TULSA, Okla. — With a 100% solve rate, the Tulsa Police Department closed all 50 homicide cases in 2024.
In 2023, there were a total of 48 homicides with just two remaining unsolved.
The murder of Nicari Owens is one of two unsolved cases.
2 News spoke with his aunt Angie Pitts about her nephew’s murder and what happened the night that he died in August of 2023.
“He was at a club, and I don’t know if it was a fight or whatever, but my nephew got shot in the club, and with it being in a club, I know many people saw what happened. Everybody runs from bullets. That’s correct, but there is always two or three people that see something,” said Pitts.
Tulsa Police Homicide Lt. Brandon Watkins said he and his team are working hard to solve Nicari’s case.
“Just last week, the detective that had Nicari’s case was working on one angle of it. These are just difficult cases. The problem with Nicari’s is that there is a lot of people out there who saw it and knows what happened, but nobody has stepped forward to do the right thing,” said Watkins.
The other unsolved case for 2023involves a man named Terence McElwee.
Police said he and a friend were at a place called the Kickback Club on July 30, 2023.
As they headed home, someone fired shots at his vehicle along 31st and Highway 169.
Officers say both the Owens and the McElwee cases started at the Kickback Club, which has since closed down.
2 News covered both cases as part of our Oklahoma’s Cold Case Files series.
As police work to solve these 2 cases from 2023, Watkins attributes several things for the 100% solve rate in 2024.
“I think there’s a lot of things that you can attribute that to. I’m going to brag on the detectives in the homicide squad. I think they’re the best in the nation. They’re fantastic. You don’t get 100% of these solved without the incredible dedication and hard work that these guys and gals show every single day,” said Watkins.
He also credits the investment in technology.
“Another thing, we’ve invested in some technology that has been enormous for us like the license plate readers. They don’t give any other information other than this license plate passed by this camera at this time but it’s been huge for us,” he said.
“Our patrol does a good job coming out on the scenes and setting up and getting stuff done. I mean we’ve had a number of homicides this year that really patrol stepped up and figured out as we were responding. We’ve got the help of other units like our crime gun unit and our warrants unit always works hand in hand with us, and so we have a 100% solve rate because we had a team effort by the entire Tulsa Police Department and the community,” said Watkins.
Watkins says another big part of solving crime is continuing education.
His detectives go to different schools throughout the country and bring back new investigative techniques and he said they try to utilize them to the best of their ability.
If you have any information about the 2023 deaths of Nicari Owens or Terrence McElwee, you are asked to contact the Tulsa Police Department.
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