Volume 11 , Issue 42

Old Avard Road Unsolved Mystery of 1956

Some say about 1956 in Northwest Oklahoma, "This was an innocent time in an unsophisticated community. Death happened, but only by accident or disease. Murder was not known, and really no one knew how to cope with it."

BUT ? the Old Avard Road Fiery Death of Mildred Ann Newlin Reynolds was not the only murder mystery in this northwest community. If we look back to 1910 we can find another mysterious death of a young women, which occurred in the Old Opera House on the southeast corner of the square, in Alva, Oklahoma. BUT ? That is another story for another OkieLegacy Issue.

Our 1956 Unsolved mystery had lots of Cast of Characters. Just to name a few: Mildren Ann Newlin Reynolds (22, victim), R. D. "Dee" Reynokds (26, husband of victim, teacher & coach at Avard High School), Earnest F. Newlin (father of victim), Marie Schroder Newlin (mother of victim), Eddie Newlin (brother of victim), Jim Hucklebee (18, nephew of Dee & Ann Reynolds), I. R. Boyce (county coroner), Ed Doctor (Sheriff of Woods County), Loren Goucher (farmer in Avard who reported crime scene), H. D. Potts (Woods county attorney), Leroy Lancaster (farmer who sighted fire), Atlee Delaney (employee of Alva Review Courier who took pictures of crime scene), Kyle Morehead (Deputy Assistant State Fire Marshall), G. R. Brown (State Highway Trooper), 125-150 students at NSC (Northwestern State College), Ralph Duroy (State Fire Marshall), Elvin White (Undersheriff of Woods county 1955-60), R. Doss Gourley (deputy of Woods county (1955-60) and Vernie Hackney (resigned as deputy sheriff of Woods county, March 15, 1956).

It was on a Tuesday, 13 March 1956, around 1:40 p.m. that Mildred Ann (Newlin) Reynolds met a violent, fiery death along the Old Avard road as she was headed home after classes at Northwestern State College in Alva, Oklahoma in a 1949 Chevrolet Tudor Sedan. Was she alone at the time? OR ? Was someone waiting for her at the scene of the crime along the Old Avard road?

Mildred Ann Newlin was born December 25, 1933 and died 13 March 1956, at the age of 22. Ann was a petite 5' 2", 100Lb, nice looking, young lady and a senior attending Northwestern State College in Alva, Oklahoma. THE College faculty described her as rather shy and a good student. Mildred Ann was the daughter of Ernest & Marie (Schroder) Newlin of Lambert, Oklahoma, and had a younger brother, Eddie Newlin.

Mildred Ann had only been married nine months to Coach R. D. "Dee" Reynolds, the basketball coach and teacher at the Avard High School and the son of Mr. and Mrs. Homer Reynolds of Freedom, Oklahoma. Coach R. D. Reynolds was a NSC (Northwestern State College) graduate student, age 26 years, at the time of his Wife's death. It was reported that after his wife Ann's death he moved away from Avard, remarried and lived in the Bartlesville, Oklahoma area until his death.

We know that Jim Hucklebee, an 18 year-old nephew of the Reynolds, was living with Dee & Ann Reynolds while attending Northwestern State College in Alva. Jim was one of the last ones to see Mildred Ann alive in Alva around noon. Jim would usually drive/ride home to Avard with Ann, but did not on this particular day because he testified that he stayed behind for a class at NSC at 1:00p.m.

Was it an accident? Was it murder? Was someone waiting, knowing Ann would be on her way home; knew her normally traveled route; OR ? Did someone follow behind her to a point, then passed and overtook her? Did the perpetrator/s then proceeding on to the next section line after turning around, coming back toward her and blocking the road so she could not proceed further -- at this point causing the chain of events that eventually resulted in Mildred Ann Newlin Reynold's death.

They reported that Mildred's body was burned beyond recognition and one leg was burned completely off at the knee. Was her husband's 1949 Chevrolet Tudor Sedan set afire?

Mildred's body was found lying across the front seat with her head away from the steering wheel.

There are lots of unanswered questions in this "Cold Case" of March 1956 in Northwest Oklahoma. Some of those questions are:

* Who was present at the scene and expended the 9mm shells?
* Why was a weapon fired at the scene?
* Who fired it?
* What is plausible reason for this?
* Why was there no further information divulged as to the owner of the shell casings as per information presented in the internet article?
* Was she shot prior to vehicle burning?
* Why was gas tank plug loose enough to dislodge from tank?
* Or was it removed at the scene?
* Or intentionally loosened earlier?
* Was the plug recovered at the scene?
* Was she enroute to rendezvous with another party?
* Was this route, her normally traveled route?
* Had she received phone call to meet with someone?
* Did she have a boyfriend ... or did someone think she did?
* Was it proven she was alone and that she was the actual driver of the vehicle at time of incident?
* Was she pregnant or did somebody believe her to be?
* Did her husband have a girlfriend? If so, who was she and was she pregnant?
* What was her husband's occupation?
* Were personal friends of husband interviewed extensively?
* Did Anne have a part time job?
* Was she a full-time or part-time student?
* Were her classmates interviewed and what was her schedule for that day?
* Did she in fact attend "all" scheduled classes that day?
* Where was she "enroute to and from" at the time of incident?
* Did her family privately pursue answers to the incident?

On 23 March 1956 only 10 days after the car fire according to [Woodward News] ? Victim?s Father told reporters, he thought his daughter's death was accidental ?? WHY? The inquest jurors had just determined they did not believe the death was accidental and recommended further investigation.

This statement made by the victim?s father seems somewhat out in left field so early in the investigation ? doesn?t it? Why was his opinion so convincingly established in such short order? Why were all the evidentiary facts being overlooked, so early on in the investigation?

Is there still viable DNA that could be used to solve this crime? OR ? did it get violated, contaminated with the passers-by that drove out to see the scene of the crime?

Al says, "I went to Lambert High School with Ann, I was a couple of grades behind. We lived about a mile and a quarter west of her home. When I heard of her murder, it was the most frightening thing I had experienced. It still seems the most senseless. This was an innocent time in an unsophisticated community. Death happened, but only by accident or disease. Murder was not known, and really no one knew how to cope with it."

Doug says, "As a young child I use to help ann do her chores after she would come home from school. I went to her house which was across the road from where we lived ? three times that day. I told my mother Ann has not come home from school. I told mom I wonder were she could be? Then a fellow neighbor came by an told us she was murdered. We lived only one an half miles from the murder seen. My mom told me to stay in the car. Well! That didn't work. Down the hill I ran and I saw her in the front seat, one leg was burned into and on the ground. I had nightmares for a long time. The next year we moved to Alva. I was very good friends of the family. I have always been so sad about what had happen to her. She was my buddy and we had so much fun. I justed wanted to share this with everyone."

Natalie says, "You know, my mom STILL talks about this - a very haunting case."

This is/was a haunting case and I understand the ghost of Ann Reynolds and other Avard ghosts have allegedly been known to be one of many haunting souls that inhabits the "Old Avard Gym," leaving the smell of burnt flesh behind.

Perhaps Mildred Ann is looking for her husband who was a teacher and basketball coach at Avard Gym during the time of Ann's fiery death on the Old Avard road, just a few miles East of Avard, 13 March 1956, at 1:40 p.m.

With Halloween just a couple of weeks away, will the Reynold's ghosts be haunting the Old Avard gymnasium?

If you have heard stories of this haunting "Cold Case Unsolved Fiery Death that occurred, March 13, 1956, in Northwest Oklahoma on the Old Avard Road, one mile South of Hopeton and two miles West, we would love to hear from you.

These questions are presented now, in hopes that someone would remember a particular person or persons mentioned herein. BUT ? Then again ? Maybe it is best that we let dead bones and their unanswered questions stay buried! Huh!
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