Tulsa Judge Orders Trial For Man Charged With Killing 3 Women

A man charged with killing three women was ordered to stand trial by a Tulsa judge.

Terryl Brooks is charged with killing Tyra Whitaker then burying her body in a shallow grave in Tulsa in 2022, then months later killing Elizabeth Dillard and Rainbow Star Dancer.

Four more witnesses testified Thursday, bringing the total to 13 for the two-day preliminary hearing.

Prosecutors said in all three murders, witnesses told police the victims knew and dated Brooks, or they were last seen with Brooks.

A man who knew Brooks told the judge that while Brooks was dating Tyra Whitaker back in January of 2022, Brooks said, "I took care of her. She's gone. She's no longer breathing."

Whitaker was reported missing in January, and her body was found in a shallow grave in April.

Prosecutors said Brooks killed Elizabeth Dillard on her front porch in March of 2022, then killed rainbow Star Dancer in her apartment days later.

The lead detective testified the shell casings at the scenes of both of those murders were the same.

Elizabeth Dillard’s two sisters testified and told the judge Dillard met Brooks at a Tulsa club and they started dating, but said Dillard was scared of Brooks and broke up with him days before she was killed.

"There are no direct witnesses to any of the three homicides so we had to piece them together with circumstantial evidence. Just because something is circumstantial doesn't mean it is not as good or not proof. The court determined with our circumstantial evidence it was in fact proven by probable cause for a bind over,” said Tulsa County First Assistant District Attorney, Erik Grayless.

Brooks was charged this week with aggravated assault and battery for assaulting an inmate in the Tulsa County jail.