The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) Cold Case Unit is asking the public’s help in seeking answers to a 1971 cold case with Sequoyah County ties.
According to the OSBI Facebook page, on Oct. 29, 1971, Mack Watkins, 56, was driving westbound from Little Rock, Ark. when he reportedly picked up two hitchhikers.
The hitchhikers were described as an adult male and female. The male was said to have had an Illinois driver’s license with a possible 1944 date of birth. Witnesses at that time also said that the man had a tattoo of the word “LOVE” on his left hand and his right hand appeared to have some type of birth defect. The female was said to have long, red hair.
The following day, Watkins was discovered deceased along I-40, near the Sallisaw rest area, and his orange pickup truck was later found abandoned in Oklahoma City.
The OSBI Cold Case Unit continues to seek justice in this case and asks anyone with information to contact them at tips@osbi.ok.gov or by calling 1-800-522-8017.
