In the small town of Gore, Oklahoma, a domestic dispute turned deadly, leaving a 33-year-old man, Joshua Tucker, dead and a community in search of answers. On October 26, 2017, Tucker was discovered lying in a neighbor's driveway with a single gunshot wound to his abdomen. He was airlifted to a hospital in Tulsa but ultimately succumbed to his injury.
The ensuing investigation by the Sequoyah County Sheriff's Office would slowly unravel the events of that tragic day.
Investigators initially were unsure if the shooting was self-inflicted or the result of foul play. They obtained a search warrant for Tucker's home but did not immediately find a weapon. As they delved deeper, speaking with friends and family, a picture of a man who was cautious about opening his door to strangers began to emerge, especially when his girlfriend, Elizabeth Nicole Stewart, was not home. This detail, coupled with the fact that the gunshot wound was at point-blank range, suggested Tucker likely knew his assailant.
Months later, in May 2018, the investigation culminated in the arrest of 25-year-old Elizabeth Nicole Stewart. She was taken into custody at her home in Gore and charged with first-degree murder. According to the arrest affidavit, Stewart and Tucker had been fighting over money spent on drugs, which left her without enough gas money for work. Stewart admitted to a physical altercation, stating she had slapped and hit Tucker.
Stewart's account of the night's events reportedly changed during the investigation. Gunshot residue was found on her, and a shell casing was discovered just inside the trailer door. Though a weapon was not found in the initial search, Stewart later informed deputies that her father had found a semi-automatic pistol in a tote under their trailer, a location that had been previously searched. This and other inconsistencies led authorities to focus on her as the primary suspect in the death of Joshua Tucker.
