A Sand Springs man has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for the second degree murder of Tasha Shepard, whose body was found near a bus stop in Tulsa last October. U.S. District Judge John D. Russell handed down the sentence to Anthony Clay Russell, 32, who will also serve five years of supervised release after his imprisonment.
According to court documents, on October 22, 2024, first responders were called to a sidewalk where they found Shepard deceased from a gunshot wound to the back of her head. Medical personnel confirmed her death at the scene.
Surveillance footage captured a BMW pulling into a nearby parking lot and showed Shepard exiting the passenger side before walking away. The car then followed her out of the lot and sped away from where she was later found.
Detectives recovered a cellphone from Shepard that contained text messages exchanged with Russell on the night of the shooting. The messages indicated discussions about paying for sex and arranging a meeting location.
During questioning by detectives, Russell initially denied being with Shepard but later admitted he had picked her up for sex in exchange for money. He told investigators he did not have money to pay her, leading Shepard to leave his vehicle. Russell eventually confessed to firing at Shepard, claiming he intended only to scare her.
Further investigation uncovered additional surveillance showing both individuals together in the BMW shortly before Shepard’s death. A search of Russell’s home led authorities to recover both the BMW and the firearm used in the shooting.
Russell is identified as a citizen of the Osage Nation and will remain in custody until transferred to federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Tulsa Police Department and FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam D. McConney and John Brasher prosecuted.
This prosecution falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative aimed at reducing violent crime through collaboration between law enforcement agencies and communities. In May 2021, the Department strengthened PSN’s strategy by focusing on building community trust, supporting violence prevention organizations, setting targeted enforcement priorities, and tracking results. More information can be found at https://www.justice.gov/psn.
