DNA Evidence Leads To Arrest In 1994 Tulsa Murder

Detectives tracked down a man in Texas Thursday wanted for a murder in north Tulsa in 1994.

Almost 21 years ago, Erma Goodou, 32, was found beaten to death in her home near 56th Street North and Peoria. At the time, detectives collected evidence but made no arrests.

Detectives kept working the case and in 2012 submitted DNA evidence to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation as part of a cold case grant.

Walker said DNA taken from the scene in 1994 came back last year as a match for 52-year-old Leroy Gilbert Jr.

“There's no statute of limitations on murder, and there's no statute of limitations on us working them,” Walker said. “Somebody could call in today and say, ‘hey, we've got information about a murder than happened a week ago or they can say we have information 3,4, 5,6, 7, 8 ,9 ,10 years ago and we give it the same amount of attention.”

The Tulsa County DA issued an arrested warrant for Gilbert on May 21 and authorities arrested Gilbert in Bonham, Texas on a first-degree murder warrant later that day.

Walker said Gilbert listed an address within a mile of Goodou's home in 1994.

Gilbert has served time in Oklahoma prisons out of Tulsa County from 1990 to 1992 and 1995 to 2002 for embezzlement and larceny.

"Everybody back in the day did what they were supposed to do, and that carries it forward when science catches up and begins to make leaps and bounds in DNA evidence in what they can do and what they can't do and then luck happens a little bit,” TPD Sgt. Dave Walker said.

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