True Case Chronicles: Tulsa mass murder/ suicide left grandmother, mother, and three children dead

On February 12, 1999, a small apartment at 1925 N. Gary Ave. in north Tulsa became the scene of Oklahoma’s deadliest mass killing by a single person at the time.

Edwin James Bell, 23, shot and killed his estranged girlfriend, Markita King, 22, their three young daughters--Ebonie, 4, Essynce, 2, and Marjonna, 8 months--his mother, Linda Farris, 45, and then himself.

The murder-suicide left a family shattered and a community grappling with the devastating consequences of domestic violence.

Markita King had moved to Tulsa from Oklahoma City three months earlier, seeking refuge with her aunt, Fannie King. The move was an attempt to escape a history of violence at the hands of Bell, with whom she had lived alongside his mother in Oklahoma City.

According to family accounts, Markita hoped the distance would protect her and her children from Bell’s abuse. Her family shared that hope, believing the miles might offer safety where legal protections had not been pursued.

Court records and police reports reveal a troubling history. In October 1994, Bell shot King in the leg at their Oklahoma City home, an incident both described to police as an accident. Authorities confiscated the weapon, but King declined to press charges, and Bell faced no arrest.

In April 1997, Bell was arrested in Midwest City on multiple complaints, including assault and battery, carrying a firearm and a knife, driving under the influence, trespassing, and possessing an open container of alcohol. The DUI was reduced to reckless driving, with a $221 fine, and the assault charge became disorderly conduct, with a $272 fine.

Other charges were dismissed. Despite these incidents, King did not seek a protective order, and police advised her that the distance from Oklahoma City to Tulsa would “probably be enough.”

On the morning of February 12, Bell and his mother arrived at King’s apartment to pick up the children for a two-week visit. The night before, King had prepared her daughters, combing their hair and packing their bags. Fannie King recalled helping Ebonie and a friend make valentines for Bell and Farris.

Sometime before 10 a.m., Bell used a 9mm pistol to carry out the killings in the apartment’s living room. Police found Bell and Farris on a couch with one child, while King and the other two girls were on the floor in front of them.

Tulsa police officer Andy Phillips noted no signs of a struggle or attempts to flee, suggesting the victims had little chance to react. The gun’s proximity to Bell’s body led investigators to conclude it was a murder-suicide.

The bodies were discovered around 10:30 a.m. by Markita’s sister, who grew concerned when King didn’t answer her phone. Knowing Bell was visiting, she feared for their safety. Upon arriving, she saw Marjonna motionless on the floor and called police.

Chilling radio dispatches captured officers finding one body after another. Witnesses reported hearing gunshots between 6 and 10 a.m.

The killings underscored the dangers of domestic violence, a persistent issue in Oklahoma. A 2023 report noted the state ranks first nationally for domestic violence cases per capita and third for domestic violence homicides, with 134 deaths in 2021 alone.

For the King family, the loss remains a wound that time has not healed. Each member carries memories of Markita and her daughters--Ebonie’s valentines, Essynce’s toddler energy, Marjonna’s infant smiles--frozen in the moments before tragedy struck.

For them, the apartment at 1925 N. Gary Ave. stands as a reminder of love lost and a warning of violence unchecked.