They trashed the Mustang too!
Tulsa Police Department (TPD) has successfully tracked down and arrested the final two suspects involved in the January 2022 theft of a vintage Shelby Mustang, valued at $200,000. The apprehension of Roy and Toni Morris marks a significant step in a complex case that has unfolded over the past year and a half.
A Crime Unraveled
The theft occurred on January 8, 2022, when the owner of the vintage Shelby Mustang reported it stolen from his warehouse, where he had stored his classic car collection. He found the fence cut and garage door pried off the hinges. The only people who knew the location of his car collection were a local moving company and a few close associates. Surveillance footage showed four individuals near the warehouse on the night of January 7, two of whom appeared to be on lookout, with two others walking to the warehouse. Shortly after, the victim’s car was seen driving away.
A public plea for help led to a tip-off, with the vintage car later discovered in a field in Mounds, Oklahoma, completely destroyed. Further surveillance footage revealed the occupants of the stolen vehicle struggling to get the Mustang running and later pushing it out of a gas station parking lot.
A Network of Connections
Security footage at a QuikTrip, eight miles away, helped police identify Roy Morris and his wife, Toni, from the public. A connection was found between the couple and Nicholas Chamberlin, an employee of the moving company who had helped move the car collection. Roy turned out to be Nicholas’s father.
A third woman, Christina, initially identified in the footage, had her charges dismissed. She provided a detailed account of the night, including how the suspects planned the theft at her apartment and how it all went awry when the car ran out of gas. The information from Christina led to a search warrant for Nicholas’s phone, aligning his location with the theft and corroborating her story.
Sentencing and Ongoing Legal Proceedings
Nicholas Chamberlin and Daniel Martinez have both pleaded guilty to larceny of an automobile and second-degree burglary. While Chamberlin awaits sentencing on September 8, Martinez has already been sentenced to a year in jail. Roy and Toni Morris now face the same charges as the final two individuals linked to this complex theft.