Missing Inola Man With Parkinson's Found Dead; Suspect Arrested

A missing man who was named in a Silver Alert Wednesday morning has been found dead at a Tulsa motel and police believe it is a homicide.

Wednesday, January 21st 2015, 10:29 am

By: News On 6

Missing Inola Man With Parkinson's Found Dead; Suspect Arrested

A missing man who was named in a Silver Alert Wednesday morning has been found dead at a Tulsa motel and police believe it is a homicide.

Gerald Hail, 70, suffered from Parkinson's Disease and had been missing since 2 p.m. on Tuesday from his home in Inola, authorities said.

In the Silver Alert, officials said Hail did not take his medicine on Tuesday.

Tulsa homicide detectives were seen entering the Super 8 Motel at 31st and Memorial and later told reporters that a maid tried to enter a motel room but had trouble because Hail's body was behind the door.

Sergeant Dave Walker said the body had suffered a significant amount of trauma. Walker said there was no sign of a struggle inside the room and no weapon found.

The medical examiner will have to determine how Hail died, but police said they classified the case as a murder.

Hail checked in to the motel on Tuesday afternoon under his own name, although it doesn't appear he brought anything in to the room with him, Walker said.

Investigators looked at surveillance video and checked motel registers to find out names of people who were staying there at the same time.

Walker said a man seen leaving the motel with Hail was identified as 26-year-old Matthew Prince Hannah. Walker said video also shows Hannah and Hail return to the motel with Hail and Hannah leaving in Hail's truck alone.

Walker said the murder didn't appear to be a random act since there was no sign of forced entry or struggle.

Tulsa Police found Hail's truck Wednesday afternoon behind a church in the 6100 block of East Latimer.

Walker said detectives and agents had surveillance on Hannah within a mile of where the truck was found and eventually brought him in for questioning.

Enough information was gathered during the questioning and the investigation to arrest Hannah for first degree murder, Walker said.

He said no motive for the murder has been established.