In what should have been the quiet comfort of their own home, 66-year-old Joseph Gary Spence and his wife, Beverly Jane Spence, 65, were found shot to death in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on March 2, 2020. The tragic discovery was made after police found the couple's car abandoned nearby with the engine still running and two rifles inside. This finding prompted a welfare check at their residence, leading to the grim scene.
The investigation into the double homicide quickly focused on a suspect
close to home: their own son, Bryan Spence. Investigators learned that Bryan, who lived in Stillwater, owed his parents a significant amount of money and had arranged to visit them the day before their bodies were discovered to pay them back. Although he initially denied being in Tulsa on the day of the murders, his claims were contradicted by video surveillance from the neighborhood.
The evidence mounted against Bryan Spence, who was charged with two counts of first-degree murder. Authorities alleged that he had not only shot his parents but had also attempted to stage the crime scene to appear as if it were a burglary. Bryan Spence was arrested and held on a $1 million bond. He later entered a guilty plea and was sentenced to life in prison for the murders of his parents.
The community was left to mourn the loss of Joseph and Beverly Spence, who were remembered as 'truly wonderful people' and 'faithful servants' deeply involved in their church, Cornerstone Church in Tulsa. Friends and fellow church members described them as a committed, servant-hearted couple who were always ready to help anyone in need. Their violent deaths at the hands of their son sent shockwaves through their community, leaving a legacy of love and service overshadowed by a tragic familial betrayal.
