Do you know who killed 27 year old Debra Jean McClendon in 1987? On a warm Tuesday, September 8, 1987, in Ardmore, Oklahoma, 27-year-old Debra Jean McClendon finished her workday at a chiropractor's office and headed to the Mountain View Mall. Friends and acquaintances saw her shopping, seemingly going about a routine evening. However, this ordinary day would take a tragic turn, ending her life and leaving a mystery that has lingered for decades.
When Debra, a female, failed to return home, her husband, Dennis McClendon, grew concerned and contacted her father. The two men began a search that tragically ended with her father discovering her lifeless body in her red and silver pickup truck in the mall's parking lot.
Investigators determined that Debra had been shot at close range in the back of the head with what was believed to be a large-caliber handgun. Despite the violent nature of the act, robbery was quickly ruled out as a motive. Her wallet and jewelry were found undisturbed inside her truck, suggesting that the killer's intentions were not material gain. The lack of witnesses to the shooting left law enforcement with very few leads to follow, and the case grew cold over the years, leaving a community in search of answers.
In the years following the murder, no arrests have ever been made, and the case remains an unsolved homicide. Debra's family has long held suspicions that her husband, or individuals he associated with, may have been involved. At the time of her death, the McClendons had recently purchased a new home, and rumors circulated about owed drug money. Another potential motive that has been mentioned is a life insurance policy that would have been paid out upon her death. Debra's husband, who has since remarried, has declined requests for interviews regarding his former wife's murder. The tragic event deeply impacted Debra's family, with her brother-in-law later becoming a police officer, citing her unsolved murder as a primary motivation for his career choice.
