Do you know who murdered Yarkin? On what should have been a day of celebration, his 72nd birthday, Yarkin S. Harley, a 71-year-old Muscogee Creek Nation man, was found brutally murdered in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It was on the late evening of June 23rd, 1979, at approximately 11:30 p.m., that his body was discovered lying between two cars at 108 E. Archer. The scene told a story of a violent end to a life that had endured the trials of World War II, during which he had served in the Army.
Mr.
Harley, a kind and generous man who had grown up in the Eufaula area, was living with his daughter in Tulsa at the time of his death. The investigation into his murder revealed that he had been viciously beaten about his head and had sustained a single stab wound to his neck. The weapon used to inflict the blunt force trauma was never identified. He was a husband to Mattie Francis, and a beloved father to four daughters, as well as a grandfather and great-grandfather.
Despite the passage of many years, the murder of Yarkin Harley remains an unsolved cold case. Law enforcement has not publicly identified any suspects or made any arrests in connection with his death. The Tulsa Police Department's Cold Case Unit continues to seek information from the public, hoping that someone will come forward with the key piece of evidence that will finally bring justice to Mr. Harley and his family.
