On a Friday morning in August 2015, the beloved owner of a west Tulsa hamburger joint, James Cecil Coulson, Jr., was found deceased inside his restaurant. Known affectionately as Jim by his employees and the community, the 65-year-old man had been a fixture at Ted's Hamburgers, a popular eatery he owned and operated. Employees arriving for their shift on August 7th made the grim discovery, initiating a homicide investigation into the death of their boss, who they considered more of a friend.
Investigators began piecing together the events that led to the death of the lifelong Tulsa resident. Coulson, a man known to be a light-hearted prankster to his staff, had just returned from a trip. Friends mentioned that he often carried significant amounts of cash, as he was wary of banks. Police believed the motive for the attack was robbery. While initial reports indicated that Coulson had been stabbed, authorities later stated he was likely shot. The case became the city's 39th homicide of the year.
The investigation continued for several months until a break in the case came in early 2016. Authorities announced they had charged a suspect already in jail on unrelated matters. Alcon Sanders, 32, was identified as the man responsible for Coulson's death and was charged with first-degree murder. Investigators noted that they believed Sanders had not acted alone in the fatal robbery but did not have enough information to identify other potential suspects.
