On the morning of August 1, 2019, 48-year-old Jerry Dale Tapp was found dead in the front yard of his home near Jay, Oklahoma. Born in Claremore, Tapp had been shot multiple times; his girlfriend was also wounded, suffering a gunshot to the arm. The Delaware County Sheriff’s Office responded after a 911 call about the shooting.

Investigators determined the attack was retaliatory, tied to a 2015 incident in which Tapp had fired a shotgun into a vehicle and injured a juvenile girl. Law enforcement identified three suspects: James William Buzzard and his sons Cody Dwayne Buzzard and Dakota Chase Buzzard. According to the investigation, the three men parked up the road, waited for Tapp to return from work, and ambushed him after he exited his vehicle. Shell casings at the scene matched a rifle that was later recovered, and social media posts by Cody Buzzard before the shooting referenced an intent to take care of a problem.

All three men were arrested and later convicted or pleaded guilty to charges related to Tapp’s killing. Did anyone in the Jay area see activity near Tapp’s home on the morning of August 1, 2019?