Tulsa Police Investigating Murder Near Downtown

Tulsa police are investigating after a man's body was found near downtown Saturday afternoon. Police are at Admiral and Phoenix, west of downtown.

TPD Homicide Sgt. Dave Walker said an anonymous call led them to the residential area. They found a 54-year-old man who had been shot to death, possibly 12 hours before, Walker said.

Police say the victim was living in a makeshift home on the property. Investigators have not released his identity.

Based on the condition of the victim, rigor mortis had begun to set in and police believe the man was killed sometime last night. Last night also is when police received calls from people in the area who said they heard gunshots.

Police are working to find out if the shots neighbors heard were the shots that killed the victim.

"This is really rare we hear gunshots," neighbor Ricky Hayherst said. "People go out and shoot them in the air and stuff, but it's a really quiet neighborhood. We don't have a lot go on here."

Hayherst said he's lived in the neighborhood over 20 years. He says decades ago, the neighborhood was rough, but now with people constantly on the look out for crime, it's improved.

"It's getting better to where the kids can come out and play in the streets now," he said.

As of right now, police haven't said if they have a suspect description. They are asking anyone who may have seen anything suspicious to call CrimeStoppers at 918-596-2677 the Homicide Tip Line at 918-798-8477.

As for the man who was killed, Hayherst says he kept to himself, but with all the traffic through the alley, anything could happen.

"I hope they found out who done it,” Hayherst said. “He's a human being and deserves justice like anybody else."