REJECTED SUITOR KILLS TELLER, SELF
Fort Worth Bureau of The News

FORT WORTH - A rejected suitor walked into a downtown bank here Tuesday, shot a 24-year-old teller to death and committed suicide while customers watched in horror.

The shooting took place in the lobby of the Continental National Bank - one of Fort Worth's largest - about 10:10 a.m. John Stevenson, executive vice-president of the bank, termed it "a crime of passion."

The Tarrant County medical examiner's office identified the dead as Mrs. Donna Lee Slayden of 1966A Shady Rest Court in Bedford and Donald Lee Oliver, 26, of 1400 Mary K Lane in White Settlement.

Dr. Feliks Gwozdz, the chief medical examiner, ruled that Oliver committed suicide after Mrs. Slayden was shot three times with a pistol.

Investigators said that Mrs. Slayden, who was described by customers as "one of the friendliest people in the bank," was at her teller's station when Oliver walked up and engaged in a brief conversation. Then, they related, he suddenly began shooting.

Customers said that, as Mrs. Slayden fell dying from two chest wounds and a neck wound, Oliver quickly pulled the trigger again after placing his pistol against his head.

Co-workers said Mrs. Slayden, who had been separated from her husband, had said she would not date Oliver in the future. They said that, as far as they knew, she was not fearful he would harm her.

Terry Browne, a restaurant owner who was standing near Oliver, said he heard him say "Donna" and then the shooting started.

Mrs. Slayden was dead upon arrival at John Peter Smith Hospital. Oliver was pronounced dead at the scene.

"Everything happened so quickly that nobody had a chance to prevent the shooting," a bank spokesman said. "When the first officers arrived, they thought there had been gunplay during a holdup. But it was quickly established that there had been no robbery attempt."

Bank officials posted notices stating that the lobby would be closed the rest of the day. -Carl Freund

Published in the DALLAS MORNING NEWS on 25 August 1976.