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Old Avard Road Unsolved Mystery
Mildred Ann (Newlin) Reynolds' Death
Tuesday, 13 March 1956, 1:40 p.m.
1956 News Articles of NW Oklahoma
8 March 1956, Thursday The Freedom Call
Freedom, Woods County, Oklahoma
Hackney Resigns As Deputy Sheriff
Vernie Hackney, Woods County Deputy Sheriff for the past 18 months, has resigned the position effective March 15. He plans to return to farming and ranching north of Freedom.
Hackney has leased part of the Seth Seivert ranch where he will move his family soon.
Hackney has made a good record as Deputy Sheriff and has made many friends over the county who will regret his decision to resign the position.
1956 News Articles of NW Oklahoma
15 March 1956, Thursday The Freedom Call
Freedom, Woods County, Oklahoma
Avard Woman Is Foul Play Victim
Preliminary reports of an autopsy performed on the body of Mrs. R. D. Reynolds, 22, wife of the Avard coach, found brutally murdered on a county road Tuesday revealed that she was probably alive when her car was devoured by fire. The body was taken to a Cherokee funeral home where services will be announced.
The woman's body, burned beyond recognition, was found on the lonely road about a mile south and 2 ½ miles west of Hopeton about 1:40, Tuesday afternoon. Loren Goucher who was driving a tractor a mile south of the scene saw something burning and investigated. He notified the sheriff's office.
State Investigators assigned
Two state crime bureau agents were assigned to the case and a crime bureau photographer and finger print expert was flown to Alva.
Officers said that the woman's body was charred beyond recognition and that they suspected assaulted. She was beaten about the head and shoulders. Evidence showed the car to have been forced off the south side of the road and into a tree. The car was then pushed or rolled across the road and then down the road about 150 feet where it was set on fire. It is thought a solvent was used because of the intense heat that melted the glass on the drivers side, interior burned and the tires melted.
Identification Made
The 1949 Chevrolet was traced to R. D. Reynolds and was used by his wife to drive to and from college at Northwestern where she was a senior. Reynolds identified clothing found at the scene. She had left the college about noon and was within a mile and a quarter of her home when found.
Officers found a second set of tire tracks. It is thought that the second car went west on the road turned up another road, turned around and then came back east on the road past the burning car. A shoe and part of a bumper was found near the tree and fresh blood stains on thistles and weeds nearby.
Body Badly Burned
Mrs. Reynolds was found in the car with her head toward the door away from the steering wheel. She had apparently made no effort to escape from the blazing car. The body was badly charred with one leg burned completely off at the knee.
Reynolds has been teaching in the Avard school for three years. They had been married for less than a year. She was the former Miss Mildred Ann Newlin of Cherokee. Reynolds is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Homer Reynolds of Freedom.
1956 News Articles of NW Oklahoma
22 March 1956, Thursday The Freedom Call
Freedom, Woods County , Oklahoma
Inquest Begun In county Car Death
A Coroner's jury began deliberation of testimony given in the inquiry into the death of Mrs. Mildred Ann Reynolds, wife of R. D. Reynolds, Avard coach and teacher. At press time Thursday no verdict had been reached.
Testimony of witnesses started Wednesday afternoon and the court recessed after 7 o'clock, Thursday evening when testimony was completed. The body of Mrs. Reynolds was found in a burning car on a county road near Avard, March 13.
County and state crime bureau officers have been investigating the death and a member of the state fire marshal's office and the National Auto Theft bureau dismantled the car.
Attend Funeral
Among those from Freedom attending the funeral of Mrs. R. D. Reynolds at Cherokee Saturday afternoon were Mrs. Lynton Gerloff, Mrs. Hank French, Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Devine, Jess Province, Wilbur Warren, Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Robinson, Mr. and Mrs. Vernie Burkhart, Mr. and Mrs. Gene Earnest, Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Hughes, Mr. and Mrs. Loyd Kutch, Mrs. J. O. Robinson and Mrs. Bill Pancoast.
1956 News Articles of NW Oklahoma
29 March 1956, Thursday The Freedom Call
Freedom, Woods County , Oklahoma
Young Woman's Death Remains Mystery
What caused the fire that took the life of young Mildred Ann Reynolds on a country road near Avard, march 13 when her body was found in a burned car is still unsolved.
Members of the sheriff's office still believe there was foul play in connection with the case while the state investigators are prone to call the death a freak accident. So unusual in its scope that the true facts may never be known. The investigation will continue according to Sheriff Ed Doctor.