CADDO COUNTY UNSOLVED: REVEREND CAROL DANIELS
ANADARKO — This horrific case takes us back to 2009 and involves the murder of the community's beloved pastor Reverend Carol Daniels. This is a haunting and deeply disturbing case. We will be discussing graphic details throughout. Reader discretion is strongly advised.
And because official records are very limited due to the nature of this case still being officially unsolved, we had to rely on historical news coverage, archived reports, podcasts, and other publicly available sources to piece together the details.
Carolyn Faye Dunlap Daniels was born on October 26th, 1947, and was raised in Oklahoma City. She was the second of four children born to Theopolis and Charles Dunlap. From everything we read about who Carol was, she seemed to be someone who was always working to improve herself. Looking at everything she accomplished in her life, it's hard not to be impressed.
Carol graduated with the Class of 1965 from Douglass High School. Shortly after graduating, she moved to Dallas to attend a local community college there, but eventually made her way back to Oklahoma. It was then that she began her studies at the University of Central Oklahoma, where she earned her bachelor's degree in chemistry and biology with the Class of 1971. Several sources online say that Carol was passionate about education and she was an avid learner throughout her life. And they were right, as she later completed 50 hours toward her master's degree in health administration and also earned an associate degree in health technology.
In June of 1971, she married Alvin Daniels, and they moved to Washington. In 1978, they made the move back home to Oklahoma, and together they raised five children.
Aside from education, Carol was also deeply passionate about her faith. She was a member of the Holy Temple Church in Oklahoma City, and in 1990, she was ordained by the Christ Holy Sanctified Churches. In 2001, she received the opportunity to become the pastor of Worthy Temple in Anadarko, and she gladly accepted. And for the years to come, despite living about 60 miles away, Carol made the drive each week to Anadarko to share her love for Christ and spread His word with her congregation. Even after attendance reportedly began to decline over the years, Carol would still show up regardless and spread the word of God for whoever was willing to listen that day.
And sadly, eight years later, that would all tragically change.
On August 23rd, 2009, it was just another normal Sunday for retired Bishop Sikey Wilson Jr. and his wife, and little did they know that the events they were about to set in motion would become what is, in our opinion, one of Caddo County's most haunting unsolved cases.
Around 11:40 a.m., Mr. and Mrs. Wilson arrived for a meeting they had scheduled with Carol at Worthy Temple Christ Holy Sanctified Church. When they tried to go inside the church for their meeting, they were met with locked doors. According to Mr. Wilson's interview with News 9, he then tapped on the door with his cane, tried peeking through several windows and, at one point, even parked behind the church and honked his horn, but still nothing. Just pure silence.
What made the situation even more worrisome was that Carol's car was parked out front, which clearly indicated to them that she was there. The Wilsons said it was very unlike Carol to be at the church with the doors locked, as she would usually open it up for anyone who wanted to come in and pray. Deep down, they couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. So, that was when the Wilsons decided to drive across the street to the Anadarko Police Department and report what had happened.
Around 12:00 p.m., Officer Ashley Burrus arrived on scene. He located a side door that had been left open, and upon looking inside, he immediately called for backup. When Detective James Howard received the call, he could immediately tell something was wrong by the tone of Burrus' voice, so he rushed across the way to the church as well.
Warning, this next part is graphic and very disturbing. If you do not want to know the details, stop reading here.
Several media reports and case summaries state that police found Carol’s body behind the sanctuary, lying in a pool of her own blood, completely nude and posed in a crucified position, with a cut to her throat so deep that it nearly decapitated her. They also reported that her body had been doused with some type of cleaning solution or chemical and that portions of her hair had been burned by fire.
The chemical or cleaning solution reportedly found on her body has never been publicly identified by investigators, more than likely because the case remains open. While no official source has said why it may have been used, one possible explanation is that it was an attempt to destroy evidence. Keep in mind that is purely speculation, and investigators have never publicly confirmed a motive for its use.
We can’t imagine what it must have been like to walk into a scene like this or the trauma left behind from witnessing something so horrific.
According to the autopsy report, which is publicly available online through autopsyfiles.org, Carol’s manner of death was ruled a homicide and there was no evidence of s*xual assault. The report also listed the circumstances of her death as violent, unusual, or unnatural. The medical examiner documented severe injuries, including incised wounds across her upper neck area and trachea, multiple wounds to her chest, numerous cuts and superficial injuries to her face, chest, abdomen, and back, a small contusion on her right arm, and an abrasion on her left knee.
Investigators were later able to obtain surveillance footage from the Step-N-Fetch, a convenience store that's located across the street. This footage greatly helped narrow down a timeline for investigators. It showed Carol arriving at the church parking lot around 10:00 a.m. but unfortunately, there were no cameras pointed toward the back of the church, so they couldn’t see what time the suspect or suspects arrived and left. But overall, it’s safe to say that this tells us the crime happened sometime between 10:00 a.m. and 11:40 a.m.
According to information reported by The Inquisitor True Crime and News 5, a man later came forward in September of 2009, claiming he had seen what appeared to be a male leaving the area around the time of Carol’s murder. The witness was reportedly across the street at the convenience store and stated that the individual was wearing a ski mask, appeared to have blood on his black shirt, and was carrying a knife. We personally were unable to independently verify this information and have not located any official law enforcement documents confirming the account.
According to a 2015 report by News 9, a woman, who was described as a known drug user in the community, came forward with information she claimed was related to the murder. She told investigators that she had seen a man leaving the church who matched a description previously reported to News 5 by the other witness. According to her account, the individual was wearing a black shirt, appeared to have blood on his clothing, and was holding a knife. She also alleged that two individuals, who were described as local drug dealers, were involved in the crime.
She then led investigators to a shed behind a home where she alleged evidence connected to the murder had been stashed there and set on fire. However, according to reports, investigators were unable to recover any evidence at the site that could back up her claim. Before the woman could provide any additional information on what else she knew, she died from an overdose just a few days after coming forward to investigators. But, according to reports, the information provided by the woman ultimately helped investigators identify a primary suspect in the case.
According to a News 9 report, the District Attorney stated that Denise Darnell Cooper had emerged as a primary suspect during the investigation along with another whose identity is unknown. Investigators were able to interview the suspect(s), but any involvement in Carol's murder was denied.
But with investigators now having this information, this eventually led to the case being brought to a grand jury in 2017. However, Darnell Cooper reportedly died from cancer before jurors were able to hear her testimony. Reports also indicate that at least two other witnesses, one of those being Kevin Mahan, appeared before the grand jury, but declined to provide information or comment when being questioned about the murder and the suspects. Keep in mind, we were unable to locate any publicly available records indicating that criminal charges were ever filed against any of the alleged suspects.
When News 9 asked the District Attorney whether he believed the case would ever be solved, he responded that, in his opinion, it already had been solved. The real question, he said, was whether investigators would ever be able to bring those responsible to justice. He went on to say that he had no intention of giving up and would continue pursuing the case until that happened.
We were unable to independently verify the various claims made by the witnesses who came forward over the years, and it is unclear as to what conclusions investigators reached regarding that information. But what we do know for sure is that investigators never publicly announced an arrest in the case.
Until then, only the person(s) responsible truly know what happened that day. Investigators have never publicly confirmed a motive, and we have no way of knowing what was going through the killer's mind. But when you look at everything that’s been made available to the public from a victimology perspective, in our opinion, this doesn't feel random. It almost feels personal. Whether that was directed at Carol herself, her faith, the church, or something else entirely remains one of the many unanswered questions in this case.
Like many cold cases, there is likely information only known to investigators that has never been released to the public. While there are still details emerging through media reports and online discussions to this day, separating the facts from rumors can be a little hard to do. That's why we've tried to focus on information that can be traced back to official records, law enforcement statements, and documented reporting whenever possible.
If you have any information at all, no matter how small, that may help bring this case to a close, please contact the OSBI. Carol's family deserves answers, and after all these years, even the smallest tip could make a difference.
This case was probably one of the most deeply disturbing ones we've ever researched, and it still sits heavy with us. No matter how many years have passed, Carol's family deserves answers, and she deserves justice.
Note: This is based on publicly available records, media reports, interviews, and other publicly available sources. As of now, no person(s) has been convicted of the murder of Reverend Carol Daniels, and the case still remains cold.
Photo Source: Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation
