In the early hours of a Tuesday in November 2014, the quiet of a Sapulpa, Oklahoma industrial park was broken by a grim discovery. A trash truck driver, going about his usual route, happened upon a stopped car and, lying on the ground beside it, the body of Paul Anthony Stallings. A 25-year-old Black/African American man from nearby Tulsa, Stallings had been fatally shot.
The discovery on November 25th marked the second homicide of the year for the town of Sapulpa and launched an investigation into a killing that would leave a family grieving and a community searching for answers.
The Sapulpa Police Department, with assistance from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, immediately began piecing together the last moments of the young man's life. Stallings' body was sent to the state medical examiner's office to officially determine the cause of death, which was confirmed to be from gunshot wounds. Investigators canvassed the area for evidence and sought out potential witnesses, hoping for a lead that would point them in the direction of who was responsible for this violent act.
Despite their efforts, the investigation into Paul Anthony Stallings' death faced significant challenges. In the initial reports following the discovery of his body, details about any potential suspects or arrests were not forthcoming. The police urged the public to come forward with any information, no matter how insignificant it might seem, that could help them solve the case. As time passed, however, the trail appeared to grow cold, and updates on the investigation ceased to be publicly available. The tragic death of Paul Stallings remains an unsolved homicide, a painful reminder of a life cut short and a case still waiting for justice.
