Do you know who murdered Dorothy? In the summer of 1970, a sense of unease settled over a Tulsa neighborhood. On July 10th, Dorothy Brown, a female resident described as elderly, was discovered deceased inside her home at 144 E. Independence. The scene that greeted investigators was one of brutal violence; she had been sexually assaulted and had suffered multiple stab wounds, injuries that ultimately led to her death.
Further investigation into the timeline of events suggested that the attack on Dorothy Brown did not
occur on the day her body was found. Authorities believe the assault took place several days earlier, sometime between the evening hours of 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. on July 6th. The circumstances of the crime have led to the belief that she may have been followed home from a trip to the grocery store. Clues left at the scene, such as a lawnmower still outside and a coffee cup on the kitchen table, painted a picture of a life abruptly and violently interrupted. An overturned table and her glasses found on the floor pointed to a struggle before her death.
Decades have passed since Dorothy Brown's tragic murder, and the case has grown cold, remaining Tulsa's oldest unsolved homicide. Despite the passage of time, law enforcement has not closed the book on this case, and it remains an open investigation with the Tulsa Police Department's Cold Case Unit. Her great-granddaughter has publicly appealed for anyone with information to come forward, holding onto the hope that justice may one day be served for Dorothy. To this day, no arrests have been made, and no suspects have been publicly identified in connection with this devastating crime.
