CRAIG COUNTY, Okla. — At the end of a quiet road in rural Craig County sits the former home of William and Leota Huls, surrounded by trees and the peaceful sounds of cicadas.
Following a devastating injury from a botched surgery in 2000, their daughter Malinda Howard says William was forced to live out his days under the constant care of her mother.
WATCH: Oklahoma's Cold Case Files: William and Leota Huls
"He was in a coma for about three weeks and when he came out he wasn't daddy anymore," Howard said.
"He had the cognitive ability of an 18-month-old."
A lawsuit against the medical facility responsible for William's extreme cognitive decline allowed Leota to adapt their home to his needs.
But eight years later, agents with the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation say their peaceful living conditions were shattered in November 2008 when someone came into their home and shot and killed them both.
"He wasn't in the condition to where he would have been able to identify his attacker and so that was one of the things that made it difficult and Leota was there as his caretaker," said OSBI Agent Tammy Ferrari.
It's a case that still haunts Ferrari to this day.
"It struck me and I don't even know and I can't even describe the emotion that I felt when I read it. As soon as I picked up this case I was like, I want to work this case and I want to figure out what happened," Ferrari said.
Howard describes frantically calling the family ranch hand to check on her parents that morning when they didn't show up for church.
"He went over to check on them and he said you just need to come over," Howard said.
"They wouldn't let me in and then he said they're gone. I said she's gone? He said no, they're gone and I collapsed."
Her father was discovered at the breakfast table and her mother was found in a bedroom. Both had been shot in the head.
"They were found in separate rooms which right there was a red flag," Howard said.
"She let the person in. She knew the person."
While there was some DNA and articles of evidence at the scene, agents with OSBI are looking for a very specific weapon in this case.
"It's a Smith and Wesson SW9. We've talked to Smith and Wesson about this weapon and it's unique and it was only manufactured for three years so we're fairly confident that this was the weapon that was used for this homicide," Ferrari said.
Ferrari believes if they can track down this gun, they will be that much closer to finding the killer and solving this double murder.
"If somebody knows somebody that had this weapon that they had a weapon like that they sold it, or traded it or pawned it somewhere or they have information about that type of specific weapon, I urge them to call me," Ferrari said.
If you have any information about the deaths of William and Leota Huls, you are asked to contact the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere --
- Download our free app for Apple, Android and Kindle devices.
- Sign up for daily newsletters emailed to you
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Watch LIVE 24/7 on YouTube
