A Plastic Steer, the Crime, and Growing Up Gen X: The Sirloin Stockade Murders episode artwork

EPISODE · Aug 14, 2026 · 39 MIN

A Plastic Steer, the Crime, and Growing Up Gen X: The Sirloin Stockade Murders

from Free Nights And Weekends

Send us Fan MailIn 1978, something horrific happened inside an Oklahoma City Sirloin Stockade.Six employees went to work that night. They never came home.For those of us who grew up in Oklahoma in the late '70s and '80s, the story became part of our collective childhood memory. We knew the name Roger Dale Stafford. We knew what had happened at Sirloin Stockade. We saw the news footage.And we remember that giant steer out front.48 years later, the story is back in the news. Verna Stafford, who was convicted for her role in the crimes, appeared before the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board this week. The board voted 3-2 to recommend parole on one of her two life sentences. But this isn't a true-crime episode.Scott and Jason talk about the Stafford murders, the victims, the restaurant, and the terrible story that became part of growing up in Oklahoma. More importantly, they talk about how Gen X learned about horrible things before the internet, social media, smartphones and the modern true-crime machine.We heard about bad things.We processed them the best way kids knew how.And then we went outside.Oh, and there's a 15 foot steer involved. 🐄Show SponsorDon't Just Let Memories Live On FNAWDigitize them with The Digitize Center  Angry that you don't have the latest Free Nights and Weekends Podcast gear? Fix that here! Support the showFree Nights and Weekends on Facebook Our WebsiteOriginal music provided by a few of the gentlemen of Supernal Endgame 

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Aug 14, 2026

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Send us Fan Mail In 1978, something horrific happened inside an Oklahoma City Sirloin Stockade. Six employees went to work that night. They never came home. For those of us who grew up in Oklahoma in the late '70s and '80s, the story became part of our collective childhood memory. We knew the name Roger Dale Stafford. We knew what had happened at Sirloin Stockade. We saw the news footage. And we remember that giant steer out front. 48 years later, the story is back in the news. Verna Stafford...

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A Plastic Steer, the Crime, and Growing Up Gen X: The Sirloin Stockade Murders

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