Stillwater Police Asking For Help In Investigation After Man Found Stabbed To Death Under Bridge

Just before 8 a.m. Tuesday, a gruesome discovery was made less than a mile from the Oklahoma State University campus by somebody who walked by.  

A man, police identified as 32-year-old Travis Chapman, was found stabbed to death under a bridge in Stillwater.

Stillwater Police said the call started as a welfare check when a passerby called out to see if Travis needed help, but he didn't answer.

"Saw a person laying down on the ground face down," Stillwater Police Lt. TJ Low said.

Low said Travis was already dead by the time officers arrived and believed someone else was involved.

"Due to the injuries that the medical examiner's office discovered," Low said.

Police believe Travis died after being stabbed, but there's not much else evidence wise to go off of.

"The weather that night and that morning. It was rainy that day, so a lot of the evidence unfortunately wasn't there" Low explained.

Someone who knew Travis said he's lived under the bridge where his body was found for the last few months, and he didn't stay there alone.

"I do know there was another guy staying down here, and I just find it very weird that the guy is nowhere now after this happened," the friend explained.

She wanted to keep her identity hidden because she doesn't know where that other man is. She also said she may know what happened before the knife came out.

"They were fighting over that bicycle laying back there," she said.

Stillwater Police have not said if they have any suspects or confirmed the fight was over the bike.  

Travis' friend said his death is one of many that hang a heavy cloud over the Virginia Ave. bridge.

"My brother was actually found here in 2020. So many horrible things keep happening here."

Stillwater Police ask anyone with information to call their tip line at 405-533-8477.