In a quiet West Tulsa neighborhood, a woman's search for her missing cat in February 2023 led to a grim discovery that unraveled a months-old murder. Venturing into her neighbor's backyard, she stumbled upon human remains tucked away in the debris of a shed that had burned down the previous September. The victim was later identified as 55-year-old Steve Wilkins, a man whose family had been waiting for him to get in touch, unaware of the violent end he had met.
The investigation into the
discovery of Wilkins's body quickly led Tulsa Police to three suspects: Devin Scrivner, Tad Kleiner, and Michael Brummett. According to court documents, Scrivner confessed to his involvement in the killing, which he stated occurred in September 2022, around the time the shed was set ablaze to conceal the crime. He detailed a confrontation where he, Kleiner, and Brummett accused Wilkins of inappropriate contact with women in the area. This confrontation escalated dramatically, with Scrivner admitting that he and another suspect beat Wilkins, while Kleiner allegedly stomped on his head and stabbed him before the third suspect shot him and started the fire.
The revelation that Wilkins's remains lay undiscovered for nearly five months raised painful questions for his family. His brother expressed bewilderment and anger, questioning how the Tulsa Fire Department, who had responded to the shed fire in September, could have missed his brother's body in such a small area. The family's grief was compounded by the brutal nature of his death and the long period of uncertainty. All three suspects were eventually taken into custody and charged with first-degree murder.
