Search for a Tulsa murder suspect

A massive manhunt for a Tulsa murder suspect keeps police busy Thursday. Tulsa Police officers and Tulsa County Sheriff's deputies joined forces to do an intense search for a man wanted for beating

Thursday, June 10th 2004, 8:45 am

By: News On 6

A massive manhunt for a Tulsa murder suspect keeps police busy Thursday. Tulsa Police officers and Tulsa County Sheriff's deputies joined forces to do an intense search for a man wanted for beating his common-law wife to death.

News on 6 anchor Lori Fullbright says Tulsa Policeâ€™s helicopter hovered low over a wooded area in east Tulsa, from Garnett to 161st East Avenue, searching for a man wanted for a vicious murder.

In addition to the chopper, officers and deputies searched on horseback and heavily armed members of Tulsa's Special Operations Team walked through the wooded area and nearby creek bed.

Tulsa Police officer Scott Walton: "The best way is over a walk out, to walk through this area and search every nook and cranny in an effort to find this man." The man is 45-year-old John Ingram [pictured].

Police say he beat to death his common-law wife, Debra Dilley, this past weekend. It happened in a trailer park in east Tulsa, not far from the search location. The reason officers are in this part of town is because they've received several tips and even two sightings that he's hiding in the woods somewhere.

The intense grid search of the area came up empty handed, although officers don't plan to give up. They say Ingram has been threatening possible witnesses in the case, telling them not to cooperate with police, that's why they believe he is still nearby and not out of town or out of state.

If you have any information about Ingram's whereabouts, you can call Crimestoppers at 596-COPS. You don't have to say who you are and if your tip leads to an arrest, the Citizens Crime Commission will pay you a cash reward.