Former OSBI Agent Recalls Lorenz Family, Sirloin Stockade Murder Investigation
Former Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation agent Arthur Linville helped coordinate the investigation into two 1978 Oklahoma murder cases that ultimately were linked to Roger Dale Stafford, Roger’s wife, Verna Stafford, and Roger’s brother, Harold Stafford. The cases involved the June 22, 1978, murders of the Lorenz family along Interstate 35 near Purcell and the July 16, 1978, killings of six employees at a Sirloin Stockade restaurant in Oklahoma City. Oklahoma court records establish that the Staffords were involved in both episodes. Related Story: State Senate Pro Tem opposes parole for woman connected to the 1978 Sirloin Stockade murders Linville, now 81, said the investigation remains one of the defining cases of his career. He sat down with Oklahoma’s Own, Haley Hetrick, to discuss the case. Key Takeaways - Former OSBI agent Arthur Linville helped coordinate the investigation into the June 22, 1978, Lorenz family murders and July 16, 1978, Sirloin Stockade killings in Oklahoma. - Court records establish that Verna Stafford participated with Roger Dale Stafford and Harold Stafford in both murders and was convicted in connection with the deaths of Linda Lorenz and Terry Horst. - Stafford was resentenced to two consecutive life terms, and recent reporting said she also received an additional 999 years. - Stafford passed the first stage of the Oklahoma parole process in 2026, with a hearing expected in August. Linville’s connection to the case Linville was an OSBI agent in the 1970s. In 1978, he was attending the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia, when the murders occurred. After returning to Oklahoma in October, Linville said he was assigned to help lead the investigation into the Lorenz killings and their possible connection to the Sirloin Stockade murders. “I returned to Oklahoma City after I graduated from the Academy in the first week in October of 1978. And to my surprise, the OSBI decided to create a task force to investigate, further investigate, the Lorenz case and by extension the stockade. And also, to my surprise, I was named as the agent in charge of that task force,” said Linville He said the details of the case became “indelibly imprinted” in his mind. “You don’t forget those things,” said Linville. What happened to the Lorenz family? On June 22, 1978, Sergeant Melvin Lorenz, his wife Linda, and their 12-year-old son were killed along Interstate 35 near Purcell. According to the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals, Verna Stafford attempted to flag down passing motorists while Roger Dale Stafford and Harold Stafford waited nearby. When the Lorenz family stopped, Roger Stafford demanded money from Sergeant Lorenz and then shot him. Linda Lorenz ran toward the three of them after hearing the gunfire and was also shot. The family’s child was killed inside the camper. “Mr. Lorenz was a firearms instructor with the Air Force. He and his wife were both Air Force sergeants stationed in San Antonio,” said Linville. The court record says the three later moved the bodies and left the area in the Lorenz family’s pickup. The Sirloin Stockade murders Twenty-four days later, on July 16, 1978, six employees of the Sirloin Stockade restaurant in South Oklahoma City were killed. Court records say Roger, Verna and Harold Stafford entered the restaurant during a robbery, forced employees into a walk-in freezer, and opened fire. The victims ranged in age from 15 to 56. The victims were: - Terri Horst - David Salsman - David Lindsey - Anthony Tew - Louis Zacarias - Isaac Freeman What Linville says about Verna Stafford’s role The extent of Verna Stafford’s involvement has remained a point of debate. Former Oklahoma County District Attorney Andy Coats, who prosecuted the case, later said Stafford’s participation was minimal and that her cooperation warranted consideration in her sentence. Linville strongly disagrees. It was the polar opposite of minimal. It was very significant. “Andy Coats, who was the district attorney at the time, who prosecuted Stafford, Roger Stafford, on the Sirloin Stockade case, who’s a very honorable man. I have the utmost respect for him,” said Linville. “He was quoted as saying one of the reasons he felt she should be paroled is that her, Verna Stafford’s, level of involvement in those murders was minimal. I was stunned. Just absolutely stunned. I’ve interviewed Verna Stafford and spoken to her during the three or four months, both trials, probably more than anyone alive at this time. It’s been 50, 48 years since it happened. And so I know that her involvement was not minimal. It was the polar opposite of minimal. It was very significant. According to Linville, Stafford suggested using a female decoy to persuade motorists to stop for the group. He also said she admitted to striking Linda Lorenz after her husband was shot and helping move the bodies. Court records independently establish that Verna Stafford participated in the Lorenz killings and the Sirloin Stockade murders. She ultimately pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder involving Linda Lorenz and Terry Horst. Did Verna Stafford shoot a victim? Linville said Stafford told him she personally shot Terry Horst, a 15-year-old Sirloin Stockade employee. He said Stafford described the shooting as a form of disconnected revenge. “I asked Verna, did you shoot anyone? ‘Yes.’ Who did you shoot? ‘The girl,’” said Linville. “I asked Verna, why did you shoot the girl? And she made some bizarre remark about, ‘well, I was thinking of all the girls that Roger cheated on me with. And she could have taken Roger away from me.’ Just bizarre idiocy. What happened to the Staffords? Harold Stafford died in a motorcycle crash in Tulsa six days after the Sirloin Stockade murders. Investigators eventually located Verna Stafford in Chicago. Roger Dale Stafford was later arrested and prosecuted for the nine Oklahoma murders. Roger Stafford was convicted of the three Lorenz murders and the six Sirloin Stockade murders and was sentenced to death. He was executed in Oklahoma in 1995. Verna Stafford pleaded guilty to two second-degree murder counts. Her original sentences were later vacated, and she was re-sentenced to two consecutive life terms. Stafford’s parole case Stafford remains incarcerated and has applied for parole multiple times. In June 2026, the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board confirmed that Stafford had passed the first stage of the parole process. The Pardon and Parole Board heard from victims’ family members and the district attorney on Monday. The vote on her stage II parole request is expected to occur around 10:45 am on Tuesday, Aug. 11. If the PPB recommends parole and the Governor grants parole, then she would move to her second life sentence and be eligible for parole on that case in 15 years. The Sirloin Stockade case is the one before the board this week. The other case is the killing of the Lorenz family, for which she was sentenced to a consecutive life sentence. Linville said he’s uncertain what will happen and is worried that giving Stafford parole for one sentence could eventually lead to another appeal. “I would anticipate that if she is granted parole on the first life sentence, it won’t take long for her attorneys to petition for a second parole for the second life sentence. And given the fact that she’s been in prison since 1980, I see the possibility that if she were given parole at that time, she would walk. But I don’t know the likelihood of that happening. I just know that I strongly oppose her parole at this time because of her massive participation in both of those murders, as I’ve described,” he said. Senate President Pro Tempore Lonnie Paxton has also publicly opposed Stafford’s release. —- We used AI tools to help with spelling and formatting this story. A human journalist reviewed everything before publication.
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