Sherry E. Lakins

At 27 years old, Sherry E. Lakins was a dedicated mother of two, raising her nine-year-old daughter and six-year-old son in the small town of Prague, Oklahoma. A female with the maiden name Bailey, she worked as a custodian at the Boley State School for Boys. Her life was centered around her children and her work, a familiar rhythm known to many in the quiet, rural community. That sense of normalcy was shattered on the morning of Friday, March 5, 1982, leaving her family and community with questions that have echoed for decades.

The day began with a discovery no child should ever have to make. Sherry’s six-year-old son woke up and went into the living room of their home, where he found his mother’s body. In a state of terror, he ran from the house and down the street, his screams and cries alerting neighbors to the horror inside. First responders arrived to a brutal scene. Sherry had been strangled with her own shirt and stabbed multiple times in the stomach with a meat fork. Investigators noted the stab wounds appeared to be in a specific pattern, though the meaning of that pattern has never been publicly disclosed. Her body was found propped up against a piece of furniture.

The investigation into Sherry’s homicide was launched immediately, with the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) taking the lead. Investigators processed the scene, collecting evidence they hoped would lead to the person responsible. For years, the case yielded few public developments. Then, in 1991, a breakthrough seemed imminent. The Prague police chief at the time, Ron Luttrell, announced to the Tulsa World newspaper that his department had solved the case. He stated with confidence that they knew who had committed the murder after testing six sets of fingerprints from the crime scene that had not been originally analyzed.

According to Chief Luttrell, the evidence and the names of the suspects were turned over to the District Attorney's office. For reasons that have never been made public, however, no charges were ever filed, and the case remained officially unsolved. The initial hope for justice faded, leaving Sherry's family in a painful state of limbo. The motive for the vicious attack has never been publicly discussed by law enforcement, leaving a void where answers should be.

The profound and lasting impact of Sherry's murder has been carried by her family for a lifetime. Her sister and her children, especially her son who made the traumatic discovery, have been haunted by the senseless and horrific violence that took her from them. Decades have passed, but their need for closure and justice has not diminished.

As of October 2026, Sherry Lakins' homicide remains an open and active investigation in the OSBI's Cold Case Unit. In 2018, the agency renewed its public appeal for information, hoping that the passage of time might encourage someone with knowledge of the crime to finally come forward. Investigators believe that relationships and loyalties can shift over four decades, and that a secret carried for so long may have become too heavy a burden. The OSBI continues to ask for help from the public to bring resolution to this long-unsolved murder. Anyone with information regarding the murder of Sherry Lakins is urged to contact the OSBI at 1-800-522-8017 or via email at [email protected].