not attempt to apprehend them yourself. 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. K: But investigators did find .22 caliber weapons in the house, however they were technically owned by Gilleys father. Pearo also testified, noting that almost all the evidence from the crime scene had disappeared, except one bullet casing. K: Jacobson left the OSBI almost a year later. Of the 249 murders, 139 were cleared by arrest or exceptional means, yielding a 55.8% clearance rate. And even though the gun turned over by Gilleys landlord wasnt the murder weapon, it gave Pearo a path to officially reopen the case. Tornado hits Norman damaging the electric system and causing power cuts. Cold Cases, Missing and Unsolved Crimes. K: Mike Brake, the reporter who covered the case in its earlier days, said the same thing. The OU Daily, in a new podcast series called Uncovered, investigated a pair of murders that took place May 9, 1970 in Norman. K: That was the voice of Mike Brake, the reporter from the Oklahoma Journal who covered the Sheryl Benham-David Sloan case in the early 70s. 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. We were told he had been living in a nursing home. I know who you are, youre Frank Gilley, Recording of Brake: So what I think happened is they stopped there to make some whoopie, and I think maybe Sherry was already undressed when Gilley approached. But the DA at that time was adamant that the case was going to go to trial with what we had because, you know, the case wasnt improving. 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 My mom, of course, is there, and I was there with her. Recording of Linda: I thought, Ive seen you. 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.. 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. Maybe altered and those things would be extremely difficult to occur today based on the procedures that are in place.. Alex Murdaugh speaks with his attorney during his double murder trial at the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, S.C., Friday, Feb. 3, 2023. And he answered a crucial question about why the case came into the spotlight again after nearly 20 years since the initial 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. Episode 4 crosses state lines into Dallas, Texas, where the investigation is reopened in the 1990s. Eventually, Jacobson told Ben Benham, Sheryls father, to try writing a letter to Oklahomas attorney general and see if a grand jury could be convened, effectively skipping the need for authorization from heads of local agencies and instead giving officers a way to immediately close in on Gilley. 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.. But Jacobson, never did let go of the case. She would drive it to work, drive it to see her friends She loved life, she loves everything that everybody did, and she looked for that in people.. A reporter there had a tip about someone on Normans police force. In episode 2, listen to the the story of Sheryls sister, Linda, on the day her family searched for Sheryl. The case becomes exceedingly complicated and twisted from here on out, so be prepared. K: After Ken Jacobson left the OSBI, he eventually started working as security for a company in Dallas. This incident is alleged to have happened in early June. Recording of Linda: She also loved her first nephew, my son that was living there with us She was just crazy about him She had, believe it or not, she had a blue Mustang, a baby blue Mustang. In the coming months, detectives tailed Gilley as he went to work at his various odd jobs. Investigators told me that they started to hear rumors, that GIlley had an obsession with lovers lanes, just like the one where David and Sheryl were found. K: This is Linda Adams, the older sister of Sheryl Benham. This was the only physical evidence in the entire case. Recording of Ken: Its my opinion that there were a lot of folks working against us. Authorities found a 9mm handgun inside a trash can in the garage, according to an arrest warrant. WebMost accurate 2021 crime rates for Norman, OK. Every issue theyve had including internal affairs investigations at the current agencies theyre with, talking to officers that they work with those agencies also and friends neighbors and things to see if anything else comes up. When he arrived, he was arrested. We were very close. He was working as a recent recruit to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation in 1970 and was assigned to the case full time. The place Dave and Sheryl went was popular, though they probably werent expecting to find any company. NOTES: GRADY CO 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. Did you ever see Gilley with any type of badge other than the one he had? They began surveillance on Gilley, finding out where he lived now, following him to work. So we got Ken involved and he became really instrumental in being able to help us out with kind of what happened back in the beginning, how the case got convoluted into this big cover up thing by the then chief of police.. 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. 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. I dont fault them for trying. 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. They didnt know anyone new was being hired. While Sandoval lived with Sanchez and his wife, there were multiple reports filed with law enforcement and state agencies, investigators said. The call came from a TV station in Amarillo, Texas, a few days after the murders. August Murders accounted for 1.5% of all violent crimes and 0.2% of reported index crimes. And theres probably a million cases like that This one is really unique in that it involved a police officer and I think that if we had had 100 percent cooperation from the get go, that we could have cleared it., K: It wasnt until 1972 that the case seemed like it might pick back up again. Not anyone can walk into property custody Everything is labeled and stored and organized at such a different ballgame and so a lot of those concerns about obstruction, evidence, we as an agency have put a lot of safeguards into place to ensure these things are not happening and that there is a trail. Jacobson said calls flooded in, but every one of them led to a dead end. What happens next leaves him and his family reeling while the Norman Police Department begins investigation. He agreed to give Gilley a polygraph test, unbeknownst to case investigators. 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. One of them was Butch Green, who had ridden with Frank, who gave the statement that Frank did in fact carry a .22 rifle on duty in the car. She found the newspaper with the requested photo, but also found what led to the months long Daily investigation into that pair of murders. It was the first night of Girl Scout camp when 3 young girls were killed and sexually molested. 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.. A suspect is in custody, the sheriff's office in Tate County, Mississippi, Then here we can and were visiting it again, making the news again. I dont think she was shot at that point. Splashed along the front pages of newspapers and TV station headlines were two words: not guilty. K: Next time on Uncovered: The Lovers Lane Murders. I can talk about it now, I can., Recording of Kayla: Why do you think that is? And then we sort of told him Weve got some good news and bad news. K: He kept the Benhams updated on the case. 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. Recording of Ken: Henslee set it up and at that time, we werent sure if Henslee was for us or against us. Ten-Mile Flats is the official name of the area that was home to many of Normans secluded roads, which were commonly known as Lovers Lanes. So I go, Dad did you find Sherry? Because those guys werent even policemen when this thing happened. When the husband went to court, it was speculated that Gilley was involved, that maybe he had tipped off the husband to the affair. 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. 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. That's -25.38% lower than the national rate of 387.8 per 100,000 people. Due to the current status of the case, information is limited at this time, Jensen said. K: The new team of investigators led by Pearo took the gun and ran tests, but it came back without a match. 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 K: Youre listening to Uncovered: the Lovers Lane Murders. And then he comes back. Pearo and his fellow investigators would drive to Dallas frequently, watching Gilleys house, following him to work, trying to put together enough evidence to arrest him. 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 Hes reading a statement from a boy in Amarillo who witnessed a crucial altercation involving Frank Gilley. The medical examiner said Byron 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. So we had him with an illegal weapon there in Dallas County. Well 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. Address: 6400 BLOCK OF 36TH AVENUE NW, Norman, OK. View Source Square with arrow pointing upper right. 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 Kayla: Can you speak about the relationship between Henslee and Gilley? And then he said something about Well you couldnt even convict him again or something like that. 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. WebThe following are some of the more dangerous Most Wanted individuals in Cleveland County, the state of Oklahoma and the United States. Munoz told detectives he moved into the home in 2019, and allowed a friend, Octavio Sanchez, 34, to store items in the basement. Particularly a lot more nowadays than there was back in the 1970s.. What truly happened to Dave and Sheryl is still and may always be speculation, but some people believe they have a pretty good guess. I think when he came back he stood back and fired a couple rounds in the side of the car to see if they were still in there and alive and he probably heard them oh please you know and he popped the trunk and started killing. Re-reading articles and court documents, its clear he challenged every step of the trial. K: After finding the car and the bodies, officers from all of the agencies came together to sweep the area. Per page 1; 2; 3 > Christopher Sanders. We were never able to get in contact with any of these family members, though. Recording of Pearo: Ken never gave up on the case. K: In the search warrant, officers claimed that Gilley likely still had possession of items from the crime scene, like Davids shoes and car keys, a scrapbook of newspaper articles and personal photos of the scene and possibly the murder weapon. I think before when it was brought up, I still hurt so bad and my emotions. The Benhams became close with investigators, especially Ken Jacobson, the lead investigator from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. Gilley had taken his first polygraph a few days after the murders and when Henslee said he passed, Gilley packed up his bags and left the force. Months went by without a response or a jury. K: This is Dave Pearo, a Norman police officer from 1981 to 2004. There is a picture of him in a 1969 OU yearbook with his racket. 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