Sweeney | Tulsa World

On the morning of Sept. 4, 2008, a gunman wearing sunglasses and a hooded shirt pulled up over his head entered Retail Fuels Marketing, 3158 S. 108th East Ave., and quickly walked past several employees to the office of the company's owner, Neal Sweeney.

Without saying anything, the gunman shot Sweeney in the head.

Sweeney, a beloved father and former University of Tulsa football player, died the next day.

Police say the resulting investigation unraveled a murder-for-hire plot that led to charges against five accused conspirators. One defendant has since committed suicide, and four men face trial in the Sweeney slaying.

Headlines

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4th Sweeney murder case defendant given trial date 6/3/2011

Two years after the first charge was filed in the case, all four murder-conspiracy defendants who are accused in the 2008 killing of Tulsa businessman Neal Sweeney are now scheduled for jury trials.

Sweeney slaying defendent seeks ban of dead witness' testimony 5/16/2011

One of four remaining defendants in the Neal Sweeney murder conspiracy case has formally challenged the plan of Tulsa County prosecutors to use at trial a transcript of prior testimony by a star witness who is now dead.

Two more Sweeney case defendants set for trials 4/12/2011

Separate trials for three defendants are now scheduled in the Neal Sweeney homicide case, with two on a fall docket and another set for 2012.

Shields' death may help close cases 4/10/2011

The criminal reputations of brothers Allen and Fred Shields Jr. struck fear in the hearts of many who knew them, police say.

Apparent suicide ends standoff with Sweeney murder case key witness 4/6/2011

Prosecutors will push forward in the case against the men accused of conspiring to kill Tulsa businessman Neal Sweeney despite the apparent self-inflicted shooting death of a key prosecution witness.

Timeline: A look at key events regarding Allen Shields’ connection to the Neal Sweeney case 4/6/2011

Allen Shields, one of five defendants in the Neal Sweeney murder-for-hire case, killed himself following a standoff and hostage situation Monday night. But police say he was also a suspect in other unsolved homicides.

Key witness in Sweeney murder case shoots self after standoff 4/5/2011

Authorities have released audio of a 911 call made during the standoff.

Police: Murder-case defendant held child hostage 4/5/2011

A defendant in a high-profile murder case who has been free on bond since he pleaded guilty to a conspiracy count last year held police at bay with a child hostage throughout the evening Monday, police said.

Lawyer changes continue to stall Sweeney case 3/17/2011

Changes in the lineup of defense lawyers continue to delay progress toward a trial date in the Neal Sweeney murder case, and more changes might be yet to come.

Murder trials must be split 3/9/2011

Tulsa County prosecutors acknowledge that four defendants who are charged with murdering Tulsa businessman Neal Sweeney should not be tried together.

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Key Players

THE VICTIM
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Neal Sweeney
The 63-year-old was shot in the head at his business during the morning of Sept. 4, 2008. Prosecutors allege that a hitman was hired to kill Sweeney — a prominent Tulsa businessman, former University of Tulsa football player and community leader — over a business deal.

THE PROSECUTOR
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Tim Harris, DA
The Tulsa County District Attorney and his office filed the first charge on June 4, 2009 — eight months after Sweeney’s death. A total of five people have been charged in the ongoing murder-conspiracy case.

THE INVESTIGATORS
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Sgt. Mike Huff
As supervisor of the Homicide Unit, Huff has led the investigation into Sweeney's homicide. Huff has investigated homicides in Tulsa for more than 30 years.

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Detective Vic Regalado
Regalado has been a case investigator in the Homicide Unit for seven years. Along with Detective Jeff Felton , Regalado has investigated many angles in the Sweeney homicide. Their work has led to charges against five people in the murder conspiracy case.

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Detective Jeff Felton
Felton was a Crime Scene Investigator for three years before becoming a case investigator in the Homicide Unit 11 years ago. Along with Detective Vic Regalado, Felton has investigated many angles in the Sweeney homicide. Their work has led to charges against five people in the murder conspiracy case.

THE ACCUSED
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Mohammed Aziz
The 58-year-old is accused of instigating and facilitating the murder-for-hire plot, allegedly agreeing to pay $10,000 for a hitman to kill Sweeney. Court documents indicate that Sweeney’s business obtained a $238,368.72 default judgment against Aziz in May 2008 for gas sold at his store.

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Terrico Bethel
The 25-year-old is accused of being the triggerman in Neal Sweeney’s shooting. Bethel was jailed within nine months of the shooting and has remained in jail ever since.

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Alonzo Johnson
The 39-year-old allegedly helped facilitate payment for the Sweeney killing. Johnson is charged with conspiracy to commit murder, two charges of knowingly concealing stolen property and possession of a firearm, among other charges and complaints.

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Fred Shields
He was charged for his alleged role in recruiting a hitman. Fred Shields Jr., 37, Allen Shields’ brother, is in jail on the Sweeney murder charges and was convicted of second-degree murder in 1995 in a 12-year-old girl’s death. He was also a suspect in connection with the 2000 Osage County homicide of Raymond Lee Knox Jr. but has not been charged in that case.

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Allen Shields
He pleaded guilty to the murder conspiracy and struck a deal with prosecutors to testify against the alleged co-conspirators. Prosecutors alleged that Shields helped facilitate payment for the killing. Shields, 34, was found dead Tuesday morning after reportedly shooting himself during a police standoff that involved an 11-year-old girl as a hostage.