TULSA, Okla. — Lisa Ledbetter was last seen alive around midnight on September 24th, 1984.
Investigators say she and some friends were at a bar near 58th and Peoria.
"She was with a bunch of her friends, and one of them, in addition to his narcotics business and use, was also doing some robberies and burglaries, and in anger, she said, 'I ought to tell the police about you.' We assume that was the motivation for what happened next," says Tulsa County Cold Case Investigator Ed Jackson.
Amber Reed is Ledbetter's niece and says the family believes Lisa may have known her killer or killers.
"Lisa worked at a gas station by the bar, and someone heard someone say from a van, 'Hey Ledbetter.' So, she knew the people, you know," says Reed.
The next morning someone found her body on top of Lookout Mountain in a field in west Tulsa.
It was Tuesday, September 25th, and Jackson said her death was especially brutal.
"She had been beaten, stabbed, mutilated, and I think there were two people involved in her murder because there were two different weapons used and a lot of blunt force used," said Jackson.
Reed's mother, Laura, who has passed away, was Lisa's twin sister, and Reed told 2 News the two had a powerful bond.
"Mom, being that it was her twin sister, it affected her whole life. My mom was a substance abuser, almost any kind of substance, and so that made us kids suffer quite a bit," said Reed.
She believes her mother knew more about who may have killed Lisa, but she stayed quiet out of fear.
"I honestly think that her death was a message. She died such a brutal death. You could tell that person was angry and wanted her to suffer. There's been a few rumors that have gone on, you know, that my mom, just like I said, she wasn't living the best lifestyle and she had been running drugs for some people, and you know, something happened, and she owed those people," said Reed.
Thirty-nine years later, Lisa's case remains unsolved, and her family is desperate for answers.
"I want this solved. Her life mattered," says Reed.
If you have any information on the Lisa Ledbetter case or any other cold case with Tulsa County, call the Tulsa County Sheriff's Office Cold Case Unit at 918-596-8661.
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