Roger Dale Stafford was born on November 4, 1951, in the United States. Very little is publicly known about his early life or upbringing. However, what became clear through later investigations was that Stafford had developed a deep capacity for violence and manipulation. By his twenties, he had become involved in criminal activity alongside his brother, Harold Stafford, and his wife, Verna.

Stafford’s background before his killing spree isn't well-documented in terms of employment, education, or personal milestones, but what emerged was the image of a man who was calculating, cold, and capable of unspeakable brutality. He maintained an outwardly calm demeanor even when facing multiple death sentences. Despite being convicted of nine murders, his wife Verna later testified that Stafford was responsible for as many as 34 murders across seven different states, though these claims were never fully confirmed or investigated due to his execution for the Oklahoma crimes.

Roger Dale Stafford’s killing spree lasted at least four years, starting with the murder of Jimmy Earl Berry on January 12, 1974. Berry, a 20-year-old assistant manager at a McDonald's in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, was shot four times during a robbery in which $1,390 was stolen. This case remained unsolved until Stafford’s wife later implicated him and his brother Harold. However, Stafford was never officially prosecuted for Berry’s murder because later charges in Oklahoma took precedence.

The violence escalated dramatically in the summer of 1978.

On June 22, 1978, Stafford, his wife Verna, and brother Harold committed one of the most brutal murders in Oklahoma history. Verna flagged down the Lorenz family—Melvin (38), Linda (31), and their 12-year-old son Richard—on the side of Interstate 35 near Purcell, Oklahoma. The family was traveling to North Dakota for a funeral. When they stopped to help what they believed was a stranded motorist, they were robbed and executed by Stafford.

Just three weeks later, on July 16, 1978, Stafford entered a Sirloin Stockade restaurant in Oklahoma City during closing time and murdered six employees during a robbery. The victims, aged 15 to 56, were David Lindsey (17), David Salsman (16), Anthony Tew (17), Terri Horst (15), Louis Zacarias (43), and Isaac Freeman (56). Each was shot execution-style. The brutality and senselessness of the crime shocked the entire state and triggered a massive manhunt.

Stafford used a Colt Trooper .357 Magnum as his weapon of choice. His brother Harold was armed with a stolen Taurus .38 caliber, while Verna used a stolen .22-caliber Luger pistol.

Six days after the Sirloin Stockade massacre, Harold Stafford died in a motorcycle crash in Tulsa. This accidental death helped crack the case wide open. A woman who came to view Harold’s body at the funeral home was tracked to Chicago, Illinois, and identified as Verna Stafford. She was arrested, and not long after, Roger Stafford was taken into custody.

Verna cooperated with authorities, detailing the crimes and testifying against her husband in exchange for two life sentences. She later divorced him while he was on death row.

On October 17, 1979, Roger Dale Stafford was convicted of all nine murders in Oklahoma and sentenced to death. Despite overwhelming evidence and his wife’s damning testimony, Stafford maintained his innocence throughout his incarceration.

While on death row, Stafford married twice, making headlines for his unusual popularity with women despite being behind bars.

On July 1, 1995, Roger Dale Stafford was executed by lethal injection at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester. He never confessed to the murders—not even at the end.

Strangely, two days after his execution, Assistant Attorney General Sandy Howard received a $5 gift certificate to Sirloin Stockade with a message on the back: “Hey, you got away with it. I am murder and you help do it! I am innocent and you know it.” It was signed: Roger Dale Stafford 103767.

The certificate was traced to a Sirloin Stockade in El Reno and mailed from McAlester, where Stafford had been executed. This raised disturbing questions: Was it sent by an accomplice? A supporter? Or had Stafford mailed it just before his death?

To this day, some believe Stafford may have killed more than nine people, but those victims may never be fully known.