Police investigating homicide after landlord tips TPD to tenant's decomposing body

TULSA - Detectives are investigating a the city's 17th homicide of the year, this time in west Tulsa.

Homicide detectives were called around 10 a.m. Thursday to the home in the 4500 block of West 5th Street just north of Charles Page Boulevard.

Police say the victim, believed to be 54-year-old Robert Sampson, was reported missing March 6 when the residence's landlord began to question the tenant's whereabouts. After going to look for the victim, the landlord reportedly found blood on the floor of the home. 

Along with finding a "badly decomposed" body, officers says they recovered "a substantial amount of evidence" to suggest foul play.

"At this point, it's in the advanced stage of decomposition so we're awaiting a positive identification from the medical examiner's office," said TPD Cpl. Joe Campbell.

Homicide detective Sgt. Dave Walker also said it looked like someone had tried to clean up the blood. 

Walker said early Friday morning police and investigators with the Northern Oklahoma Violent Crimes Task Force spent the night locating the last people to see Sampson alive.

Right now Sampson's midnight blue 1998 Ford Explorer is missing.  It has an Oklahoma tag of 972 DYN.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (918) 596-COPS, text TIP918 to CRIMES or email homicide@cityoftulsa.org .