In the quiet of a Memorial Day in 2005, a brutal act of violence shattered the lives of four individuals in Oklahoma City. Among them was Amy Jeanne Wright, a 26-year-old female, whose life was tragically cut short in a hail of bullets. The events of that day would unravel a story of misplaced revenge, family influence, and the devastating consequences of a thirst for vengeance.
The scene of the crime was a mobile home, where Amy was with three other people: James 'Donnie' Swindle Jr., age 49, James D. Alderson Jr., age 57, and Terry Smith, age 56.
The tranquility of their gathering was abruptly ended by a 'blitz attack' carried out by a group of men armed with assault rifles. In the ensuing chaos, Amy and the others were mercilessly gunned down. It was later revealed that Amy was shot in the back as she attempted to flee the horrific scene. The attackers fired nearly 100 rounds, leaving a scene of devastation and taking four lives in a matter of moments. The motive behind this senseless act of violence was a misguided belief held by the orchestrator of the attack, Earl 'Brad' Postelle. He had been seriously injured in a motorcycle accident and had convinced his sons that Donnie Swindle was to blame, despite a lack of evidence.
The investigation into the quadruple homicide led to the identification and arrest of several suspects. The primary shooter was identified as Gilbert Ray Postelle, who was 19 at the time of the murders. He was accompanied by his brother, David Bradford Postelle, and another man named Randal Wade Byus. Their father, Brad Postelle, was determined to be the instigator of the attack, driven by his desire for revenge. The subsequent legal proceedings saw Gilbert Postelle convicted on four counts of first-degree murder. He was sentenced to death for the killings of Amy Wright and James Alderson, and to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the deaths of Donnie Swindle and Terry Smith. His brother, David Postelle, also received a sentence of life in prison. Randal Wade Byus, in exchange for his testimony against the others, received a lesser sentence. Brad Postelle, the man whose mistaken belief set the tragic events in motion, was found incompetent to stand trial and later passed away. Gilbert Postelle was executed by lethal injection in February 2022.
