Person Of Interest Sought In Tulsa Homicide

By Lori Fullbright, The News On 6

TULSA, OK - Tulsa Police homicide detectives are trying to identify a woman whose body was put into a plastic bag and dumped in a front yard in south Tulsa.  A couple had just rented the house last week where the body was found and were still moving in.

They'd called the gas company to hook up the gas, but the workers found a gas leak so, they'd called a plumber to fix the leak.  The plumber and some friends arrived at the same time and they discovered the black plastic bag that had duct tape wrapped around it.

The rent house is near 79th and South Elwood Avenue.  The blocked off street had lots of people asking questions about what happened and when they found out, there was dismay and shock.

"This is country or it used to be until this addition came in, but, those houses are rentals, so we never know who's moving in and out all the time," said Virginia, who lives nearby.

The man who was in the process of moving into the house says he'd only been gone 90 minutes and when he left, his yard was empty.  The whole ordeal left him shaken.

"We really need the public help on this one," said Tulsa Police Officer Jason Willingham.

Police say the victim is a white, petite woman in her 20s or 30s with very short, brown hair.  She was wearing brown capri pants, a light colored top and white socks.  She also had a tattoo on her right shoulder that went down to her right shoulder blade.

Police hope the tattoo might help identify her as they check missing persons cases.

"That's part of the investigation, combing through reports, talking to other agencies to see if there's somebody else around, checking people in this area. We've already interviewed the people in this area at the time," said Tulsa Police Officer Jason Willingham.

Police are looking for a person who was seen driving slowly past the house on Elwood just before the body was found.  The driver's described as a white man in his 40s or 50s with collar length, brown hair and a scruffy beard.

He was driving a 1970s model beat-up Chevy pickup with no hubcaps.  Anyone who saw him or knows him should call Crime Stoppers at 596-COPS.

The man moving into the house says it had been vacant for the past month, so whoever dumped the woman's body probably didn't realize someone had just moved in.

The homicide is the 23rd in Tulsa this year.