In the quiet town of Atoka, Oklahoma, a tragedy unfolded on the night of March 25, 2015, forever altering the lives of two families. Kathryn Lucille Baker Benson Banks, a 53-year-old woman, was found deceased from gunshot wounds at her place of employment, the Sanford Oil Company terminal. Alongside her was 49-year-old Kent Houchen, a truck driver, who had also been fatally shot.
The grim discovery launched an investigation by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation that would soon unravel a story of domestic turmoil.
The focus of the investigation quickly turned to Kathryn's estranged husband, 64-year-old Sherman Banks. The couple had been going through a divorce, and court records revealed a history of conflict, with both Kathryn and Sherman having recently filed protective orders against one another. This history of domestic strife provided a somber backdrop to the violent events that had transpired.
The investigation concluded that Sherman Banks was the perpetrator of the double homicide. After fatally shooting Kathryn and Kent Houchen, Sherman Banks returned to his home, where he was later found deceased from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Information provided by witnesses and family members, including a reported conversation Sherman Banks had with his grandchild prior to taking his own life, helped investigators piece together the sequence of events.
The community was left to mourn the loss of Kathryn Banks and Kent Houchen. Kathryn, known as Lucille to her friends and family, was remembered as a dedicated member of the Stringtown Baptist Church. The tragic end to her life, and that of Kent Houchen, served as a heartbreaking reminder of the devastating consequences of domestic violence. With the suspect deceased, the case was closed, leaving a community to grapple with the senseless loss.
