Oklahoma
Oklahoma Cold Case Files: Alejandro Sandoval
TULSA, Okla. — It’s a case with few leads, no suspects and little to go on. The 2003 cold case of Alejandro Sandoval is about as stalled as it comes.
It was September 9, 2003, and Tulsa Police said Alejandro Sandoval was living at the Salida Creek Apartments in east Tulsa.
That day, officers said he was shot outside his building and then staggered inside his apartment where he collapsed.
Detectives told 2 News the Sandoval case is unusual.
Investigators don’t even have a photo of him, but what they do have is a case that’s remained cold for 21 years.
“In his final moments he had gone into his apartment and told his girlfriend that there was somebody chasing him, and then he laid down on the floor and he never really regained consciousness from there,” said Lt. Brandon Watkins.
Tulsa police said it wasn’t hard to figure out how Sandoval died.
“It turned out that he was shot,” said Watkins.
However, officers said there was little cooperation from nearby witnesses at the time of Sandoval’s death.
“There’s a little bit of discrepancy when you read the reports. It’s hard to tell if he ran in there once or came outside and then came back but at some point, he was shot,” said Watkins.
Police said another thing that makes this case so difficult is the numerous names that Sandoval used throughout his life.
“Mr. Sandoval had multiple aliases and his actual real name was Jose Mendoza Agular, but he also went by Alberto Diaz. He was apparently involved in the drug trade and had been having multiple run-ins with people around his apartment complex in the month leading up to his death,” said Watkins.
Watkins said it’s possible one of those enemies may have caught up with him outside his apartment that day.
Despite what he was possibly involved with, Watkins said no one deserves to lose their life at the hand of another.
“Often when people lead a high-risk lifestyle, this is often the outcome of it and no one ever deserves it. I mean yeah, he is committing crimes, but you can pay for that through the judicial system, not by someone’s hand,” said Watkins.
If you have any information about the death of Alejandro Sandoval, you can call Tulsa Crime Stoppers.
That number is 918-596-COPS.
Go even deeper into cold cases in Green Country with our podcast. New episodes drop in Fridays.
New Iowa State wrestling coach Brent Metcalf outlines vision for team
New Iowa State wrestling coach Brent Metcalf outlines vision for team
Iowa State wrestling’s first commitment of the Brent Metcalf era will be a transfer portal addition.
The Cyclones added Oklahoma State transfer Brayden Thompson, who announced his commitment on April 18 via Instagram. Thompson is a one-time NCAA qualifier at the 2024 NCAA Championships, doing so as a true freshman. He redshirted in 2024-25, but competed in open tournaments at 184 pounds and was 9-0. He did not wrestle a match in 2025-26 and will have at least two years of eligibility remaining.
Out of high school, Thompson was ranked the No. 3 pound-for-pound wrestler and No. 1 at 182 pounds in the 2023 recruiting class by Flowrestling. He also won Powerade and Ironman titles, two of the more prestigious high school tournaments in the nation. Assuming Thompson returns to 184 pounds where he last wrestled, he should fill in nicely as a potential replacement for Isaac Dean after his graduation.
Thompson is Iowa State’s first transfer portal addition after several departures, including Anthony Echemendia and Christian Castillo, who also entered the portal.
Eli McKown covers high school sports and wrestling for the Des Moines Register. Contact him at Emckown@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @EMcKown23.
NORMAN — The Oklahoma Sooners liked their wide receiver room a year ago. They want 2026 to be even better.
Isaiah Sategna’s return helps that desire. Earning experienced pass catchers Trell Harris and Parker Livingstone via the transfer portal gives you added play makers. But after the Sooners Spring Game on Saturday, an unlikely hero emerged.
When Jahsiear Rogers flipped from Penn State to Oklahoma last December, he drew the usual excitement that comes with a new commitment. But few expected him to climb the depth chart this quickly, even with the injuries that hit Emmett Jones’ room.
Rogers did just that and more on Saturday. He led all pass catchers with five receptions for 70 yards in Oklahoma’s annual Red/White game.
“I knew it was time to showcase,” Rogers said after the game. “It was amazing to see the fans and get used to the OU way. I’m a playmaker. They really want to put the ball in playmakers hands. I pretty much knew I had to lead the white team.”
Rogers got the ball rolling early. On the second offensive play for the white team, backup quarterback Whitt Newbauer rolled to his right wide, then stopped and looked towards the middle of the field where he saw Rogers running open. Newbauer connected with Rogers for a 39-yard gain.
Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X for the latest news.
With Rogers on the white team, he is running against (most of) Oklahoma’s starting defense. As fate would have it, on that 39-yard reception, Rogers beat his favorite teammate to compete against — Reggie Powers.
“He is just a leader, good guy,” Rogers said of Powers. “Me and him go after it every day in practice. Reggie is strong. When I come at him, I have to really come at him.”
Rogers’ big play over Powers was the second-longest catch of the spring game — Sategna’s 50-yard reception that appeared to be a touchdown before coaches pulled it back to set up a red-zone rep. The other four catches weren’t flashy, but they were important in their own way, and Rogers looked like he belonged on the field.
“I love it. As long as I can get the ball, I can be me. I love it,” Rogers said. “When I am on the field, I am ready to go. I am ready to be a playmaker.”
The season is still months away, and Rogers hasn’t earned a spot high on the depth chart yet. A strong spring and an encouraging Red/White Game can only lead to early playing time if he carries that momentum into summer and fall camp.
More experienced players will return from injury and receivers who’ve been in the program for a few years will have an extra leg-up.
But Rogers is taking everything in stride and leaving no stone unturned in his development.
“Just learning from the older guys,” Rogers said. “Manny Choice, Isaiah Sategna, Trell Harris, Mackenzie Alleyne. Really all of them. We lean on each other, learn from each other. That is kind of how our room is.”
Follow
The Oklahoma baseball team is back in the mix and trending upward.
After a rough few weeks in Southeastern Conference play, the 14th-ranked Sooners have won three of their last four games to get to .500 at just beyond the halfway point of the league slate. Friday’s 9-6 win over Missouri allowed Oklahoma to move to 8-8, tied with three other teams for eighth in the standings.
Friday’s win wasn’t truly that close, even. OU took a 9-3 lead into the ninth before Mizzou made it somewhat interesting with three runs in the frame. Two of them came with two outs, though, and Mason Bixby induced a groundout with the bases empty to hold on.
The large edge came via a home run-happy night. The Sooners popped four over the wall at Kimrey Family Stadium, including three in a four-run seventh inning that gave OU a four-run lead.
Jason Walk, who hit one of the four homers, had the best day at the plate. He went 2 for 5 with the shot, three RBIs and a run. Camden Johnson, who also homered, went 2 for 3 with a walk, a double and two runs, and Dasan Harris went 2 for 4 with a home run, two RBIs, and three runs. Trey Gambill hit the Sooners’ other jack.
Oklahoma jumped out to a four-run lead in the second behind four hits and a walk. Missouri helped the Sooners out with an error that resulted in a bases-loaded situation and three unearned runs registered to Tigers starter Josh McDevitt.
The runs were more than enough for Oklahoma’s LJ Mercurius, who pitched six strong innings, giving up three runs on six hits with no walks and nine strikeouts.
Game 2 in the series is set for 4 p.m. Saturday and the finale will be played Sunday at 2 p.m., weather permitting.
-
Nevada5 minutes agoNevada high school football head coach steps down
-
New Hampshire11 minutes ago‘Not cosmetic’: NH lawmaker wants state to cover GLP-1 drugs for weight loss – Concord Monitor
-
New Jersey17 minutes agoThe Maple House Is Planning To Open In Two Locations In New Jersey This Year
-
New Mexico23 minutes agoASU baseball to host New Mexico State, Baylor
-
North Carolina29 minutes agoThree Underrated UNC Football Seniors To Watch in 2026
-
North Dakota35 minutes agoFinley, North Dakota without water after watermain leak.
-
Ohio41 minutes agoBonnie Sue Reed-Tilton-Hetzel, East Liverpool, Ohio
-
Oklahoma47 minutes agoIowa State wrestling adds Brayden Thompson from transfer portal