Charles W. Estes became a Deputy State Came Warden for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation on January 1, 1911. He lived with his wife in Jenks, Oklahoma and enforced the game laws in Tulsa County. It is Unknown if Estes had any prior law enforcement experience. He was about 40 years old when he became a game warden. Estes' responsibilities as game warden included enforcing the game laws is the area of Turkey Mountain on the west side of the Arkansas River. Described as being about five miles south of Tulsa in 1911. Today; Turkey Mountain is near 1st Street and the Arkansas River in Tulsa.

The area was known as a location for hunting ducks along the river. Residents of the area were aware of "suspicious looking characters" and suspected a gang of counterfeiters or moonshiners to be operating nearby.
" Everyone who is acquainted with the lay of the country says that it would be an ideal place to carry on such work."

Early on Sunday morning, February 26, 1911. Estes left his home in Jenks to investigate complaints of hunting at Turkey Mountain, in violation of the game law prohibiting hunting game on Sunday. He told his wife he would return in the afternoon. Estes was armed with a Colt revolver in a scabbard with a cartridge belt. Arriving on horseback, Estes went to the top of the mountain. neighborhood residents had already heard gunshots several times that morning and it was believed that two duck hunters were in the area. Estes apparently left his horse at the top of the mountain in an area overlooking the tracks of the Midland Valley railroad and proceeded on foot down the side of the mountain.

Between one and two p.m. that afternoon, a person in the area named Matt Lee heard two gunshots. When he went in the direction of the gunshots, he found a horse which was later identified as belonging to Estes. Lee continued down the mountain. At about two p.m. he discovered the body of Estes. The game warden had been shot once in the abdomen. "Lee rushed away for aid, returning soon with some men who lived in the neighborhood."

Tulsa County Sheriff McCullough and his deputies investigated. Initially, it was theorized that Estes may have been shot, perhaps accidentally, by the two duck hunters thought to be in the area. That theory was quickly dismissed. The body of Estes was found laying downhill in an open area with nothing to obstruct the view of Estes or any hunters. The tracks of the Midland Valley railroad were nearby. When the body of Estes was removed to Tulsa and examined by a surgeon, a .33 caliber rifle bullet was recovered from the body. At the scene of the shooting, an empty .35 Winchester shell casing was found 15 feet from the location of the body. At the location of the empty shell casing, footprints were found in teh soft dirt showing that the killer, who had large feet, walked from the railroad tracks to within 15 feet of Estes, paused, then walked back to the tracks.

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