Do you know what happened to Theophilus? In the summer of 1989, a quiet Tulsa apartment on North Hartford Avenue became the scene of a brutal and unresolved crime. Theophilus Fleming Sr., a seventy-nine-year-old male, lived alone and was discovered dead in his home on the morning of August 13th. The grim discovery was made by his son, Theophilus Jr., who had arrived around 9:30 a.m. to take his father for a visit with another family member.
Upon entering the residence, the younger Fleming found a scene of violence.
His father had been strangled and had also suffered blows to the head. Investigators found that the front door had been forcibly kicked in, pointing to a violent entry into the home. The state of the apartment suggested that robbery was the likely motive behind the fatal attack, as several items were reported missing from the premises.
Despite the evidence of a home invasion and a violent struggle, the investigation into the murder of Theophilus Fleming Sr. has grown cold over the decades. Leads in the case have been scarce, and to this day, no suspects have been publicly identified or arrested in connection with the crime. The case remains an open and unsolved homicide, leaving a lingering sense of injustice for the Fleming family, who have endured further tragedies in the years that followed.
