"He squeezed my hand...he knew I was there," she said.
A husband, a father, a grandfather, and a friend was lost on Nov. 21, 2004, when Terrall, 45, was struck by a vehicle while walking along U.S. Highway 64 in Muldrow. Despite an ongoing investigation by Muldrow Police, the case has remained unsolved, and no one has come forward to admit to hitting Terrall.
What police are still trying to determine is if the hit-and-run was really an accident at all, or if it was a homicide. Terrall Roy's dying words make police believe that it was more than just an accident, and has led police on a yearlong search for clues.
It all began with an early-morning trip to Cherokee Casino in Roland. After Terrall arrived at the casino at about 2:40 a.m., the casino's surveillance footage showed that Terrall wandered around the casino floor and spoke in passing to several people, before retrieving his jacket from the casino's lost and found. He was wearing that jacket when he was hit.
Muldrow Police Chief Tony Lewis said from the information they have gathered, it was out of character for Terrall to go to the casino at that time of night, but for some reason Terrall went.
Lewis said surveillance shows that Terrall had no altercations with anyone while at the casino, and no one was with him.
Several hours later, surveillance showed Terrall going outside and sitting on the sidewalk curb for about 20 minutes as though he was waiting for a ride, Lewis said. That ride never came, and Terrall started walking home. But he never made it to his Muldrow home.
Terrall was walking west along the north side of U.S. Highway 64 and was near the Garrison Creek Rodeo arena entrance when he was struck by a westbound vehicle between 5:30 and 5:45 a.m.
"From the time he left the casino to the time he was struck, there's no way of knowing what transpired in that 20-to-30 minute window of time," Lewis said.
Lewis said Terrall must have turned around to face the vehicle before he was struck on the right side. Lewis speculates that Terrall may have heard the vehicle go on the shoulder of the road and thought someone was going to give him a lift.
But what Terrall turned to face was a vehicle barreling toward him.
"We feel that Mr. Roy probably did see the vehicle," Lewis said.
Two people, who left the casino after Roy, were in a vehicle traveling west on U.S. Highway 64 when they noticed a vehicle ahead of them parked on the shoulder of the highway with its warning lights on.
As they neared the vehicle, the driver drove away from the scene. As the witnesses arrived at the area where the vehicle was, they noticed Terrall on the shoulder of the road.
Lewis said the witnesses told police that Terrall was conscious and they tried to render first aid. But internal bleeding had already begun. Terrall's femur in his right leg was fractured, which severed his femoral artery through his thigh.
"Mr. Roy was heard saying, 'I can't believe they would do that to me...I thought they were my friends,'" Lewis said.
One of the witnesses asked Terrall who did this to him and he allegedly responded, "Those people at the casino." He also said the people who ran over him were in a purple low-rider, a vehicle which is lowered to near the ground.
Hours later, Terrall died from massive internal bleeding in a Fort Smith, Ark., hospital.
Lewis said they found evidence at the scene including glass and plastic from a vehicle. He said they aren't sure if the items came off the vehicle that hit Terrall or were on the side of the road already. They also found a complete mirror near the point of impact, and through their investigation, found that it belonged to a mid-90s Honda Civic. He said they need the vehicle to compare the mirror, and the more time goes by, the more difficult that becomes.
Because of Terrall's description, they were able to piece together a possible description of the vehicle, but Lewis said they are not sure how much validity they can put in Terrall's statements because of the extent of his injuries. He said Terrall may have been going into shock, which affects a person's cognitive ability.
Immediately after the accident, Lewis said they issued fliers to local body shops, asking them to be on the look out for a purple vehicle with damage to the front.
Lewis said there are several possible scenarios of what could have occurred the night of Terrall's death. He said it could have been an intentional act done by someone with the intention of inflicting harm on Terrall; it could have been a random drunk driver who stopped their vehicle to find that it was a person they hit and left the scene; or it was someone Terrall knew at the casino, but who didn't hit him intentionally.
The two witnesses who stopped to help Terrall were unable to give any discernable description of the vehicle because it was dark and they were about a quarter of a mile back, Lewis said.
The police department did receive some leads, and each lead has been investigated, Lewis said.
"Our investigation led us to some people in LeFlore County," Lewis said. "We've interviewed numerous people."
Lewis said he also sent a letter of request to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation in mid-July, asking for a joint investigation.
Lewis said their short-term goals are to ask the people who have been interviewed to submit to a polygraph test.
What police most want to know is the name of the person who stopped with their vehicle's emergency flashers on.
"We need that person to come forward and talk to us," he said.
Lewis said the reason they hesitate to call it a random hit-and-run is because of the statements Terrall made before he died.
"We still focus on this," Lewis said of the case.
No matter whether someone intentionally or unintentionally hit Terrall, Lewis said, "We owe it to Mr. Roy to find the person and put it to rest. I don't want this to go down unsolved."
The case is part of the police department's CrimeStoppers program, and a reward is offered for the arrest and subsequent prosecution of the suspect or suspects. Those with information may call (918) 427-0000, and they can remain anonymous.
Connie Roy is also offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of the people responsible for Terrall's death. Connie said she thinks just knowing who hit Terrall could help her move forward.
Since Terrall's death, there has been no closure for Connie.
"It's still hard for me to go on," she said.
Connie and Terrall had been married 15 years before divorcing. They were apart for almost four years before reconciling. Connie said they had been back together a year and two months and had made plans to remarry when Terrall died. She said they moved to Muldrow from Roland about six months prior to Terrall's death, and had previously lived in LeFlore County.
The couple have two children together, a 21-year-old son who is married with a child of his own, and a 13-year-old daughter.
Connie said her son has had a more difficult time coping with Terrall's death. She said her son and Terrall were supposed to go fishing the next day, and her son's birthday was two days after Terrall died. She said Terrall had made big plans with their son for his birthday.
She said her son is also upset that his daughter won't remember her grandfather.
"Terrall was a good person, he never made an enemy," she said. "He was outgoing. He loved fishing. He was just a good-hearted person."
Connie said that her children need to know that the person who did this got caught.
"I want to know who did it and why they did it," she said. "I think whoever did it needs to be put away."
Connie said she saw Terrall the day of the accident. She said she was at her son's home when she got the news that Terrall had been hit by a car.
She said she thought he got hit going to the convenience store nearby. She said she never dreamed of Terrall being at the casino and walking down the highway because Terrall did not regularly go to the casino.
Connie also didn't imagine the extent of Terrall's injuries.
"When I got to the hospital, it was bad," she said.
Connie said what she wants people to know is that Terrall was good-hearted, good to his children, and was good to her.
"He was always there for me...he was a good man," she said, crying.
She said Terrall never forgot a birthday or their anniversary. "Not like some men do," she said between laughter and tears.
"Terrall never did (forget). He never did."
