More than 25 years after an 81-year-old woman was killed in her Seminole County home, state investigators say the case is finally starting to move. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) announced that 46-year-old Dakota Davis has pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact to murder in the first degree and received a 20-year sentence, with 10 years in custody followed by 10 years of supervised release. Prosecutors are still pursuing first-degree murder and conspiracy charges against the victim’s niece, 81-year-old Carolyn Foreman.
In an update on X, the OSBI laid out the latest steps in the case and thanked its partner agencies and prosecutors for sticking with the investigation. The bureau credited criminalist Constance Lansdale for key lab work and called out special agents David Gatlin and Francia Thompson for their roles. The agency described the latest court action as a partial resolution while the broader investigation and court proceedings continue.
How investigators cracked the case
According to KOCO, the break came after investigators took another hard look at the evidence in 2023. Forensic testing in 2024 linked the victim’s blood to a stain on a shoe that had been collected at the original crime scene. That match prompted a new round of interviews and ultimately led to arrest warrants being issued in 2025.
What happened in 1997
On August 11, 1997, Gerthie Carolina, known around Sasakwa as “Granny,” was found dead on the kitchen floor of her home. An autopsy reported multiple stab and incised wounds along with blunt-force injuries. In the weeks leading up to her death, court filings and reporting indicate that Carolina had placed a $40,000 certificate of deposit into a living trust that named Foreman as the beneficiary. Prosecutors allege that money from the trust was withdrawn just days after the killing, according to People.
Legal status and next steps
The OSBI says Davis was arrested in California, extradited back to Seminole County, and sentenced under a plea agreement to a 20-year term that includes 10 years behind bars followed by 10 years of supervised release. Foreman was arrested in Midwest City and faces charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy. Those charges are still pending as the case works its way through Seminole County courts, according to the OSBI.
Prosecutors and community reaction
District 22 District Attorney Erik Johnson praised investigators and the lab team for refusing to let the file gather dust, according to the OSBI announcement. For local residents and relatives, the arrests have offered some measure of relief, even as questions linger about motive and the exact sequence of events that led to Carolina’s death, as KOCO reported.
