The Knife: A True Crime Podcast

Episode: Denton Family Murder

Hosts: Hannah Smith and Patia Eaton
Guest: Beth Denton
Release Date: August 21, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of The Knife dives into the 1970 murders of Patricia Henderson and her daughter Melanie in Oklahoma City, as recounted by Beth Denton, a distant relative who began her own investigation decades later. Rather than focusing purely on the whodunit or sensational headlines, hosts Hannah Smith and Patia Eaton, through Beth's story, explore the enduring trauma, family memory, and ripple effects of violent crime. The episode blends family history, archival research, and personal reflection, bringing empathy and context to long-cold events.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Beth’s Connection and Motivation

[05:45 - 06:18]

• Beth introduces herself as a special education teacher with a writing background.
• The murder affected her family, but the case was rarely discussed.
• Beth's curiosity was reignited in 2009 while watching a true crime documentary with her father.
• Quote: "I turned to him and I said, what happened to the guy who killed cousin Patricia? And he looked at me and he said, I don't actually know." (Beth Denton, 06:15)

Family and Childhood Recollections

[07:11 - 08:49]

• Early memories of Patricia come via family stories meant to teach safety, like wearing a seatbelt.
• Beth learned much of her family's tragedies through fragmented, sometimes awkward mentions.

Beginning the Investigation

[08:49 - 10:33]

• Beth embarked on a personal research project for a college nonfiction writing class, hoping to uncover what happened to Patricia’s killer.
• She encountered challenges due to the lack of digitized 1970s records.
• A key break: a contact at the Oklahoma Historical Society happened to personally know Patricia's kids.
• Quote: "She said, I have to tell you, this was a bit of a shock to hear from you asking about this, because I lived across the street. My kids played with her kids..." (Beth Denton, 09:09)

Family Portrait: Patricia and Maureen

[10:33 - 14:41]

• Patricia described as strong-willed, rebellious, and independent, often clashing with her single mother, Maureen.
• Maureen tried to give her daughter stability, buying a house in Oklahoma City with rental plans for the servants’ quarters.
• The family was tight-knit, yet complicated by generational stubbornness and struggles.

Patricia’s Adult Life and Struggles

[15:48 - 17:29]

• Patricia married young, had two children (Melanie and Joey), but her marriage quickly dissolved.
• She returned to her mother's home, struggling with single parenthood and personal dissatisfaction.
• Mental health issues touched multiple family members.

Events Leading to the Crime

[20:33 - 24:45]

• Patricia, post-divorce, lived in the servant’s quarters with her kids while her mother and a boarder, Ray, lived in the main house.
• Known for making impulsive decisions, Patricia had been previously scammed by a second husband, Howard Riggs.
• Vulnerabilities: Beth’s father recalled that the window (later believed to be the point of entry) was often left unlocked for her daughter Melanie.

The Night of the Murder

[26:46 - 28:34]

• On May 3, 1970, Patricia and Melanie were murdered in their apartment; five-year-old Joey was unharmed.
• The assailant entered, likely via the unlocked window.
• Early reporting ruled out robbery as a motive.

Family Aftermath & Grief

[29:43 - 36:29]

• Beth’s grandmother documented the immediate aftermath in a letter, expressing shock, sorrow, and confusion over possible motives and suspects.
• The family drove from Illinois to Oklahoma upon hearing the devastating news.

The Police Investigation

[37:17 - 39:35]

• Initial suspicion fell on Patricia’s estranged, con-man second husband, Howard Riggs, but he was never located or charged with the murders.
• Ultimately, attention shifted to Ronald Litterell, a mentally ill local man whose car had bloodstains inside.
• Quote: "On June 17, it was reported that Ronald Litterell had confessed to murdering both Patricia and Melanie Henderson." (Hannah Smith, 40:52)

Motive & Trial

[41:04 - 45:25]

• Ronald Litterell claimed, via a letter to Maureen, that he was instructed by God to kill them—Beth and her family believe this claim was self-serving and lacked credibility.
• There was no apparent personal link between Litterell and the victims; the attack appeared random and unprovoked.
• He was found competent to stand trial, convicted, and sentenced to two life terms; he died in prison in 2022.

Ripple Effects and Unanswered Questions

[46:38 - 47:36]

• The tragedy deeply impacted family behavior—Beth notes her father’s hyper-vigilance about personal safety as a direct legacy.
• The episode touches on intergenerational trauma and unspoken pain, particularly around survivor Joey, with whom Beth lost contact.

Memory, Legacy, and the Importance of Storytelling

[50:17 - 51:06]

• Beth’s motivation: to reclaim memory for her family, especially as the generation that personally knew Patricia and Melanie fades away.
• Quote: "They were real. They mattered. And Maureen was real, and she was important to me, and that's why." (Beth Denton, 50:47)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “It was kind of hard to say because Patricia and Maureen argued so much and yelled at each other so much that, you know, that wasn't all that unusual… Joey came into the house, into the big house, and he, you know, said, mom and Cissy are sleeping on the floor and I can't get them to wake up.” (Beth Denton, 26:51)
• “Nothing was missing from the apartment so police ruled out robbery as a motive.” (Hannah Smith, 28:34)
• "He later on wrote to Maureen on the advice of his psychiatrist and said that God had told him to kill them. I don't think that's true. I think he wanted an excuse." (Beth Denton, 41:20)
• “It certainly made my dad's overprotectiveness of his daughters really clear and absolutely understandable, almost in the sense that it doesn't seem like overprotectiveness at all." (Beth Denton, 46:38)
• "As my dad gets older, there aren't very many people left who remember them, and they were real. They mattered... and that's why." (Beth Denton, 50:47)

Important Timestamps

• 05:45 - Beth's Thanksgiving realization and the start of her investigation
• 08:49 - Challenges of investigating a decades-old unsolved murder
• 13:12 - Descriptions of Patricia's appearance and personality
• 20:33 - Patricia's struggles as a single mother in the late 1960s
• 24:20 - Vulnerabilities in Patricia's home, family recollections
• 26:46 - The aftermath: Discovery of the bodies and early family responses
• 28:34 - Newspaper coverage and start of police investigation
• 37:17 - Shift in investigation, suspicions about Howard Riggs, and eventual focus on Ronald Litterell
• 40:52 - Confession and arrest of Litterell
• 45:25 - Ronald Litterell’s fate and family impact
• 46:38 - The enduring trauma: changes in family behavior
• 50:47 - The importance of family storytelling and memory

Tone & Language

The episode is deeply empathetic, contemplative, and at times raw—blending journalistic inquiry with personal, intergenerational pain. The hosts and Beth use direct yet gentle language, staying true to the emotional complexity of the events. Humor about tall moms and family quirks lightens the heavier moments without trivializing the trauma.

Conclusion

This episode of The Knife stands out for its intimate approach: a family crime not sensationalized, but mourned, examined, and reclaimed. Beth’s efforts not only illuminate a half-century-old tragedy but also showcase the profound impact violent crime can have—not just on direct victims, but on those left behind, generations later.

The story is marked by chance discoveries, interwoven memories, and the enduring pursuit of understanding and remembrance, ultimately reinforcing the podcast’s mission: cutting to the heart of the human experience behind crime.

For more family pictures and deeper context, listeners are encouraged to visit the podcast’s Instagram account @theknifepodcast.