A chilling mystery that has lingered for over 16 years in Craig has the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation continuing to call for public assistance in solving the brutal 2008 double murder of William Huls, 67, and his wife, Leota Huls, 66
The case remains one of Northeast Oklahoma’s most haunting unsolved crimes.
On November 10, 2008, the bodies of William and Leota Huls were discovered inside their modest home on South 4430 Road in Craig County. William, a former self-employed mechanic who had become wheelchair-bound due to health issues, was found slumped over the breakfast table, a single gunshot wound to his head.
His meal—unfinished oatmeal and toast—sat cold in front of him, a grim testament to the sudden violence that interrupted his morning.
Leota, a retired registered nurse who had devoted her later years to caring for her ailing husband, was found sprawled on the living room floor, also killed by a gunshot. There were no signs of forced entry, but Leota’s purse was missing, hinting at a possible robbery gone wrong—or a deliberate attempt to mislead investigators.
The Hulses were well-known in their tight-knit community. Leota had used a hospital settlement to build their handicap-accessible home, designed to accommodate William’s needs.
Neighbors described them as kind and unassuming, making their violent deaths all the more shocking.
“They didn’t bother anybody,” said longtime neighbor Carol Stansill in a recent interview. “Whoever did this had to know them—or at least know the house.”
Despite extensive efforts by the OSBI and local law enforcement, the case went cold. Early leads fizzled out, and no suspects were ever publicly named.
But in August 2024, the OSBI reignited interest by releasing new details about a specific piece of evidence: a Smith & Wesson Sigma SW9F pistocl, a model produced only between 1994 and 1997.
Investigators believe this rare firearm may be linked to the killings.
We’re not saying this is definitely the murder weapon,” OSBI Special Agent Tammy Ferrari clarified at a press conference last year. “But it could lead us to someone who was at the Huls residence that day.”
The agency is now appealing to residents of Northeast Oklahoma, Southeast Kansas, and Southwest Missouri—areas where the gun might have circulated—to come forward with any information about its ownership, sale, or trade.
A $10,000 reward remains active for tips leading to an arrest and conviction.
The renewed push has sparked hope among the Huls’ surviving family members, who have waited over a decade for justice.
“Mom and Dad deserved better than this,” said their daughter, Linda Huls, now 52, in a statement to local media. “Someone out there knows something. It’s time to speak up.”
Investigators have long speculated that the killer may have been familiar with the couple, given the lack of forced entry and the isolated location of their home. Theories range from a targeted attack to a crime of opportunity, but physical evidence has been scarce.
Traces found in Miami, Oklahoma, suggest the perpetrator may have passed through the nearby town, yet this lead, too, has failed to crack the case.
As the 17th anniversary of the murders approaches, the OSBI is urging the public to reexamine old memories and conversations. “Even the smallest detail could break this wide open,” Ferrari said. “A gun like that doesn’t just disappear.”
For the people of Welch, the Huls case is a lingering wound—a reminder that evil can strike even in the quietest corners of Oklahoma.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the OSBI tip line at 1-800-522-8017. Until answers emerge, the deaths of William and Leota Huls remain a cold, unresolved chapter in the state’s history.
