Do you know who murdered Myrtle? In the summer of 1996, a quiet street in Tulsa, Oklahoma, became the scene of a tragedy that left a family heartbroken and a community unsettled. On June 5th, concern grew for 78-year-old Myrtle Neal Childs when neighbors noticed her mail piling up, an unusual sight for the woman who was often seen tending to her beloved garden. The last time anyone had seen the great-great-great grandmother was the previous day, happily working amongst her plants.
Family members, alerted to the
uncharacteristic lack of contact, went to her home at 222 E. 30th St. North to check on her. What they discovered was a scene of quiet violence. The back door to her bedroom, a converted garage, had been pried open. Inside, they found Myrtle facedown on the floor. An investigation would later determine that she had been killed by a blow to the back of her head. It was believed she had been deceased for no more than six hours before her body was found.
Initially, investigators were uncertain about the motive, as there were no immediate signs of a struggle or a robbery. However, a later search of the home revealed that some items had been taken from a trunk. Despite the discovery of the theft, the police were left with few leads. The years have passed without a resolution, and no one has ever been charged for the murder of Myrtle Childs. Her case remains a painful cold case, a story of a life taken too soon, leaving her loved ones with unanswered questions and the memory of a gentle soul who found her joy in her family and her garden.
