Catherine Ashford

Do you know who murdered Catherine?
A mother’s failure to pick up her child from school marked the beginning of a tragedy that has haunted Tulsa, Oklahoma, for decades. On the afternoon of Friday, May 12, 1995, Catherine Ashford, 35, did not arrive at Cooper Elementary School for her customary pickup of her 10-year-old daughter. As concern grew, the girl was driven home by friends. At the residence at 3209 S. 92nd E. Avenue, she and a worried co-worker of her mother's found Catherine’s car in the driveway and the front door slightly ajar.

Their worst fears were realized when they stepped inside. Catherine, a white female, was on the living room floor, the victim of multiple gunshot wounds. The peaceful home had become a crime scene, and a young girl’s life was irrevocably shattered by the discovery of her mother’s body. Investigators from the Tulsa Police Department found no signs of forced entry, leading them to believe that Catherine likely knew her killer and may have opened the door to them.

The investigation quickly focused on a person of interest: Catherine’s ex-husband, Larry Wilson. The couple had divorced several years prior, and the relationship that followed was marked by fear and harassment. Catherine had taken legal steps to protect herself, securing a protective order against Wilson. However, the order proved tragically ineffective. She had told others that Wilson had somehow obtained her unlisted phone number and had unnervingly appeared at four different places she had worked.

In a desperate effort to build a new life free from her ex-husband, she had taken the significant step of legally changing her name from her former married name, Cindy Wilson, to Catherine Ashford. This act highlighted the level of fear she was living with, yet even this could not save her. She was a teacher with the Tulsa Public Schools GED program, dedicated to helping others, but was unable to escape the threat that loomed in her own life.

In the years following the murder, the case grew cold. Authorities publicly named Larry Wilson as a person of interest, but what became of that lead remains unclear from public records. It is not known if he was ever formally cleared by investigators or if any other potential suspects were ever identified. The lack of a resolution left Catherine’s family, friends, and community with a painful, unanswered question: who was responsible for the death of a loving mother and dedicated teacher?

As of November 2026, the murder of Catherine Ashford is still listed as an unsolved cold case by the Tulsa Police Department. Decades have passed, but for the daughter who made the horrific discovery and all who knew and loved Catherine, the memory of the crime and the quest for justice remain. The Tulsa Police Department continues to ask for the public’s help. Anyone with information about the case is encouraged to contact their Cold Case Unit at (918) 596-9135, in the hope that a new lead might finally bring closure to a family that has waited far too long.