In the fall of 2017, a night out at a local eatery in east Tulsa ended in tragedy for Jose Luis Cordova. The 36-year-old man was in the parking lot of Taco Don Francisco's, located near 21st and South Memorial, when violence erupted. In what was later described by authorities as an attempted armed robbery, Cordova was fatally shot. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, but tragically, he succumbed to his injuries.
The incident marked the 76th homicide in Tulsa for the year.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, investigators were searching for a suspect who had fled the scene. The primary lead for the Tulsa Police Department was a medium-sized, light-colored car, possibly an Infinity, that was seen leaving the area. Detectives began the arduous task of piecing together the events of that night, appealing to the public for any information that might lead to an arrest. The motive, from the outset, appeared to be a robbery that had taken a deadly turn.
The investigation eventually led to a breakthrough with the identification of a suspect, Larry Jones. Following his arrest, the case against him moved through the legal system. In April 2019, Jones pleaded guilty to the shooting death of Jose Luis Cordova. As a result of his guilty plea, he was sentenced to 35 years in prison, bringing a measure of closure to a case that began with a senseless act of violence in a restaurant parking lot.
