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Oklahoma Cold Case Files: Khyre Campbell

Khyre Campbell
Posted at 7:35 PM, Dec 21, 2023
and last updated 2023-12-21 23:38:05-05

TULSA, Okla. — The skull of a Tulsa teenager was discovered in 2013 just months after he went missing. However, police said the killer or killers are still on the run.

Johnny Hubbard said he will never forget the phone call that ripped his heart into a thousand pieces.

"That phone call kind of turned my life upside down," Hubbard said.

It's December 29th, 2012 and Tulsa police said it was the last day Hubbard's son, 18-year-old Khyre Campbell, was seen alive.

2 News spoke with TPD officer Danny Bean about the case.

"We know from his family members that he was at an apartment of his family member at around 2400 S. Jackson area. He told them he was going to go across the street and meet some people and see some friends," said Bean.

But Khyre never returned. This left his family desperate for answers.

"The day itself is a blur. Because like I said every day after that it seems like I took every minute searching and looking and knocking on doors, putting out flyers and getting everybody, I could get in on it."

Fast forward to September of 2013, a grisly discovery is made in a wooded area of north Tulsa.

Police said some children playing here in a wooded area near Gilcrease Hills found a human skull. The medical examiner later determined it was Khyre Campbell.

It wasn't just a skull that was found, investigators also recovered some bones. Khyre's step-mom Deonna Williams hopes the killer will be identified.

"They didn't get everything, but I'm a believer that the area is not common. You can't just go drop somebody off over there. Whoever did this knows that area or may have family in that area," said Williams.

The family said putting Khyre to rest brought partial closure but still his murder leaves many questions.

"I was hoping not, but hoping yes, so we could get some type of closure. I think we are at peace that he is gone, but still active at the way he was gone or whoever did it is still out here chilling living their best life, while we're over here still trying to put the pieces together."

The medical examiner determined that Khyre Campbell died from a gunshot wound.

"Whoever shot him in the back of the head, it was somebody he trusted," Hubbard said. "He didn't trust very easy."

Officers said they don't know why someone would kill Campbell but that they were familiar with him.

"Reporter says, do you think this may have been and forgive me for asking, but gang-related, or drug-related in some way? He says in some way, I'm pretty sure it was related you know kind of gang-related," Hubbard said.

"He kept telling me he wasn't involved in gangs but the people he ran around with was in certain gangs. And maybe they did something and was trying to shut Khyre up."

No matter what he was possibly involved with at the time of his death his family said their quest for justice will never stop.

"We definitely want to get the justice that he deserves whether he did something wrong or not. He still deserves justice."

If you have any information about the death of Khyre Campbell, you can contact Tulsa Crime Stoppers at (918) 596-COPS

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