In the summer of 1978, a young woman's life was tragically cut short in an act of brutal violence that shocked Oklahoma City. Terri Michele Horst, a 16-year-old Caucasian female, was working at the Sirloin Stockade restaurant on the evening of July 16th. What began as a typical night of work descended into a horrific ordeal when three individuals entered the establishment with the intent to rob it.
This event, which would become known as the Sirloin Stockade murders, resulted in the deaths of six people, including Terri.
The perpetrators were identified as Roger Dale Stafford, his wife Verna Stafford, and his brother Harold Stafford. After forcing the employees and the manager into the restaurant's freezer, they proceeded to open fire. Terri Horst was found with gunshot wounds to her head and chest. In a testament to her will to live, she was the only victim still alive when emergency services arrived. She was rushed to Oklahoma Children's Memorial Hospital, but tragically succumbed to her injuries before she could reach the operating room.
The investigation into the senseless massacre revealed a pattern of violent crimes committed by the Stafford trio. Less than a month prior to the Sirloin Stockade murders, they were responsible for the deaths of a family in North Dakota. Their crime spree came to an end after Roger Dale Stafford, in a drunken state, contacted the police and implicated his wife and brother in the murders. This led to the arrests of Roger and Verna in early 1979.
Justice was eventually served for the heinous crimes committed. Roger Dale Stafford was sentenced to death and, after numerous appeals, was executed on July 1, 1995. Verna Stafford received two consecutive life sentences for her role in the murders. Harold Stafford, the third accomplice, died in a motorcycle accident shortly after the killings, an event some speculate may have been a suicide. The brutal and senseless nature of the Sirloin Stockade murders left a lasting scar on the community of Oklahoma City and stands as a grim reminder of the lives lost, including that of young Terri Horst.
