Investigation into last weekend's double murder in Broken Arrow continues

Broken Arrow Police say it was the most horrific crime scene they've ever encountered. <br><br>They say they had no idea what to expect when Darren Ellis[pictured] called to say he'd stabbed his

Wednesday, October 16th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Broken Arrow Police say it was the most horrific crime scene they've ever encountered.

They say they had no idea what to expect when Darren Ellis[pictured] called to say he'd stabbed his parents in the 700 block of West Charleston. As News on Six reporter Tami Marler explains, now they'll never forget.

"It was something that I've never seen before, it was something I hope I never see again. It was a gruesome crime scene. The call came in at approximately 5:20 a.m. Sunday morning; Mr. Ellis is the one that made the phone call. He identified himself, stated that he had just killed his parents and he needed help."

Broken Arrow Police Sgt. John Zoller says in his twelve years responding to crimes in Broken Arrow, this was the worst. Darren Ellis' mother and stepfather were both dead inside their apartment; both decapitated, and placed in staged positions in separate rooms. "When you get that call, you just have no idea what you're gonna find."

Officers who responded to Ellis' call had never seen anything so gruesome here in Broken Arrow. But one investigator has seen many scenes just like it.

"Number 25, will be a French knife. Might just put on there blood-stained." Sgt Alford Cross has been a crime scene investigator for more than 30 years, in cities with much higher crime rates than Broken Arrow. "Yes and that's why I came here, but it's not staying that a way." Cross has been investigating crime scenes in Broken Arrow for nearly 20 years. He says he can remember going ten years without a murder, but no more.

Cross says Margaret and Troy Hefley are his third and fourth murder victims this year. He'll go through as many as a hundred pieces of evidence, and thousands of photographs. It's not as easy as it looks on TV. "It's not near as precise as they have it on CSI."

For cases like this, where the evidence may seem to tell a clear story, Broken Arrow Police are relieved Alford Cross is putting together the crime scene puzzle.

Darren Ellis is still in the hospital with a self-inflicted knife wound. He's under armed guard until he can be transported to the Tulsa County Jail.