Digging Deeper into the Innocent Man: Gary Walker’s Victims

In January, 2000, Gary Walker, also known as Gary Edwards, was put to death for murdering Eddie Cash in 1984. However, he had killed and was convicted of the murders of four other people. I believe that there are other victims to the murders of which Walker never confessed.

Eddie Cash

On May 6, 1984, Eddie Cash picked up a hitchhiker. The hitchhiker was Gary Walker. After Cash gave Walker a ride, Walker went to Cash’s residence with the intention of burglarizing the home. However, Cash returned home while Walker was attempting to break into the residence. Walker murdered Cash so that Cash could not call the authorities.

Cash was beaten on the head with a brick and strangled with a vacuum cleaner cord at his Broken Arrow, Oklahoma home. Cash’s shoes and vehicle were stolen. Gary Walker gave a detailed confession.

Margaret Bell

On May 7, 1984, Bell disappeared from a Poteau, Oklahoma tavern. Gary Walker admitted to killing her and dumping her body along an interstate near Padukah, Kentucky.

Jayne Hilburn

On May 14, 1984, Hilburn’s body was found in her home located nine miles east of Vinita, Oklahoma. Hilburn had been strangled to death, and her vehicle was missing.

The suspect was a hitchhiker. He was described as being dressed like a cowboy.

Janet Dee Jewell

On May 23, 1984, Jewell went missing from the Town West Shopping Center parking lot in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Her vehicle was found there three days later. Her body was found near Beggs, Oklahoma — approximately 24 miles from her abduction location.

Jewell had been strangled. Gary Walker lead authorities to her body

Valerie Shaw-Hartzell

On or around May 24, 1984, Shaw-Hartzell, a Tulsa radio newswoman, was abducted from the Town West Shopping Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Her body was later found approximately 28 miles away, in a ditch near Claremore, Oklahoma. Walker lead authorities to Shaw-Hartzell’s body and informed them of the location of her vehicle.