In the winter of 1985, a dedicated officer's life was tragically cut short in Oklahoma City. Detective Gary Lee Ward, a 45-year-old man and a 14-year veteran of the Oklahoma City Police Department, was killed on the evening of February 2nd. That night, he was filling in for his ill brother-in-law, working an off-duty security detail at the Holiday Inn on NW 39th Expressway.
It was a decision that would have fatal consequences.
While on duty, Detective Ward identified a man attempting to steal a television from the hotel. He courageously moved to apprehend the suspect, leading to a physical struggle in the motel's courtyard. In the ensuing chaos, the suspect, identified as Alvin Parker, managed to gain control of Detective Ward's service revolver. Parker then used the officer's own weapon against him, firing the fatal shots that ended Detective Ward's life. The suspect immediately fled the scene, leaving the fallen officer behind.
Following an intensive investigation, Alvin Parker was apprehended several days after the murder. He was subsequently charged and stood trial for the death of Detective Ward. The legal process that followed was lengthy and complex. Initially convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison, Parker was later granted a new trial in 1989 due to inflammatory and prejudicial statements made by the district attorney during the first trial. At his second trial, Parker was convicted of the lesser charge of second-degree murder and received a sentence of 199 years in prison. Years later, in a significant turn of events, the case was revisited when a key witness recanted their testimony, leading to a federal appeals court ruling in 2013 that Parker could be entitled to a third trial.
