Roberts, 37, died from a single .25-caliber gunshot wound to the heart, Osage County Sheriff George Wayman said.

A passer-by found the Tulsa evangelist's son slumped in his car, parked on an Osage County road about 15 miles northwest of Tulsa.

Wayman said the bullet wound that killed Roberts appeared to be self-inflicted. He said no note or letter was discovered with the body, but "tow or three" notes were found in Roberts' apartment at 4309 S. Owasso Ave.

Wayman declined to discuss in detail the contents of the notes. But he said although none of the notes mentioned suicide, they left the impression Roberts intended to take his own life.

Wayman said the victim's identity was confirmed by fingerprints Wednesday morning, but confirmation of Roberts' death was withheld for several hours because investigators couldn't reach his parents.

A spokesman at Oral Roberts University said Oral and Evelyn Roberts were in the Tulsa area Wednesday, but were out of reach of a telephone most of the day.

Ronald Roberts was arrested in September after police accused him of obtaining a controlled drug with forged prescriptions. Three felony charges filed against him accused him of obtaining 500 tablets of Tussionex, a cough suppressant, over a three-week period with forged prescriptions.

He later pleaded guilty to one charge and received a one-year deferred sentence on the condition he undergo counseling at a Tulsa drug treatment center, and submit to medical tests to prove he no longer was taking Tussionex.

Roberts, who largely divorced himself from his father's evangelical work, was best-known in Tulsa as an antique dealer. He specialized in Chinese porcelain.

A spokesman for the family said funeral services have been set for 10:30 a.m. Thursday in Christ's Chapel at ORU, the Rev. Robert DeWeese officiation. Burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery, officials said.

Moore's Funeral Home is handling arrangements.

Roberts was married to Carol Lou Croskery in 1966 but the couple reportedly was separated. He had taken her name and was listed in the telephone directory as Ron Croskery-Roberts. The couple had two children, Rachel, 11 and Damon, 7.

He had a bachelor's degree in French and a master's degree in linguistics. He completed work for his doctorate in linguistics at the University of Southern California and spoke five languages.

Oral Roberts' younger son, Richard, is active in the evangelist's religious organization.

Oral Roberts has one other daughter, Mrs. Roberta Potts, of Denver, Colo.