Patsy Gilliam was found in a ditch on a remote county road near Maysville on June 30, 1981. She had been shot in the back of her head.

Patsy was born Patsy June Burch in Calvin, Ok. She lived in Littlefield, TX before making her way back to Oklahoma, settling in the Pauls Valley area. Her married names were Long and Gilliam. She was divorced from Delma Wayne Gilliam at the time of her death.

Tragedy struck Patsy’s family even before her murder. Her son Darwin, 24 at the time, died on January 10, 1981, from injuries sustained in a car accident. His brother Darrell Lee, 19, despondent over the death of his brother and an upcoming DUI trial, committed suicide on February 17, 1981.

Pauls Valley police chief Jim Jarman and Garvin County Sheriff Bob Holt interviewed Henry Lee Lucas about Patsy’s murder. They left that meeting convinced that Lucas and his accomplice Ottis Toole were, in fact, guilty. Neither man was charged and considering most of Lucas’s “confessions” were invalid, it is safe to say Patsy’s murder remains unsolved.

Anyone with information should contact the Garvin County Sheriff’s Office at (405) 238-7591.