Erlene Lee

See also Willie Moore.

Erlene Gayle Lee was arrested on September 20, 2019 and charged with first-degree murder in the September 18, 1983 killing of 39-year-old Anthony Baltes in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Baltes had been tied up, strangled, and beaten to death inside a Tulsa motel room.

There is currently no data on who performed the FGG investigation.

The case against Lee was dismissed on February 24, 2020 at the request of the state, and she was released from custody. She was assisting prosecutors with the case against her co-accused, Willie Moore, but he passed away in 2020 while his trial was pending.

Sources:

Hutchins, Ethan, and KTUL Staff. “Judge Finds Probable Cause in Preliminary Hearing to Send 1983 Tulsa Cold Case to Trial.” ABC News 8 Tulsa, February 12, 2020. Accessed December 24, 2020. https://ktul.com/news/local/judge-finds-probable-cause-in-preliminary-hearing-to-send-1983-tulsa-cold-case-to-trial.

State of Oklahoma v. Erlene G. Lee. State Motion to Dismiss Case. Case No. CF-2019-4489. Filed September 20, 2019. Closed February 24, 2020. Accessed December 24, 2020. https://www.oscn.net/dockets/GetCaseInformation.aspx?db=tulsa&number=CF-2019-4489&cmid=3294732.

Querry, K., and KFOR-TV. “Update: Two Arrested, Charged in Connection with Nearly 40-Year-Old Cold Case Murder.” Oklahoma News 4, September 20, 2019, last modified September 21, 2019. Accessed December 24, 2020. https://kfor.com/news/two-men-charged-in-connection-with-nearly-40-year-old-cold-case-murder/.

Sokmensuer, Harriet. “Man and Woman Charged in Nearly 40-Year-Old Cold-Case Murder of Man in Okla. Motel Room.” People, September 23, 2019. Accessed December 24, 2020. https://people.com/crime/two-charged-with-cold-case-1983-killing-of-oklahoma-man-in-motel-room/.

Whaley, Sara, and Fox 23 News. “Charges Dropped Against One in 1983 Murder Case.” Fox 23 News, September 20, 2019. Accessed December 24, 2020. https://www.fox23.com/news/two-indicted-in-1983-tulsa-cold-case-murder/988400120/.

Individual

First Name Erlene
Last Name Lee
Other Names
Victims 1 (Details)
IGG Started nd
Case Cleared 2019-09-20
IGG Org nd

Victims

Case ID Name Age Case Opened Location Investigating Org Most Serious Charge Disposition Court
1261 Anthony Baltes 39 1983-09-18 Tulsa, OK Tulsa PD First degree murder Charges were dismissed by the prosecutor Tulsa CO DIST CT

Last updated: February 9, 2024

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Case data and narrative licensed under CC BY 4.0: Dowdeswell, Tracey (2023), “Forensic Genetic Genealogy Project v. 2022”, Mendeley Data, V1, doi: 10.17632/jcycgvhm96.1. All other content, including photos, have been added.