TULSA, Ok — Carmen Anderson spent her son Donnie Williams' last birthday week with him.
Now, nearly five years after his death, she still has no answers — and Oklahoma lawmakers are working to change that for families like hers.
WATCH: Tulsa mother seeks answers as lawmakers push for cold case reform:
Senate Bill 1636, authored by Sen. Carri Hicks, would create a formal process allowing families to request a fresh review of a loved one's cold case if specific parameters are met.
The bill passed the Oklahoma Senate Planning Committee on Feb. 24 and is now moving forward in the legislative process.
Donnie spent the last night of his life celebrating his birthday at the Retro Club on Peoria Avenue in Tulsa with his mother by his side.
"He was at the Retro Club on Peoria and he was celebrating his birthday and first of all, we had just left them."
"It was our last kiss. It was on the 28th and he died on the 29th. And no one informed me that he was dead," said Anderson.
On the morning of Aug. 29, 2021, a Tulsa bus driver spotted Donnie's body on the side of the road near 42nd and North Peoria. He suffered fatal head trauma. A baseball bat found nearby. His case remains unsolved.
Anderson said she has struggled to get updates from investigators.
"There's been a time where I've called the Tulsa Police Department 10 times and I still have not received one call from nobody."
2 News reached out to the Tulsa Police Department regarding Donnie's case. Detectives say that they are working advances in the world of forensics and hope to do additional testing of items that will hopefully lead to the identity of his killer.
An artist used the last photo Anderson took of her son to create a special drawing. Anderson said Donnie used to always kiss her on the forehead — but on that night, he kissed her cheek.
Hicks said the bill is designed to balance the needs of grieving families with the realities of limited law enforcement resources.
"We need to look at those jurisdictional challenges in figuring out if the family is wanting to request or appeal for their cold case to be reopened, how do we do that... in a way that is fair to the families, to the victims, and also to the limited resources that we are also experiencing at this time."
For Anderson, the legislation represents hope for the closure she has been searching for since losing her son.
"I want closure, and the only way I'm going to get some closure is for me to know what happened."
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