TULSA, Okla. — A Tulsa family is seeking justice nearly two decades after Walter and Grace Brown were brutally murdered in their home, an unsolved case that haunts their neighborhood.
The elderly couple was found tortured to death in their Atlanta Avenue house in April 2006.
WATCH: Oklahoma's Cold Case Files: Walter & Grace Brown
Tulsa police have not identified their killer or killers.
The facts of this case are incredibly gruesome. Tulsa police said someone tied the couple up inside their home and tortured them to death.
Detective Jason White believes this wasn't a random act of violence, "We believe that the killer or killers certainly spent some time inside of that residence because of just the sheer brutality that was inflicted on both of the victims."
Dillina Allen lived just a few doors down from the Browns in 2006 and vividly remembers that April morning.
"When I saw them in the morning, they were both sitting on their porch, which was something they did every morning," Allen said.
She recalled the moment she learned of their deaths.
"We had came home from school and saw that his weed eater was in the yard and we just kind of said oh that's a little odd... we got ready for church and she came outside and that's when the cops were there and then someone came walking by and my mom flagged them down and the detective told my mom that they had been murdered," Allen said.
The community loved the Browns, who were known for their generous hearts and quiet kindness.
"They were the type of people who would give anything to anyone. They weren't loud or boisterous about anything they had, and they didn't have a lot, so we were just thinking who could have done it, and why?" Allen said.
Detective White said the department received funding from the Tulsa Police Foundation for new technology that could help reexamine old evidence. However, viable tips remain scarce.
"As far as where the case is at today, unfortunately, we haven't really gotten any tips that really prove to be viable tips for us," White said.
Investigators continue to appeal for community assistance in solving this cold case.
"This is a case that is a horrific, horrific double murder, and for the individuals or individual who is responsible for this to still be out there, I would find it hard to believe that somebody hasn't heard something over these many years, and that's considering that the killer is still alive. Who knows?" White said.
For Allen, who has never forgotten her neighbors, there's only one acceptable outcome, "Whoever it is, I hope they are brought to justice in my lifetime."
White emphasized the importance of keeping this case in the public eye.
"I'm glad that you're doing this case because this is one of those cases that needs to be talked about," White said.
Anyone with information about the murders of Walter and Grace Brown is urged to contact Tulsa Crime Stoppers at 918-596-COPS.
"This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy."
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