True Crime Chronicles: Brutal 1991 murder of University of Oklahoma student still goes unpunished 32-years later

Alfred Brian Mitchell, has been on Oklahoma’s death row since July 15, 1992, convicted of first-degree murder in Oklahoma County.

Now 52, he was 19 when sentenced for the 1991 killing of Elaine Marie Scott. His case involves a brutal crime, multiple legal challenges, and ongoing questions about evidence.

On January 7, 1991, Elaine Scott, a 21-year-old University of Oklahoma student, was found dead at the Pilot Recreation Community Center in Oklahoma City, where she worked part-time.

 She was beaten with a golf club and a coat rack and stabbed with a compass. Mitchell, then 18, was arrested soon after. He had a prior juvenile conviction for rape.

Evidence included blood on his shoes and a matching shoe print at the scene. His statements to police varied, sometimes implicating others.

On July 10, 1992, a jury convicted him of first-degree murder, robbery with a dangerous weapon, and larceny of an automobile, recommending death due to the crime’s “heinous, atrocious, or cruel” nature and Mitchell’s perceived threat to society.

s

Mitchell’s case has seen extensive appeals. In 1999, a federal judge vacated his rape and sodomy convictions, citing misleading testimony from police chemist Joyce Gilchrist about blood and semen evidence, but upheld the murder conviction and death sentence.

In 2001, the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ordered a new sentencing trial due to Gilchrist’s testimony affecting the penalty phase. A 2002 resentencing ended with another death sentence, but it was overturned in 2006 for procedural errors involving the use of robbery and larceny to support an aggravating factor.

A third sentencing in 2007 again resulted in death, upheld in 2010. Mitchell’s appeals have continued, focusing on evidence reliability, but courts have affirmed his murder conviction.

An execution set for October 3, 2024, was stayed for further legal review. As of April 2025, no new date is scheduled.

Scott’s family, including parents Ann and Bruce, has attended trials, expressing frustration at the lengthy process. Mitchell has spent over 30 years in Oklahoma State Penitentiary.

He claims others were more responsible, though no evidence supports this. His case ties into broader issues with Oklahoma’s death penalty, including Gilchrist’s discredited work in multiple cases.

Oklahoma has executed 128 people since 1976, but Mitchell’s case highlights forensic and procedural challenges.

Mitchell remains on death row, with his case unresolved as legal proceedings continue.