Bob Cleveland

Detective Bob Cleveland was the primary investigator of the hex house case. He was assisted by Policewomen Beula Johnson and Alice Whitney. He was born as Vester Lee Cleveland on the 12th of May 1911 in Seminole, Oklahoma. He was the oldest of five children and took on the nickname "Bob."

Before 1930 he moved to Tulsa and worked various jobs. He married Thelma Babey Thorp on the 17th of October 1930. They had one child. Their son, Vester Lee Cleveland, Jr., was born on September 18, 1934. Bob and Thelma filed for divorce in 1936 and that divorce was finalized on April 21, 1939.

In 1942 at the age of 31 Cleveland joined the Tulsa Police Department. Being great at his job, he quickly moved up the ranks and became a Detective in 1943. As a detective he solved several criminal cases making the news for solving thefts, robberies, and catching a shoplifting ring.

In March of 1944 he was assigned to lead the investigation of Mrs. Carolann Smith of the infamous Hex House. He, along with Beula Johnson and Alice Whitney, spent several hours a day on the investigation.

On August 16, 1944, Bob Cleveland became the center of a scandal himself when a black man named, Elton Antwine, filed charges against Bob Cleveland and Paul Livingston alleging assault and battery against himself and his wife Lois.

Antwine alleged that Detectives Cleveland and Livingston were interrogating him and his wife, Lois, on August 1, 1944. The detectives were convinced that they had stolen fur coats from the laundry service where Lois worked. Both Elton and Lois refused to confess to the crime despite being beaten by Cleveland and Livingston.

The detectives denied the charges, but were suspended until the matter could be resolved. A police trial board listened to testimonies and reviewed evidence over three days. On August 24th, Bob Cleveland was found guilty, but Paul Livingston was found to be not guilty.

Cleveland was punished by serving a thirty-day suspension without pay. In mid-September 1944 Cleveland was allowed back on the force and continued to work as a police detective until 1958.

Cleveland was 46 years old when he was injured in the line of duty that left him disabled in 1957. He was put on leave but in 1958 doctors determined that due to his disability he would not be able to return to work. He was granted a disability pension and forced to retire.

Cleveland had married Dolly Alkins in March of 1948. After retirement, Cleveland and his wife, Dolly, moved to Las Vegas, Nevada. Bob Cleveland died of cancer on the 27th of October 1970 at the age of 59. He was buried at Memorial Park Cemetery in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Note to readers: We have made our best effort to provide the most accurate information about the history of the Hex House of Tulsa. We collected newspaper articles, researched genealogy, and historical documents like marriage licenses, census information, city directories, and draft cards.