In the spring of 1979, a man named Russell E. Lewis, Jr. found himself in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on a temporary work assignment from his home in St. Louis, Missouri. On the evening of April 26th, after finishing his work for the day, he set out to get some dinner. In a tragic turn of events, this routine act would be his last. Lewis was confronted by a man who carjacked him and then brutally shot him in the head with a stolen revolver.
His body was later discovered discarded down an embankment near a local park.
The investigation into the murder quickly uncovered a story of desperation and a violent crime spree. The perpetrator was identified as Charles Troy Coleman, an ex-convict who had recently escaped from the Muskogee County Jail. Coleman had been incarcerated on first-degree murder charges for the deaths of another couple. Just days before his deadly encounter with Lewis, Coleman had managed to break out of jail by climbing through a hole in the roof. After his escape, he made his way to Tulsa, where his path tragically crossed with Russell E. Lewis, Jr.
Following an intense manhunt, Charles Troy Coleman was eventually apprehended in Arizona, bringing his violent rampage to an end. He was extradited back to Oklahoma to face justice for his numerous crimes. Coleman was ultimately convicted for the murder of Russell E. Lewis, Jr., along with the other murders and violent assaults he had committed. For his heinous actions, he received the death penalty and was sent to the state penitentiary in McAlester to await his execution. The case also led to a notable legal battle concerning workers' compensation for Lewis's estate, which was ultimately decided by the Oklahoma Supreme Court in favor of his family.
