On a tragic summer evening in Oklahoma City, 16-year-old David Salsman, a male employee at the Sirloin Stockade restaurant, lost his life in a senseless act of violence. On July 16, 1978, what began as a routine closing shift descended into a horrific ordeal when three individuals entered the restaurant with the intent to rob it. David, along with five of his co-workers, was herded into the meat freezer, where they were all shot.
This brutal event, which claimed the lives of six people, would come to be known as the Sirloin Stockade murders.
The perpetrators were identified as Roger Dale Stafford, his wife Verna Stafford, and his brother, Harold Stafford. The trio had been on a crime spree, and the robbery of the Sirloin Stockade was one of their violent acts. After forcing the employees into the freezer, they opened fire, ending the lives of David Salsman and his colleagues: David Lindsey, 17; Anthony Tew, 17; Terri Horst, 15; Louis Zacarias, 43; and Isaac Freeman, 56. The robbery netted the perpetrators approximately $1,200.
The investigation into the gruesome murders took a bizarre turn that ultimately led to the capture of those responsible. In a drunken state, Roger Dale Stafford himself made an anonymous phone call to the police, implicating his wife and brother in the crime. This crucial tip led investigators to Verna Stafford, who was arrested in Chicago. She subsequently testified against her husband, providing a detailed account of their crimes. Harold Stafford was never brought to justice, as he died in a motorcycle accident shortly after the murders. Roger Dale Stafford was convicted of the Sirloin Stockade murders and sentenced to death. He maintained his innocence but was executed by lethal injection on July 1, 1995. Verna Stafford was sentenced to life in prison for her role in the crimes.
