Elderly woman dies after home invasion; 1 suspect arrested for murder

TULSA - The elderly victim in Tuesday night's home invasion assault has died from her injuries.

Eighty-five-year-old Nancy Strait died around 7:30 p.m. Thursday.

Police have arrested 19-year-old Tyrone Woodfork for the murder of Strait. He is being held in the Tulsa County Jail on complaints of first-degree murder, first-degree burglary, armed robbery and assault with a dangerous weawpon.

Woodfork is being held without bond.

On Thursday, police questioned four individuals, zeroing in on Woodfork as the prime suspect and driver in the crime.

Nancy Strait and her 90-year-old husband, Bob, were found in their home around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, brutally beaten and left for dead in their north Tulsa home.

Police say the Straits were last seen Tuesday evening. The couple's daughter and granddaughter noticed their vehicle was missing from the driveway Wednesday. They then saw the door had been kicked in.

"They found the front door was kicked in. The elderly man and women had been beaten severely. Property was taken from the house and the car was stolen from the driveway," said Tulsa police Capt. Dave Roberts.

Police found the stolen vehicle around 1:30 Thursday afternoon in the 5700 block of East Easton after a private citizen recognized the car.

"A citizen from some news report spotted the car going down the street, called 911, got the dispatcher, they dispatched the car to the location where the car was last seen," said Sgt. Dave Walker.

Three men and a woman were in the vehicle and walked into an Easton residence.  Police then surrounded the house and took the four in for questioning.

TPD Spokesperson Officer Jason Willingham says investigators believe the Straits were randomly targeted.

"This was a cruel, cruel crime. These guys are, one word to describe them is evil," said Willingham. "Clearly to be able to do the things they did to these two victims, it's just hard to put it in to words."

Bob Strait has since been released from the hospital.

The family has set up a trust through Arvest Bank called the Nancy Strait and Bob Strait Support Trust.