Oklahoma
Survivors of deadly Oklahoma home invasion to attend execution: ‘You shattered lives’
Dreu Kopf was at home with her young daughters and dear friend Amber Matthews when Wendell Grissom barged in and began shooting. Now Kopf and the girls, who are now grown, will watch him die.
Amber Matthews and Dreu Kopf only knew each other for two years but they had already become inseparable friends. Their lives then became forever intertwined when one of them was killed in a home invasion murder that the other survived.
“I would give anything to be able to call her at work again,” Kopf said in a victim impact statement obtained by USA TODAY. “I had a special ringtone for her and I miss hearing it.”
On Nov. 3, 2005, Wendell Arden Grissom murdered Matthews and seriously wounded Kopf inside her home in Watonga, Oklahoma. He didn’t know either women and chose the home seemingly at random.
Now Grissom is set to be executed by lethal injection in Oklahoma on Thursday, marking the first execution in the state in 2025 and the ninth in the U.S.
As his execution approaches, USA TODAY is looking back at the crime, who Matthews was and how Kopf is feeling about the case 20 years later.
What happened to Amber Matthews?
On Nov. 3, 2005, Grissom and a homeless hitchhiker he had picked up named Jessie Johns were planning to burglarize homes when they targeted Kopf’s house near Watonga, 70 miles northwest of Oklahoma City.
Kopf was home with her two daughters and Matthews when Grissom came knocking. Initially, he asked Kopf if her husband was home but eventually shot his way in, laughing as he fired, according to court records.
Kopf, who had been shot in the wrist, jumped on Grissom while Matthews ran with Kopf’s 5-week-old daughter into a room where Kopf’s 19-month-old daughter was sleeping.
“Dreu begged Grissom to stop,” court records say. She offered him “anything he wanted” to spare their lives but Kopf said in court records that “he was just laughing and he just kept shooting and shooting and laughing.”
Grissom shot Kopf in the head and hip. Hearing the shooting from inside the bedroom with the girls, Matthews was “overcome with terror” and “vomited all over her jeans and on the floor,” court records say.
Kopf managed to steal Grissom’s truck and escape, hoping he would follow her. On the way out, she heard Matthews scream, “Please don’t shoot me,” before Grissom shot her in the back of the head and then the forehead as she held one of the girls. Matthews died.
Kopf managed to flag down help and survived after being treated at a hospital. Police said Grissom and Johns fled Kopf’s home using her husband’s four-wheeler. Court records say Grissom and Johns were arrested in a nearby café after local citizens reported seeing the men to police.
‘I was crazy, I was scared’
Speaking to USA TODAY ahead of Grissom’s execution, Kopf recounted a long road to recovery that changed the trajectory of her and her family’s lives.
“I was scared all of the time. My husband wouldn’t leave my side,” Kopf said. “I lived in fear 24/7.”
Rylee Kopf, who was just 17 months old when Grissom invaded her home, recalled the struggles her mother endured in the years following the shooting.
“My mom would probably, with no exaggeration, call my dad 100 times a day, asking when he’s going to be home and if he couldn’t give her an answer she would call back,” she said. “She didn’t want to be home alone.”
Other members of Kopf’s family describe her as someone who was “paralyzed by fear” as she recovered from the shooting.
Despite the lasting nightmares and injuries, Kopf said that she has found a way to forgive Grissom. “I have to forgive this guy or Grissom is going to ride on my shoulder the rest of my life and control the rest of my life,” she said.
With Grissom’s execution this week, Kopf said it’s the end of a long process.
“Amber is always going to be 6 feet under and I will always be the girl that got shot. I’m probably going to always be nervous and scared,” Kopf said. “It’s taken 20 years of my life that I’ve had to deal with him. It’s a rollercoaster.”
She plans to witness Grissom’s execution along with her now-grown daughters, who are 19 and 20.
She hopes Grissom’s death will mark the moment that she “will never think of him again.”
‘My best friend’ and a ‘pretty angel’
Matthews’ father, Garry Matthews, described his daughter as the “apple of my eye, a cute blond blue-eyed little bundle of joy.”
“She was not only my daughter, she was my best friend. In and out of marriages, she was always there for me,” he said during Grissom’s 2008 trial. “The last restaurant we ate in, I can’t go back. Everything that reminds me of her brings back the pain.”
Although USA TODAY was not able to speak with members of Matthews’ family for this story, court records obtained show a family that has been devastated.
Matthews aunt, Rita Russell, told the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board last month that her niece was a “pretty angel.”
“We never got to see her get married or have kids. She loved kids,” she said, then addressed Grissom. “You shattered our lives that day … There’s not a day that does by that I don’t miss her beautiful smile.”
The ripple effects continue to haunt the entire Matthews family, they told the parole board.
“My holidays are not the same. My son no longer has a big sister,” Garry Matthews said in court. “I’m depressed. I miss my daughter so much and I want her back and can’t have her. I can’t even have her for one more day to say goodbye.”
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
TULSA, Okla — Tulsa has seen a boost in its food industry, thanks in part to a growing population.
Local News
Study shows Hispanic population boom boosting Tulsa economy
The Hispanic and Latino population has also contributed to the Oklahoma economy through restaurants, catering businesses, and food trucks.
According to a study conducted by the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission, the number of Hispanic and Latino individuals who have gone into the state’s food service industry has grown by more than 12,000 between 2001 and 2021.
To help continue this growth, the Lobeck Taylor Family Foundation is starting up its “Lanzamiento Program” for Spanish speakers who are interested in pursuing a career in the culinary industry.
Local News
Mother Road Market hosts program for Hispanic, Latino food entrepreneurs
The classes are held in partnership with Mother Road Market for 12 weeks.
Wendy Henriquez is the owner of Sugar Crave and completed the program back in 2024.
She said it was a huge help when it came to learning the ins and outs of the industry.
It also helped her that it was all in Spanish, the language she prefers.
“All of the classes were focused on the regulations here in the United States and Oklahoma needing to be met,” she said. “In every class, we had experts talk to us about things like taking out loans, insurance, credit.”
“Wow, I mean it isn’t easy, but it’s possible,” she said. “Perseverance is important.”
Abel Aguilar is the Program Manager in charge of the Lanzamiento course.
“We believe it’s important because not only do we have a strong population of both Hispanic and Latin entrepreneurs here in Tulsa, they may not know the resources that they have available to them,” he said.
While tuition doesn’t start off as being free of charge, there are financial assistance options to help.
We Street Credit Union has also pitched in to offer funds for financial assistance so some weight can be taken off of the participant.
Aguilar also said Lobeck Taylor will work something out if finances are the only obstacle to applying.
For others interested in other resources to help kickstart their business, Avanzando Juntos is also a non-profit organization that can help.
Primarily for Spanish speakers, Avanzando Juntos helps connect business owners with grants and funding that can help eliminate some of the costs that come with starting a business.
For those interested in applying to the “Lanzamiento” Program, you can visit the Kitchen 66 website for the application.
Isabel Flores is your North & East Tulsa reporter.
Is there something you think she should know about or look into?
You can email her at Isabel.Flores@kjrh.com.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere —
1. Death of inmate at Oklahoma County Detention Center under investigation
Oklahoma County Detention Center.
• 33-year-old Dancing Feathers Whitecrow found unresponsive
• Taken to hospital where she was pronounced dead
• Active investigation ongoing
Officials are investigating the death of an inmate at the Oklahoma County Detention Center.
Officers found 33-year-old Dancing Feathers Whitecrow unresponsive just before 7 p.m. Sunday. She was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead. Whitecrow had been booked into the jail in April.
This remains an active investigation.
The Oklahoma County Criminal Investigations Division is investigating after Dancing Feathers Whitecrow, 33, died in custody.
2. Deadly hit-and-run in southwest Oklahoma City
• Pedestrian struck and killed near Southwest 61st and May
• Crash happened just before midnight
• No description of the vehicle yet
Oklahoma City Police are investigating a deadly hit-and-run that happened late Tuesday in southwest Oklahoma City.
One person was struck and killed by a vehicle near Southwest 61st and May just before midnight on Wednesday.
Police say they currently have no description of the vehicle involved.
3. Elderly Moore woman mauled to death by dog
• 86-year-old Beatrice Carruth found dead July 2nd
• Dog belonged to her son, who was previously arrested in a related incident
• Dog has been euthanized
An 86-year-old Moore woman was mauled to death in her home by her son’s dog.
Beatrice Carruth was found dead on July 2nd. Family members say the dog, a Labrador and American Pit Bull Terrier mix, had previously attacked her in May.
The dog was euthanized Monday.
The Moore Police Department arrived at the scene near Northeast 27th Street and Highland Drive to find a woman with severe injuries.
4. Cattle rescue after semi overturns on I-40 near Tinker
News 9
• Mayberry family from Oklahoma City Stockyards helped clear the scene
• 109 head of cattle in trailer; more than 80 survived
• Similar crashes have happened in recent years
A family of ranchers helped rescue cattle after a semi overturned on I-40 near Tinker Air Force Base.
The Mayberry family responded to the scene and worked to safely remove the animals. They say they’ve assisted with several similar crashes over the past four years.
A trailer carrying 62 head of cattle overturned Tuesday morning, leaving only a single westbound lane of I-40 open for hours as crews rescued trapped animals.
5. Attorney General Drummond sues Allstate over insurance practices
• Lawsuit accuses company of denying or underpaying wind and hail claims
• Alleges use of undisclosed restrictive standards
• Similar lawsuit previously filed against State Farm
Attorney General Gentner Drummond is suing Allstate, accusing the insurance company of running a scheme to deny or underpay wind and hail claims.
The lawsuit alleges Allstate used undisclosed restrictive standards to limit coverage for Oklahomans. Drummond says the company is putting profits ahead of policyholders.
A similar lawsuit was previously filed against State Farm.
The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in Cleveland County District Court and alleges violations of state consumer protection and anti-racketeering laws.
———
Editor’s note: We used AI tools to help with editing and formatting this story. A human journalist reviewed everything before publication.
The NCAA is not done with Oklahoma State Guard Kashie Natt and his eligibility case, based on the organization’s statement on Tuesday.
On Monday, Natt received an ex parte ruling that kept the NCAA from enforcing its decision to cancel Natt’s waiver request to play in 2026-27. That ruling, from District Judge John Canavan, allows Natt to practice with the team, participate in all team activities and participate in any athletics-related benefits.
It also bars the NCAA from punishing Natt or Oklahoma State while the case is working its way through the court.
By its nature, an ex parte ruling is made after only hearing one side of the case. The NCAA posted a statement disagreeing with the ruling, including an explanation for why they canceled the waiver and will continue to pursue the case in court.
The NCAA’s Statement on Kashie Natt
The NCAA posted the statement to social media and was signed by the organization’s chief legal officer, Scott Bearby.
“The order in the Natt case, issued without the NCAA having any opportunity to respond and by a judge not even assigned to hear the case, is demonstrably flawed and the latest instance of an environment where litigation has become a tool to avoid playing by the rules that everyone has agreed to follow. The student-athlete at issue already benefited from the ‘Pavia waiver,’ which provided him the opportunity to play for a fifth season, and nobody, including the institution where he seeks to compete next year, has ever expressed any doubt that his collegiate career ended when the Pavia waiver expired. We will pursue all remedies to seek reversal of this decision, which contributes to the instability in college sports that only Congress can solve.”
The Pavia case, which was a suit called Pavia v. NCAA, was brought on behalf of Vanderbilt quarterback Deigo Pavia, who started his career in junior college. He received a preliminary injunction in 2025 after he challenged the NCAA’s system for junior college and NCAA eligibility, saying that his juco years counting toward his NCAA eligibility irreparably harmed his ability to leverage NIL.
The NCAA ultimately conceded and granted a blanket waiver that extended an extra year of eligibility to similar athletes. The NCAA believes that bucket includes Natt. He started his career five schools year ago at Southern University-Shreveport, a junior college. He followed that with three years at NAIA LSU-Alexandria and then one more year at Sam Houston.
Natt’s attorney, Darren Heitner, contends that Natt’s NCAA clock should have started when he began his career at LSU-Alexandria and therefore has one more year to play.
The case is still pending. A new court date has not been set yet.
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