Oklahoma City Cold Case Solved After Nearly 50 Years

A cold case in Oklahoma City that went unsolved for nearly half a century has finally been solved, according to police.

The Oklahoma City Police Department said on May 14, 1976, the body of 68-year-old Lela Johnston was discovered by a neighbor inside her duplex near North Robinson Avenue and Northwest 26th Street.

According to investigators at the time, Johnston had been raped and strangled to death.

OCPD said DNA technology, which did not exist at the time of the crime, has now made it possible for investigators to solve the homicide.

In 2004, based on evidence that was collected during the initial homicide investigation, a DNA profile of a potential suspect was obtained, and that profile was entered into the Combined DNA Index System, the national database that stores DNA profiles of convicted offenders, evidence from crime scenes, and missing persons.

Despite the evidence collected, OCPD the DNA profile of the suspect did not match any profiles within the registry. However, in May of 2023, investigators utilized the services of DNA Labs International to search genetic profiles of people who have voluntarily submitted samples to genealogy sites.

According to investigators, DLI genealogists were able to find a match to the family tree of the suspect, narrowing their search of the family tree until they were able to identify the suspect as Charles O. Droke (Born Feb. 18, 1948).

OCPD said the evidence shows that Droke forced entry into Ms. Johnston’s residence, but nearly 13 years later, in January of 1989, Droke was killed when he was murdered by his brother, who had been recently released from prison.

OCPD said the killing of Johnston is the first case ever solved by OCPD using DNA from a genealogy site.