Cold Case Files: Tulsa housewife whose body was dumped in Muskogee County lingers on as an unsolved mystery

Francine Anderson Frost

Francine Anderson Frost was born on January 28, 1937, in Tulsa. She was the first child of Edwin Scott Anderson and Frances Terry Anderson. She grew up in Oklahoma and graduated from Holy Family High School in 1955.

She married Malcolm Frost and had two daughters, Vicki Sue Frost in 1957 and Karen Anne Frost in 1961. She worked as a secretary for Dr. David L. Edwards Jr. Family described her as quiet, private, gentle, and principled.

She enjoyed shopping, cooking, Christmas traditions, and vacations in San Francisco and Carmel.

In February 16, 1981, Francine left her Tulsa home to shop at the Skaggs Alpha Beta grocery store at 21st Street and Memorial Drive.

She was 44 years old. She vanished that evening. Her husband Malcolm found her 1980 Buick Skylark in the store parking lot the next day. The keys were in the driver's door. Groceries were inside the car.

r Malcolm reported her missing on February 17, 1981. Police interviewed family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers. No leads emerged. The case went cold

.On January 1, 1983, an anonymous phone call tipped off authorities. On January 5, 1983, Muskogee County deputies found skeletal remains in a rural wooded area six miles southeast of Martin. The site was between U.S. 64 and the Muskogee Turnpike, off Interstate 40.

The remains belonged to a white female aged 25 to 40. She had been shot multiple times in the head. Clothing included a prairie denim jean skirt and a white girdle. Unable to identify her, authorities buried the remains as Jane Doe in Greenhill Cemetery in Muskogee.

Flooding later destroyed many case files in a Muskogee County building.

In 2008, Tulsa police collected DNA from Francine's family and entered it into databases. No matches appeared. In September 2013, Muskogee County Sheriff's Office added the Jane Doe case to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, known as NamUs.In 2014, Francine's grandson Cory Curl searched NamUs.

He noticed details matching his grandmother, including the clothing. He contacted the Oklahoma State Medical Examiner's Office. In August 2015, a court order allowed exhumation of the remains.

DNA testing at the University of North Texas confirmed the identity in August 2016. Tulsa Police announced the homicide investigation on August 17, 2016. The exact location of death remained unclear, whether Tulsa or Muskogee County.

The remote dump site suggested the killer knew the area

.Francine's daughter Vicki Frost Curl described her mother as the most private person she knew. Vicki recalled the call from her father about the missing car. Cory Curl said he almost fell out of his chair when reading about the clothing.

The family learned of the multiple head shots. They vowed to find the killer.The identification highlighted gaps in missing persons reporting. Vicki shared the story with lawmakers.

In November 2019, Oklahoma passed Francine's Law, House Bill 2640. It requires law enforcement to enter missing persons into NamUs within 30 days. It also mandates medical examiners to submit unidentified remains samples.

District Attorney Jack Thorp noted the law improves identifications

.Francine's remains were reburied on September 16, 2016, in a private graveside service at McPherson Cemetery in McPherson, Kansas. The plot is New Part Block 9 D Lot 3 Space 7.

She rests alongside her daughter Karen Anne Frost, who died the same day.

The case remains unsolved. No suspects have been named. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation handles tips. As of 2024, no new developments have surfaced. The family continues seeking answers.