On the morning of August 1, 2019, 48-year-old Jerry Dale Tapp was found deceased in the front yard of his home near Jay, Oklahoma. Born in Claremore, Oklahoma, Tapp had been shot multiple times. His girlfriend was also wounded in the attack, sustaining a gunshot to her arm. The Delaware County Sheriff's Office responded to the scene after receiving a 911 call about the shooting.
The investigation that followed would uncover a meticulously planned act of retaliation.
Investigators learned that the shooting was rooted in a 2015 incident where Tapp had fired a shotgun into a vehicle, injuring a juvenile girl. This earlier event led to a desire for revenge from the girl's family. Law enforcement identified three suspects in Tapp's murder: James William Buzzard, and his two sons, Cody Dwayne Buzzard and Dakota Chase Buzzard. The investigation revealed that on the day of the murder, the three men drove to Tapp's residence, parked their car up the road, and waited for him to return from work. After Tapp arrived and exited his vehicle, they ambushed him.
The investigation, a collaborative effort between the Delaware County Sheriff's Office, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the FBI, led to the arrest of all three men. Shell casings found at the scene matched a rifle that was later located. Social media posts made by Cody Buzzard prior to the incident indicated an intent to 'take care of a problem.'
Ultimately, all three men were brought to justice for their roles in Jerry Tapp's death. James William Buzzard was convicted of first-degree murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, and a firearm charge. Cody Dwayne Buzzard pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and a firearm charge, receiving a 25-year prison sentence. Dakota Chase Buzzard pleaded guilty to conspiracy to carry and use a firearm during a crime of violence, resulting in a six-and-a-half-year prison sentence. The convictions brought a close to the case, officially holding the three men responsible for the planned and retaliatory killing of Jerry Tapp.
