Overview of The Path
This episode of Park Predators (Audiochuck, hosted by Delia D’Ambra) centers on the 1975 murder of Suzanne Oakley, a 24-year-old Tulsa city employee who was found brutally killed along the River Parks Trail System in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The episode follows the initial missing-person search, the grisly discovery of her body, and the long, unresolved investigation that later became entangled with other unsolved Tulsa murders from the same era. A brief promo for another Audiochuck show, Dark Down East, opens the transcript.
What Happened to Suzanne Oakley
- On the morning of Wednesday, August 27, 1975, Suzanne failed to arrive at work on time.
- Her coworker and friend Jean Winfrey grew concerned, especially because Suzanne was known to jog early each morning on the River Parks trail.
- Jean tried to report Suzanne missing, first at the front desk of Tulsa Police and then by escalating the issue to the police chief’s assistant.
- A search was organized through Suzanne’s church and discipleship network.
Discovery of the Crime
- Suzanne’s body was found later that afternoon in heavy brush near the trail.
- She had been:
- sexually assaulted
- beaten
- stabbed
- strangled
- The body had been dragged off the trail, suggesting the attack began in a public area before the killer concealed her in the brush.
Investigation and Early Suspects
Initial Leads
Detectives focused on men in Suzanne’s orbit, including:
- A coworker named Dewey, who had gone on a bad date with Suzanne and made disturbing remarks to another woman.
- Arthur, a church/ministry leader who had known Suzanne well and admitted to kissing her once.
- Another church member who regularly ran the same trail.
Why Dewey Was Considered
- He lived close to Suzanne.
- He showed signs of emotional instability and made alarming statements in therapy.
- He admitted imagining being on the trail with Suzanne that morning.
- But investigators found no physical evidence tying him to the murder:
- no matching shoe size
- no military-style black socks
- no scene recognition when taken to the crime location
Why Arthur Was Considered
- He had a close relationship with Suzanne earlier in her life.
- He admitted to at least one kiss, prompting investigators to test whether there had been a sexual relationship.
- Detectives even used an unusual tactic—checking for poison ivy exposure on his body—to see if he had been in the same brush as the killer.
- He was eventually ruled out.
Link to Other Tulsa Murders
The episode stresses that Suzanne’s case did not happen in isolation. Investigators later examined other unsolved murders that appeared similar:
- Geraldine Martin — murdered in February 1975
- Marianne “Marie” Rosenbaum — murdered in April 1975
- Bernice Kuhlman — murdered in January 1977
Similarities Across the Cases
- All were women killed in or near Tulsa.
- All were sexually assaulted and murdered with extreme violence.
- Suzanne, Geraldine, and Marie were all killed on Wednesdays, which may or may not have been coincidence.
- The cases led police to wonder whether a serial offender was operating in the area.
Important Difference
- Despite similarities, the victims had different lifestyles and crime-scene details, and police never proved a single connected killer in the 1970s.
- Much later, Clyde Carl Wilkerson was identified as responsible for Geraldine Martin’s murder through DNA, but he was not a DNA match in Suzanne’s case.
The Broader Impact on Tulsa
Suzanne’s murder had a major effect on how Tulsa viewed its parks and trails:
- City leaders pushed for better lighting.
- Brush was cleared to improve visibility.
- More patrols and a park ranger program were introduced.
The trail system today is described as safer and more maintained in large part because of the public reaction to Suzanne’s killing.
Legacy and Unresolved Questions
- Suzanne’s case remains unsolved.
- Jean Winfrey still believes Suzanne deserves to be remembered as more than a murder victim.
- The planning commission created a scholarship fund in Suzanne’s honor for social science majors at Oral Roberts University.
- Jean described Suzanne as a person who loved:
- nature
- plants
- helping others
- her faith
- Suzanne had planned to move to Israel for missionary work shortly before her death.
Calls to Action
The episode ends by urging anyone with information to contact authorities:
- Tulsa Police Department tip line
- Tulsa Crime Stoppers
- Tulsa Cold Case Unit for related unsolved murders, including:
- Suzanne Oakley
- Bernice Kuhlman
- Marie Rosenbaum
Key Takeaways
- Suzanne Oakley’s murder was a public, daylight attack in a place many people used regularly.
- Investigators pursued multiple men close to her but never secured enough evidence to make an arrest.
- Her death is part of a larger cluster of violent, unsolved Tulsa murders from the 1970s.
- The case helped transform Tulsa’s park safety policies, even though justice for Suzanne has never been achieved.