Unraveling the Geronimo Bank Tragedy: A Dark Chapter

Geronimo bank murders were a tragic and brutal crime that occurred on December 14, 1984, in Geronimo, Oklahoma. Jay Wesley Neill entered the First Bank of Chattanooga armed with a pistol and a knife. He forced the three bank tellers—Kay Bruno (42), Jeri Bowles (19), and Joyce Mullenix (25, who was six months pregnant)—into the back room, where he stabbed them a total of 75 times, resulting in their deaths. During the attack, three customers—Ralph Zeller (33), Bellen Robles (15), and her husband Reuben Robles (20)—entered the bank

Geronimo bank murders were a tragic and brutal crime that occurred on December 14, 1984, in Geronimo, Oklahoma. Jay Wesley Neill entered the First Bank of Chattanooga armed with a pistol and a knife. He forced the three bank tellers—Kay Bruno (42), Jeri Bowles (19), and Joyce Mullenix (25, who was six months pregnant)—into the back room, where he stabbed them a total of 75 times, resulting in their deaths. During the attack, three customers—Ralph Zeller (33), Bellen Robles (15), and her husband Reuben Robles (20)—entered the bank. Neill shot all three in the head; Zeller died from his wounds, while the Robleses survived. Neill also attempted to shoot the Robleses’ 14-month-old daughter, Marie, but his gun was out of bullets. After stealing approximately $17,000, Neill fled the scene. He and his accomplice, Robert Grady Johnson, were arrested three days later in San Francisco, California. They had been using the stolen money for hotel stays, limousine rides, and shopping sprees.

Both Neill and Johnson were initially convicted and sentenced to death. However, their convictions were later overturned due to procedural errors, and they were retried separately. In his retrial, Neill was again sentenced to death and was executed by lethal injection on December 12, 2002. Johnson was convicted under the felony murder rule and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. In January 2025, Johnson filed a motion for a new trial, citing new evidence that allegedly places him 16 miles away from the crime scene at the time of the murders. This evidence emerged during the filming of a documentary about the case. The motion is currently under review.

The Geronimo bank murders remain one of the most heinous crimes in Oklahoma’s history, leaving a lasting impact on the community and raising complex legal and ethical questions that continue to be examined today.

Key Locations and People

Geronimo Bank Location

The mobile home served as the bank. It has now been replaced by a new building. This new building houses the United States Postal Service.

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Crime Scene Public Drive up

Geronimo bank location

Image Taken From: 351, Comanche Avenue, Geronimo, Comanche County, Oklahoma, 73543

Latitude: 34.4806369 Longitude: -98.3879662

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Jeri Bowles Grave

Location: 2805 SE Flower Mound Rd, Lawton, OK
Section F, Row 7

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Grave / Memorial Public Easy walk

Image Taken From: 2805 SE Flower Mound Rd, Lawton, OKSection F, Row 7

Latitude: 34.5791 Longitude: -98.35199

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Kay Bruno Grave

Location: Highland Cemetery 2201 NW Fort Sill Blvd, Lawton, OK 73507
Plot 38-74-6

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Grave / Memorial Public Easy walk

Image Taken From: Highland Cemetery 2201 NW Fort Sill Blvd, Lawton, OK 73507Plot 38-74-6

Latitude: 34.6322987 Longitude: -98.4001851

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Joyce Mullenix Grave

Location: Terral Cemetery, Terral, OK 73569

Row A

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Grave / Memorial Public Easy walk

Image Taken From: Terral Cemetery, Terral, OK 73569 Row A

Latitude: 33.8978889 Longitude: -97.9191134

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Ralph Zeller Grave

Location: Sunset Memorial Gardens 8900 NW Cache Rd, Lawton, OK 73505

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Grave / Memorial Public Easy walk

Image Taken From: Sunset Memorial Gardens 8900 NW Cache Rd, Lawton, OK 73505

Latitude: 34.622343 Longitude: -98.5078127

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