Verna Stafford, the 73-year-old woman convicted of her role in the 1978 Sirloin Stockade murders in Oklahoma City, has been recommended for parole on one of her two life sentences by the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board.

Sirloin Stockade Murders

On July 16, 1978, six people were working at the Sirloin Stockade near Southwest 74th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue when they were forced into a meat freezer and shot by gunmen. Five of the victims were found dead, and the sixth later died at the hospital.

The killers had vanished, prompting a months-long police search. Three people, Roger Dale Stafford, Verna Stafford, and Harold Stafford, were eventually arrested in connection with the murders.

Convictions and Sentences

Roger Dale Stafford was convicted, sentenced, and put to death in 1995. Verna Stafford was sentenced to two life sentences, one for the Sirloin Stockade murders and another for the murder of a family of three during a robbery along Interstate 35 near Purcell.

Verna has expressed regret for the pain and suffering she has caused. However, the victims’ families have delivered a clear message to the Parole Board that she should remain behind bars.

The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board’s recommendation now heads to Governor Kevin Stitt for consideration. If he decides to grant parole, it would only apply to one of the life sentences, and Verna would begin serving her second consecutive life sentence.

Original reporting: 40/29 / KHBS (NW Arkansas) — read the source article.