Witnesses Testify In Hearing For Tulsa Man Charged With Murder Of 3 Women

A man charged with murdering three women last year, had a court hearing Wednesday where nine people testified.

Terryl Brooks is charged with murdering three women he had either dated or knew.

Police said Brooks killed Tyra Whitaker and dumped her remains in a shallow grave in January of 2022, and a couple months later in the spring he killed Star Rainbow Dancer and Elizabeth Dillard within days of each other.

The mother of Tyra Whitaker was emotional when she testified about the last time she saw her daughter.

She saw Tyra driving off with Brooks in January. Tyra's remains were found in April.

"This case is based as we said in court on a lot of circumstantial evidence. We had more witnesses that average for the preliminary hearing,” said Erik Grayless, 1st Assistant DA Tulsa County.

Prosecutors said Terryl Brooks killed Star Rainbow Dancer, a woman he had been dating, Elizabeth Dillard, a woman he had only met days earlier, and his girlfriend Tyra Whitaker whose remains were found in a shallow grave months after she went missing in January of last year.

"You heard from lay witnesses that tied each of the three victims together and showed from our testimony in court that Terryl Brooks was the common thread between each of those victims,” said Grayless.

Witnesses testified about the last time they saw and heard from the victims, the type of relationship Brooks had with the women, and many gave similar descriptions of his truck. They also talked about arguments and fights between Brooks and the victims.

One inmate testified that Brooks confessed to him, while the two men were in jail together.

Brooks' friends' mom testified Brooks had even joked to her and others, about killing one of the victims, Elizabeth Dillard.

"The defendant is always presumed not guilty until proved beyond a reasonable doubt by either a plea or a jury trial. He retains those rights here. This is just the first step in the process to prove our case and we'll continue to do so,” said Grayless.

Additional witnesses will testify on May 22. At that time, the judge will decide if there’s enough evidence to order Brooks to stand trial.