Athlete Darrin Wilson’s story was shared on A&E’s The First 48 on November 4th, 2021, a homicide victim based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. We explored who the 16-year-old was and what happened to him.

Detectives in the USA are followed on the show. If they don’t find a lead within the first 48 hours, their chances of solving a case are cut in half. 

Showing how detectives use forensic evidence and witness interviews to help identify suspects, Darrin’s case was on their list. We explored what happened to him and who he was growing up.

Who was Darrin Wilson?

Darrin “Da Da” Wilson was a 16-year-old student at East Central High School. From Tulsa, Oklahoma, he was also an athlete at Langston Academy.

His former track and football coach remembers Wilson as a great person and athlete, as per News on 6. He said: “When I found out Darrin was murdered, it was heartbreaking.”

Darrin competed in track and field. He had hopes of going to college and playing division 1 football, and left behind his parents and three siblings.

A woman called into the police to say Darrin had been missing, after a broadcast revealed a body had been found.

The First 48: What happened to him?

The ‘Unforgotten: Darrin’ episode revealed that the teenager was murdered and dumped in a field. However, detectives said the leads had run dry.

A “shaken up” man came across Darrin’s body near near I-44 and 3rd Street South, and called 911. The teenager was shot once in his chest, as told on the A&E episode. They also found marks in the dirt nearby.

Investigators said they know Wilson was with people four to six hours before police found his body. They also revealed he was out playing basketball with his friends, before he was “brutally murdered” hours later.

One family friend also told police he knows Darrin had been selling sneakers to make money, and had dropped him off to trade shoes a month before his death.

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