Police Still Searching For A Suspect In Year Old Murder Case

With Tulsa detectives working so many recent murders, you wouldn't think cold cases get much attention, but Tulsa Police say they are dedicated to finding the killers. Walter and Grace Brown were a

Monday, June 4th 2007, 10:40 am

By: News On 6

With Tulsa detectives working so many recent murders, you wouldn't think cold cases get much attention, but Tulsa Police say they are dedicated to finding the killers. Walter and Grace Brown were a lovely couple, who freely shared what they had with others. That's why it's so hard to understand how someone could viciously beat them to death inside their own home. News On 6 crime reporter Lori Fullbright reports the Brown's have a large family who desperately want the killer found.

You could tell from the weedeater still in the yard, that Walter Brown was taking advantage of a spring morning, to cut his grass. People knew the long-time married couple to study their Bible on the front porch, to go fishing and share their catch with the neighbors. They didn't have much, but shared what they could, and that's why it was so unthinkable someone could kill them, in their own home, in a robbery.

"This has puzzled us right from the start,â€ said Tulsa Police Sgt. Mike Huff. â€œThe neighborhood where the Browns lived has been in decline. There are some bad people who have come through that neighborhood, and we're trying to figure out where they intersected with the Browns."

This case has been frustrating for police since the beginning, when they spent the first 72 hours, following a false lead. They've worked the case hard and had their hopes up a few times, but everything has fallen through.

They've conducted numerous interrogations, served several search warrants, done DNA testing on at least a dozen people, flew to Wyoming to process a car and question two people. They've gone before the Oklahoma multi-county grand jury to get access to paperwork, like cell phone records and responded to three dozen Crimestoppers tips. A tip is how they ultimately believe this case will be solved.

"People can't keep secrets in something so huge,â€ Huff said. â€œThey want to talk about it, brag about, comment on it."

That has been the biggest frustration for Walter and Grace Brown's children and grandchildren in the past 14 months, the belief that someone knows who did this, but refuses to come forward.

Police say they have good forensic evidence in the Brown murders, so once they get a good lead on a suspect, they'll be able to move this case forward.

Anybody with information should call Crimestoppers at 596-COPS. The tip line is now answered in Canada, so your identity is a total secret. The person whose tip leads to arrest, gets a $1,000 reward through an anonymous, number coded system.

Watch the video: Cold Case Suspect Still On The Loose

Related stories:

4/5/2006 - 'Person Of Interest' Cleared

4/7/2006 - Tulsa Police Start Over In This Week's Double Homicide Investigation