Dedra L. Pettus was 21 when she was shot and killed on June 29, 1981, in the Oklahoma City apartment she shared with Wanda Jean Allen. An argument between the two women escalated into a violent confrontation that ended with Pettus’s death.

Allen confessed to the shooting but said it was accidental and in self-defense, claiming she had fired while returning fire from Pettus’s boyfriend. Forensic findings on Pettus’s body contradicted that account: examiners reported bruises and powder burns consistent with being pistol-whipped and shot at close range. Prosecutors and defense reached a plea agreement; Allen pleaded guilty to manslaughter and received a four-year sentence, of which she served two years. The case was closed with that disposition.

If anyone knew Dedra Pettus or has information about the night of June 29, 1981, please share what you remember.