OK OK - Mary Eulola Harrison, 63, killed 1/8/1977 in a rural area of NE Kingfisher, serial killers falsely took credit for the murder

[PommyMommy]

Oklahoma nonprofit names 2025 cold case of the year

An Oklahoma nonprofit is working to solve a cold case that dates back to 1977 after serial killers falsely took credit for the murder.

www.koco.com

Oklahoma Cold Cases has named the case of Mary Eulola Harrison as their 2025 Case of the Year in hopes of getting it solved.

“From what we know, the house was ransacked, it looked like maybe somebody was looking for something,” said Kaylyn Reeve, research and media coordinator for Oklahoma Cold Cases.

 

[doublestop]

I'm looking through articles on Newspapers.com, which I don't think I can link here because they are behind a paywall. In summary, though, Mary (nee Hoshall) was widowed young (her husband died at just 38) and was living northwest of Kingfisher when she was stabbed to death and her house ransacked. The sheriff described as a brutal killing with overkill. Henry Lee Lucas eventually confessed (as he often did, whether he killed the person or not) but the charges were eventually dropped. Both of Mary's daughters are now also deceased. There is not a lot of info out there on the case.

 

[PommyMommy]

AUG 1, 1984

Search continues for missing Huntsville realtor

The family of a missing Huntsville realtor is asking for help from the community in the form of tips and help on the search.

www.waff.com

• Mrs. Harrison's body was discovered Jan. 8, 1977, in her ransacked house. She had been stabbed.
• Sheriff Coye Barker spoke with Henry Lee Lucas at his prison cell in Georgetown, TX where he was facing the death penalty. The Sheriff said, "I've got a confession."
• Lucas, who admitted he and companion Ottis Elwood Toole were involved in a killing spree that claimed more than 300 lives, added Mary Eulola Harrison to his list of victims, Barker said.
• Of 14 murders in the 15 1/2 years he has served as sheriff, this one ranked as being the most brutal.
• Barker didn't link Lucas with Mary's murder when he was arrested but recalled a woman's statement that she had been raped off I-35 near Guthrie on Jan. 11, 1977, three days after Mary's murder.
• Lucas claimed he had been in the Oklahoma City area in early January 1977.
• The instances were close enough, Barker said, to link Lucas and Toole, who admitted they earned money by burglarizing houses and selling things at flea markets.
• Barker sent some family pictures of Mary to Texas.
• After seeing the pictures, Lucas told Texas Ranger Clayton Smith that Mary was one of his victims, and Texas authorities arranged another interview for Barker with Lucas.
• At that time, Lucas wrote a statement. "The things that he told us he remembered of it jived with what took place," said Barker.

Archive ID: 197043

 

[PommyMommy]

SEP 10, 1991

Murder charges dropped

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - A Kingfisher County prosecutor has

tulsaworld.com

***Paywalled***

• A Kingfisher County prosecutor dropped the murder charge against Henry Lee Lucas.
• Prosecutors believe Lucas claimed to be a serial killer to stall his execution.
• He has since recanted many of his confessions.

Victim's Daughter Not Angry About Dropped Charge

Marjorie Harrison said Monday she holds no grudge against Kingfisher County prosecutors for dropping a murder charge against the Texas death-row inmate who has confessed to her mother's 1977 stabbing…

www.oklahoman.com

Assistant DA Gates also sent a letter to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation requesting the agency reopen its investigation into Harrison's death.

OSBI spokesman Paul Renfrow said the case was never closed.

Instead, it was given "open inactive" status.

Archive ID: 478022

 

[DS2021]

I'm looking through articles on Newspapers.com, which I don't think I can link here because they are behind a paywall. In summary, though, Mary (nee Hoshall) was widowed young (her husband died at just 38) and was living northwest of Kingfisher when she was stabbed to death and her house ransacked. The sheriff described as a brutal killing with overkill. Henry Lee Lucas eventually confessed (as he often did, whether he killed the person or not) but the charges were eventually dropped. Both of Mary's daughters are now also deceased. There is not a lot of info out there on the case.

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