Robert Lee Massie

On the evening of January 7, 1965, Massie approached a man who was getting out of a car outside his home in West Covina, California. Armed with a rifle, Massie hit him in the mouth and demanded all of his money. The man handed Massie his wallet, and Massie shot at him, with the bullet grazing the side of his head. He then fled the area. Later that night, Massie attempted to rob more people. As couple Morris and Mildred Weiss returned to their San Gabriel home, Massie confronted them. As Mildred exited her vehicle, Massie approached the couple and fatally shot Mildred. He then got into a nearby getaway car and escaped.[5]

On January 15, Massie encountered a man named Frank Patti at MacArthur Park in Los Angeles. After speaking with one another, they headed to Patti's hotel room, where Massie took out a revolver and demanded all of Patti's money. In addition, he ordered Patti to strip naked. Patti refused and attacked Massie, who fired off three rounds before fleeing. Two shots hit Patti in his stomach while the third grazed his neck. On January 20, Massie was apprehended and charged with the assault on Patti. In a recorded statement, he admitted to committing all of the crimes, including the fatal shooting of Mildred Weiss, whom he had shot in a failed robbery. He was convicted of one count of murder, one count of attempted murder, and four counts of theft. He was sentenced to death for the murder of Weiss.[5] He came close to execution in 1967; however, Governor Ronald Reagan personally stayed Massie's execution, so he could testify at the trial of his alleged accomplice.[2]

In 1972, following Furman v. Georgia, in which the Supreme Court of the United States invalidated all death penalty sentences, Massie's death sentence was reduced to life imprisonment. In 1978, the California parole board set him free as he was considered a model prisoner.[2]

On January 3, 1979, Massie entered a San Francisco liquor store and began robbing the owner, 61-year-old Boris G. Naumoff. Another customer entered the store as the robbery continued, oblivious to the crime. As the customer stood next to Massie, she witnessed Naumoff hand over money, which Massie placed in his pocket. Naumoff then reportedly said, "A guy can't make a living anymore." Moments later, an employee of the store entered and spoke with Naumoff. As Massie prepared to leave, Naumoff chased after him and tried to stop him from fleeing with the stolen money. The two wrestled in an aisle, resulting in Massie firing off several rounds. One of the bullets hit Naumoff in the neck, killing him, while another wounded the store employee who was hit in the right thigh. Massie escaped on foot, while the witness who had taken cover behind the counter called police.[5]