On the afternoon of June 23, 2018, Terry Scott Roach, a 48-year-old White/Caucasian man, was fatally shot in Norman, Oklahoma, in a violent incident that led to the arrest of a woman with whom he had previously been involved in a relationship. The shooting occurred in a residential neighborhood just north of the University of Oklahoma campus, turning an otherwise ordinary Saturday afternoon into the scene of a homicide investigation.
At approximately 3:45 p.m., officers with the Norman
Police Department responded to reports of gunfire in the 600 block of North University Boulevard, near Nebraska Street and Iowa Street. When officers arrived, they discovered Roach lying in the front yard of a residence, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. His injuries were severe, and emergency responders transported him to a nearby hospital for treatment. Despite efforts to save his life, Roach succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the hospital.
As investigators began examining the circumstances surrounding the shooting, their attention turned to 47-year-old Stacey Zimmerman, a Norman woman who had reportedly been in a previous relationship with Roach. During their initial investigation, police spoke with Zimmerman, who acknowledged having been involved in the incident. Authorities subsequently identified her as the suspect in Roach's death and took her into custody.
Zimmerman was arrested on June 23, 2018, and transported to the F. Dewayne Beggs Detention Center in Cleveland County. She was booked on a complaint of second-degree murder in connection with the fatal shooting. Investigators confirmed that Zimmerman and Roach had shared a personal relationship before the incident, although authorities did not publicly elaborate on the circumstances of their separation or what might have contributed to the deadly confrontation.
The nature of their previous relationship became an important detail in the investigation, but the precise events leading up to the shooting were not fully explained in the initial public reports. Authorities did not disclose whether an argument had occurred immediately beforehand, what prompted the gunfire, or whether there had been earlier confrontations between the two individuals. Investigators also did not publicly establish a specific motive in the available reporting.
Following Zimmerman's arrest, the Norman Police Department indicated that no additional suspects were being sought in connection with Roach's death. Detectives continued investigating the circumstances of the shooting and encouraged anyone with relevant information who had not already spoken with investigators to contact the department. The arrest established an immediate suspect in the case, although the allegation of second-degree murder remained subject to the criminal justice process.
While Zimmerman's arrest and the initial second-degree murder allegation were publicly documented, the available reporting does not establish whether prosecutors subsequently filed formal charges, whether the case proceeded to trial, or whether Zimmerman entered a plea. No verified conviction, acquittal, dismissal, or sentencing outcome could be established from the available public information. Consequently, her arrest should not be interpreted as proof of criminal guilt or as confirmation that a conviction was obtained.
Roach's death marked the sudden and violent end of his life in a neighborhood close to one of Norman's most recognizable landmarks. What began as an emergency response to reports of a shooting became a homicide investigation involving two people who had once shared a personal relationship. Although police quickly made an arrest, the publicly documented circumstances leave unanswered questions about what happened immediately before the gunfire and how the case ultimately progressed through the courts.
