© 2024 Public Radio Tulsa
800 South Tucker Drive
Tulsa, OK 74104
(918) 631-2577

A listener-supported service of The University of Tulsa
classical 88.7 | public radio 89.5
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Tulsa Police Arrest Man in 2011 Murder of Peggy Gaytan

Courtesy

Three days before Christmas in 2011, 55-year-old Peggy Gaytan was murdered during her shift at a Shell gas station at 36th Street and Harvard Avenue.

Monday, Tulsa Police arrested a man they believe is responsible.

TPD Chief Wendell Franklin said 27-year-old Patrick Hamstard is being charged with Gaytan’s murder, and a second suspect in the case has died in the eight-plus years since.

"So, this closes the book on this particular homicide for us. It closes a painful chapter for the Gaytan family and brings closure for them," Franklin said.

Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler was a criminal prosecutor in December 2011. He said a detective from the case came to work in the DA’s office, and it always weighed on them.

"I remember being contacted by the Tulsa Police Department, and really, the concern is knowing that you have somebody who’s a hardworking individual trying to provide for her family and you have really no leads other than a videotape," Kunzweiler said.

Franklin said TPD's investigation took detectives to Colorado, but Hamstard was arrested here in Tulsa.

Matt Trotter joined KWGS as a reporter in 2013. Before coming to Public Radio Tulsa, he was the investigative producer at KJRH. His freelance work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times and on MSNBC and CNN.
Related Content