In a case that has shaken Oklahoma, 19-year-old Heidi D. has been sentenced to life in prison for orchestrating the murder of her elderly grandparents, Larry D. (73) and Deborah D. (67). The horrific crime, which took place just days before Christmas in 2022, resulted in the brutal deaths of the couple who had adopted and raised Heidi as their own.
The Crime
Heidi, then just 17 years old, planned the murders with the help of her 22-year-old boyfriend, Lucas W.. The tragic event occurred on December 19, 2022, when Heidi and Lucas carried out the gruesome killings at the couple’s home. Prosecutors say Heidi manipulated Lucas into committing the murders, and both later admitted their roles to authorities.
In a chilling statement, Heidi gave no clear motive beyond the unsettling explanation: “she wanted them dead.” The crime unfolded in the middle of the night when Lucas entered the victims’ home while they were sleeping.
After taking a pistol from inside, he waited until Deborah opened the bedroom door, at which point he shot her in the face. Larry, hearing the gunshot, rushed to defend his wife, but Lucas’ gun malfunctioned, forcing him to resort to a knife. He stabbed Larry multiple times in the chest, face, and abdomen, leaving the victims dead on the floor.
Aftermath and Discovery
Following the murders, Heidi and Lucas took the gruesome step of wrapping the bodies in sheets and burying them in shallow graves in the backyard. The couple’s disappearance raised alarms among relatives and neighbors, especially as they had not been heard from during the holiday season.
A welfare check was requested, and on January 20, 2023, sheriff’s deputies discovered bloodstains that had been cleaned from the bedroom, leading them to two shallow graves containing the remains of Larry and Deborah.
Ring camera footage recovered by authorities showed the pair dragging one of the bodies across the yard. After being arrested, Heidi confessed to planning the murder and blamed Lucas for carrying it out.
The investigation revealed that Heidi was both the biological granddaughter and adopted daughter of the murdered couple, which added another layer of tragedy to this brutal crime.
Sentencing
Heidi pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. In a sentencing hearing held last Friday, the judge handed down a life sentence with parole eligibility only after serving 85% of a 45-year sentence—a total of 38 years behind bars.
Her co-defendant, Lucas, was sentenced to 35 years in federal prison due to his status as a Native American and his involvement in a crime that falls under tribal jurisdiction.
District Attorney Will D. explained the reasoning behind the sentence: “This was a calculated and brutal crime, but the law requires us to weigh youth and culpability. This sentence holds Heidi accountable, mirrors the sentence imposed on her co-defendant, and spares the victims’ family the trauma of trial and years of appeals.”
The Victims’ Legacy
Larry and Deborah D. were remembered in an obituary that painted them as honorable individuals. Larry, a retired master staff sergeant in the U.S. Air Force, had worked as an airport manager in Kansas.
Deborah, also a retired staff sergeant, had gone on to pursue a career as a chef. The couple had devoted their lives to serving their country and their community, only to have their lives tragically cut short by someone they had loved and raised as their own.
This crime has left a permanent scar on the family and community, and while both Heidi and Lucas are now behind bars, the emotional toll on those affected by this senseless act will take far longer to heal.