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Jimmy Cockrell

Case from Colfax, OK dated Jun 27, 1977

Victim Details

Jimmy Cockrell

Male

Colfax

OK

1977-06-27

38

Jimmy

Cockrell

07/03/2026

Case Description

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In the summer of 1977, a chance encounter on a wooded road near Colfax, Louisiana, ended the life of 38-year-old Jimmy Cockrell. On June 28th of that year, Cockrell was with his motorcycle when he crossed paths with two men who were in the midst of a violent crime spree. Those men were Paul Ruiz and Earl Van Denton, fugitives who had recently escaped from the Oklahoma State Penitentiary.

Ruiz and Denton had a history of violent crime and their escape on June 23, 1977, marked the beginning ...
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Links to Additional Sources (3)

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  • Encyclopedia of Arkansas: Encyclopedia of Arkansas
  • Ruiz, Denton Seek to Overturn Convictions - The Oklahoman
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    Forum Posts (2)

    I've been reading up on the case of Jimmy Cockrell, and I can't help but think about the utterly ter... ...Read More
    10/22/2023
    I recently stumbled across some old newspaper clippings about Jimmy Cockrell, and one detail really ... ...Read More
    04/18/2023
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