OKLAHOMA CITY — Verna Stafford has passed the first stage of the parole process for her involvement in the 1978 Sirloin Stockade murders in Oklahoma City. She is currently serving life sentences for the crimes.

Stafford, along with Roger Dale Stafford and Harold Stafford, committed the murders of six employees on July 16, 1978. The victims ranged in age from 15 to 56 years old. Separately, Roger and Verna Stafford were responsible for the murders of the Lorenz family near Purcell, which occurred a few weeks prior to the Sirloin Stockade incident. Harold Stafford died in a motorcycle accident before he could be arrested. Roger Stafford was executed in 1995, and Verna Stafford has applied for parole multiple times, with each previous application being denied.

Elizabeth Payne, niece of Anthony Tew, one of the Sirloin Stockade victims, stated that her family was appalled by the development. Anthony Tew was 17 years old at the time of his death. "He was a good kid, working a summer job to save up for a promise ring for his girlfriend. In fact, he wasn't even supposed to be working the night he was killed. He stepped in to cover for someone who had called out of work," Payne said.

"Tony, as we called him, was one of the most gentle and genuinely kind people they've ever known. My mother often spoke about how helpful he was," she said. She added that Verna Stafford still experiences life's milestones while the victims' families do not. "She still has birthdays, she still has Christmases, she still has meals. She still sleeps and wakes up every morning, and we don't get that," Payne said.

"We are all appalled. I can't even fathom the possibility that someone who has caused such terror in so many families' lives would even be considered to be released back into society," she said. "If the reasoning is that they feel she has served enough time, the families of the victims are still serving a life sentence." Payne concluded that Stafford should remain incarcerated. "She needs to stay in prison," she said.

The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board confirmed Stafford's advancement in the parole process. Her next parole hearing is scheduled for August.