Edna Pearl Higgs

Date Found: September 24, 1985

Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma

Investigating Agency: Tulsa Crime Stoppers

(918) 596-2677

Edna Pearl Curtis Higgs, 61, was working at her Springdale Wine & Liquor store located in a shopping center at 1626 N. Sheridan in Tulsa, Oklahoma when she was murdered during an armed robbery at 2:30pm on September 24th, 1985. Edna was shot 3 times in the chest. Edna was a co-owner of the store with her husband Cletis Dewey Higgs, Jr and ran the store with their daughter Judy Wheeler. This wasn’t the first robbery they had to deal with – in 1965 Cletis was grievously harmed when two armed robbers shot him in the chest for $200. It was their first year owning the store. The picture attached with this story is of Edna watching as Cletis was taken to the ambulance in the 1965 robbery.

A witness saw two men walk up to the store and it’s believed one man, described as a short black man, possibly with a beard, went into the store pretending to be a customer. The man left behind was a white man. It’s believed Edna had a .38 pistol to defend herself, however, it’s unknown if it was used. The killer took the gun with him, as well as $200 and some personal items of Edna’s. Edna was shot three times in the chest with a .22. The killer was seen running in the 1600 block of North Zunis Avenue.

Ten detectives were assigned to Edna’s case and they questioned close to 500 people. To this day no one has been charged in Edna’s murder.

Please call the Tulsa Crime Stoppers at (918) 596-COPS with any information on the murder of mother and local store owner Edna Higgs.