The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board recommended parole for Verna Stafford in a 3-2 vote on Tuesday, advancing a decision that will now go to Gov. Kevin Stitt.
Stafford, 73, will not be released from prison regardless of whether Stitt accepts or rejects the recommendation because she has a second life sentence to serve.
A spokesperson for Stitt’s office released the following statement after the vote:
“Governor Stitt will follow the same process he uses after every parole recommendation.”
Key Takeaways
- The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board recommended parole for Verna Stafford in a 3-2 vote Tuesday on her first life sentence.
- Stafford, 73, will not be released regardless of Gov. Kevin Stitt’s decision because she has a second life sentence to serve.
- The second life sentence will not be eligible for parole for 15 years, according to the updated case information.
- Stafford pleaded guilty in 1980 to two counts of second-degree murder tied to the 1978 Sirloin Stockade killings and her involvement in the Lorenz family murders.
What the parole recommendation means
Tuesday’s vote applies to Stafford’s first life sentence.
The recommendation now goes to Stitt, who can accept or reject the Pardon and Parole Board’s recommendation. Even if Stitt accepts the recommendation, Stafford would remain in prison while serving her second life sentence.
That second life sentence would not be eligible for parole for another 15 years.
Senate President Pro Tempore Lonnie Paxton has publicly opposed Stafford’s release.
Related Story: Former OSBI Agent Recalls Sirloin Stockade Murder Investigation
How this process started
The current parole process began in June 2026, when the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board confirmed Stafford had passed the first stage of consideration.
The board then moved the case forward for additional consideration. On Monday, the board heard from members of the victims’ families and the district attorney before issuing its 3-2 recommendation on Tuesday.
History on this case
Stafford pleaded guilty in 1980 to two counts of second-degree murder for her role in the 1978 killings.
The case involved the murders of six employees at a Sirloin Stockade restaurant in Oklahoma City on July 16, 1978, as well as the murders of the Lorenz family 24 days earlier. The Lorenz family; Melvin Lorenz, his wife Linda, and their son were killed along Interstate 35 near Purcell on June 22, 1978.
The two cases were ultimately connected to Stafford, her husband Roger Dale Stafford, and her brother-in-law Harold Stafford.
