MWC Police Doubles Reward In 2014 Cold Case

Thumbing through a drawer full of case files, Midwest City Detective Wade Ramsey admits he's frustrated. 

"Frankly, we've never gotten a good tip that's led us to who we believe our real suspect was," Ramsey said.

On June 21, 2014, firefighters responded to a fire at a home on Maple Drive. 

Inside, they found the bodies of Shelby Hughes and her boyfriend Bryan Vanassche.

Police said the two were heroin addicts who sold drugs to support their habits. 

Officers think they had been killed a few days before the fire, and the murders may have been drug-related. 

Sometime between the time of the homicides and when the house was torched, Tiffany Holman, of Midwest City, admitted to breaking in and burglarizing the place, although she told police she didn't see the bodies.

"I think Ms. Holman probably did see the bodies of Bryan and Shelby although she never admitted to it, and she or somebody around her probably has additional information that would help this case get solved," Ramsey said.

Now, police are doubling the reward for information in the case, offering $10,000. 

Atlee Hikerson was friends with the couple, until their addiction became too much.

"Both Bryan and Shelby were both painters,” Hikerson said. “She had a very prestigious art education and then career in New York, and Bryan had been a painter and musician and photographer and all kinds of other things.”

Police hope someone sees the $10,000 reward and speaks out. Investigators say the couple deserves justice.

"Even though they were involved in drugs and had addiction issues, they didn't deserve what happened to them," Ramsey said.

Anyone with information about the homicides is asked to call the Midwest City police at (405) 739-1330.