He Was Cleared of His Wife's Murder, Then Killed Just Months Later

Hi, crime junkies. The story I have for. you today reads more like an old film. noir than real life. It starts with a. mistaken identity and murder in DC, pivots to small town power politics, spirals into domestic violence, [music]. and ends with a town marshal gunned down. on his own doorstep in Indiana. And the. reason I know about this [music] case is. because I actually got a call from. Captain Kevin Smith with the Indiana. State Police, who is known for cracking.

cold cases and who urged us [music] to. cover this story in hopes that someone. somewhere can bring him [music] answers. to a question that has haunted the small. town of Fremont, Indiana [music] for. decades. Who killed Bobby Moore? It's July 13th, 1974. in DC, a time of epic [music] unrest in. the capital city. Watergate just broke.

Nixon is like a month away from. resigning from the presidency. And when. this is happening, Metro PD homicide. detective Bobby Moore gets a call that a. judge has been shot. He rushes to the. hospital and finds Judge Lewis A. Sysler. dying in a bed. And some of his final. words to the detective are telling him. that he had been at his father-in-law's. house. And when he opened the door, there was a group of people who shot at. him as they tried to get into the house. They didn't, but they got him. And.

shortly after giving that information to. the detective, Lewis dies. With only. those few facts to go on, Bobby sets out. investigating what is now a homicide. [music]. So, he goes back to the scene of the. crime, which as Lewis told him was at. his father-in-law's house, Samuel. Haynes. Samuel's daughter, Barbara, had. married Lewis 23 years before, and. they'd built a life together in northern. Indiana, where Lewis had been a state. judge. They'd left their three adult. children and moved to DC for Lewis's. work, cuz after he retired as a judge,

he went to work for a senator on Capitol. Hill, and he was also a lobbyist for the. National Rifle Association. So for a hot. minute, considering the political. climate, they probably wondered if Lewis. was targeted for his work. >> But the real motive was much different. and as it turns out, had nothing to do. with politics at all. Apparently, earlier that night, a young woman who is. referred to as Mrs. Brandon in the court.

records. She was walking home from a. neighborhood bar when a guy grabbed her, forced her into a garage, and sexually. assaulted her. After the assault, she. made it back to her mom's house, told. her mother, Mary, what had happened. And. right away, Mary went to police to. report that assault. Now, I don't know. what their response was, but probably. not great because it seems like Mary. thought she needed to take matters. [music] into her own hands. So, she got. her grandson and his friends together. and they decided that they were going to. go back to that bar she had been at to.

find this guy themselves. Now, he wasn't. there, so they came up with another. idea. Mary's daughter identified two. garages in the neighborhood that looked. like the ones she was assaulted in, but. it's not totally clear from the limited. records that we were able to get why she. thought that the guy who assaulted her. might have owned the garage that she was. attacked in. But, this is all she has to. go on. So they go to one house and they. determine this isn't the right guy. So. then they go back to the bar, started a. bar fight, and then [music] left,

possibly after several drinks, and when. they leave, they go to the second home. that Mary's daughter had [music] picked. out. And that second home is Sam Hayne's. house. So Mary and several others march. up to the [music] front door, knock, and. when Lewis opens the door, the New York. Times reported that they said, quote, "We're looking for the guy that raped. our sister." And Lewis is like, "Listen, you must have the wrong house." And he. tried to close the door. And it was then. that two people in the group started. shooting through it. The judge gets hit. several times and, as we know, later.

dies in the hospital. So once Detective. Bobby Moore pieces all of this together, he comes to the conclusion that this. must have been a case of mistaken. identity and all the arrests are made. According to an appeal document, which. was one of the only records we could get. for this case, Mary Harris, who is the. mother of this woman, she ends up. getting convicted of conspiracy to. commit assault with a dangerous weapon, felony murder, and attempted. first-degree burglary while armed. Now,

the burglary charge was because someone. in the group allegedly tried to push. past the judge into the house, and the. court suspected it was to commit a. burglary. Now, I know two other men were. convicted, too. They were the ones. police that actually pulled the trigger. or triggers, but I don't have as much. detail because there weren't any court. records for them that we could get. >> Wait, so who actually committed the. assault on Mary's daughter? >> So, short answer, >> I don't know. Uh, we couldn't find. anything saying that a suspect had been. arrested for that sexual assault. Like,

in all the court documents, the perp is. referred to as an unknown asalent, >> but they know it's not the judge. >> That's what they said. Mistaken. identity. How do we How do we know it's. not the judge? Cuz it's not like they. were shooting at everyone's front door. They went to someone else's house first. and they. >> like knew it wasn't the right guy. >> Like, did they say they got the wrong. guy? Are they standing behind the ID? You're asking all the right questions, the same ones I did, but they're the.

questions I can't get answers to. At. first blush, I'm like, um, how hard did. we look at former judge Louisis Sistler. who works for a senator in DC, >> right? >> Like, did Mary and her crew say that. they got the wrong person, or were were, like you said, were they standing by. their statements? What weight did they. give their statements, whatever they. were, compared to that of Lewis and his. family. >> who have all these political. connections, these friendships? So, >> yeah. I mean, is Mary or any of her. family still around? Girl, I tried to.

find them. I can't. I'm like weirdly. obsessed with this part of the story. now, which like. >> it's kind of sad you said part of the. story cuz that means we can't like hang. out here and dig deep. >> It's literally just like the setup for. our main story. But I don't know. I I. don't know. I There's like layers here. I can feel. So, if this story makes. anyone listening like their ears perk. up, if you knew Mary or her family, like. I'm still down to talk. Email me. tipsuck.com. But I'm kind of wondering what if it's. everything like what if it was mistaken.

identity? [music] What if it wasn't. Louis but it was someone else at the. house? Like what if it's I mean like. he's not even in his own house, right? Like he's not he doesn't own the house. >> No, it's it's his in-laws. But I don't. know if he was there. I don't know if. anyone else was there. This is where the. investigative records would have been. really helpful, but I don't have those. Based on everything that's been reported. and documented, it seems like the judge. was in the wrong place at the wrong. time. And at the end of the day, Bobby.

got what he was after, a conviction for. a judge's shooting. But like I said, that is just the start of our story. Because believe it or not, the murder. investigation ends up changing the. course of Bobby's life. Because through. investigating the death of Louiswis. Sysler, Detective Bobby Moore meets his. wife, Barbara Sysler, and they get. married 3 years later. >> Wait, you you meant his his wife like. Louiswis's wife?

>> Yes. >> He. You're telling me he marries the. victim's wife? >> Yes. >> I don't know what it would be, but like. is there not a policy against dating a. murder victim's wife after you. investigated the murder? I don't I don't. know. It's definitely It's weird to me. Yeah. But for Bobby, this is like a. Hollywood ending. He solves the crime. He gets the girl. And he eventually. retires from Metro PD. And now that they. can live anywhere, he and Barbara decide. to move back to Fremont, Indiana in.

1984. My guess would be so that Barbara. could be closer to her grown children, Barbara Jr., Samuel, and Debbie. One big. happy family. But apparently things. weren't as movieesque as they appeared. on the outside. And this move to Indiana. marks the beginning of a very twisted. end. Whenever there's a controversial trial, do you ever wonder, did the jury get it. right? I'm Brandy Churchwell, and this. is the 13th Jur podcast, where we break.

down real court cases and put you in the. jury seat. >> All right, jury and courtroom. >> When the gavl falls, the jury's decision. may be final, but [music] the debate is. far from over. Listen to 13th Juror. wherever you get your podcast. >> We have the jury find as follows as the. cow. >> Not long after moving, Bobby gets. appointed as town marshal, which is like.

the chief of police in small towns. And. he is viewed as this like hero, right? This big shot homicide detective from. DC. And all these deputies seem to look. up to him. According to the Washington. Post, Bobby is officially appointed in. June of 1984. [music] Captain Kevin. Smith with the Indiana State Police says. that Bobby was the town marshal you. picture. Like when you think of a 1960s. TV show, he's friendly. He's pretty lax. He probably wasn't always that way, but. you know, as a homicide detective, especially in DC, he would have seen it.

all. Like the worst of the worst. And. Captain Smith says that he was at that. point in his career where he probably. wanted to be as laid-back as he could. Like. >> let things slide a little, you know, >> and like small town versus DC, like it. feels like an easier job maybe. >> Yeah. But there might have been more to. it than just where he was in his career. because you see, Bobby has a pretty. severe alcohol use disorder and it just. seems to worsen once they moved to. Indiana. So along with all the ways that.

that could affect his job, it also. affects his home life. His and Barbara's. marriage begins to fall apart over the. [music] next couple of years. They're. fighting all of the time. And Barbara. confides to her daughter that she thinks. Bobb's actually having an affair. So by. the end of 1987, the two of them are. barely coexisting. They're still in the. same house, though. Like Barbara lives. on the main floor of their home, and. Bobby stays out of her way paying his. wife rent to live in the finished. basement. And it was done up like almost. like a little apartment. It had a.

bedroom, a kitchen, separate entrance, separate phone line, everything. And by. the way, like this fairy tale ending is. dissolving publicly in small towns. Everybody knows everybody's business. I. mean, specifically small town Northern. Indiana. We know that place. >> So, it doesn't come as much of a. surprise to anyone when Bobby and. Barbara both file for a divorce. But it. is not amicable. Nothing like, oh, you. know, we just realized like we're not. good together. It's not. >> I mean yeah they're living in the same. house like even they're they're in.

different parts of it like yeah. >> yeah it's and toxic but the clock is on. now divorce papers have been filed and I. assume that once the divorce is final. one of them will have to move out and. they can both move on. I don't know what. the arrangement was. They might have. still been figuring that out, but they. won't need to because just three days. before their divorce is set to be. finalized, Barbara is shot dead in their. home, and Bobby is the one holding the.

gun. But when he calls police at 10:41. p.m. and they show up 5 minutes later, he says it's not what it looks like. What really happened in the basement of. Bobby and Barbara's home on the night of. February 26th, [music]. 1988. is still a mystery. One that divided a. town and turned locals against one. another. Only two people were in the. house that night. One of them is now. dead. Here is what Bobby said happened.

According [music] to the probable cause. affidavit that we got, Bobby says that. around 10:30 p.m. he was downstairs in. his apartment area of the shared house. talking to someone on the phone in his. kitchen when his wife Barbara, who. wouldn't be his wife in 3 days when the. divorce was finalized, started pounding. on the door of the basement. He hung up. the phone and went to unlock the door at. the end of the hall. And when the door. opened, Barbara was on the other side. just liv. She came in hot and accused.

him of having an affair with the person. that he was speaking to. He says that. she had come all the way in and was in. the kitchen by that point. And he says. that Barbara was so angry that she like. swept this stack of papers off the. counter and threw his phone at him. And. at that moment, he says that Barbara's. phone line rang. Now, she had a receiver. like in the main floor, but also at the. bottom of the basement stairs. So, she. went to pick up that one in the. basement. And the next thing Bobby knew, she was yelling at him to come to the. phone. But Bobby didn't want anything to.

do with it. He said he went back into. his bedroom and Barbara followed him. He. tried to close the door to keep her out, but Barbara was pushing against it, trying to force her way in. I mean, she's smaller than him, but she's got a. little leverage since the door opens. inward. So, she's pushing in. He's. pushing out against it, trying to hold. it closed. But he said that he was. pushing the door so hard to try and. close it that he pushed the door through. the frame and broke the door off the. hinges. And when that happened, he says. that Barbara rushed into the bedroom.

where he was brandishing a cocked pistol. in her right hand. He shouts at her to. put the gun down, but she keeps coming. at him. So he grabbed his own gun off a. nearby shelf and shot her. Oh my god. Now his phone was out of commission cuz. she'd thrown it at him. So he. immediately went to the phone by the. bottom of the stairs. It's still off the. hook. So he hangs it up and calls 911. Now they're here and he's like, you. know, this is terrible. But it's all. self-defense. >> The thing is the receiver was off the.

hook because someone was on the line, someone who heard everything. And. between her story and what the crime. scene is showing, something isn't adding. up. So, here's the story from the person on. the other end of that receiver. That was. Barbara's oldest daughter, Barbara. Schuford. And I know them having the. same name could get a bit confusing, so. I'm just going to call her by her.

married last name, Schuford. So, Schuford says that her mom called her. earlier that evening, [music] and in. that time, she seemed to be in a good. mood. To my surprise, based on what we. know, Barbara told her daughter that. even though her divorce from Bobby was. imminent, she and Bobby were getting. along and they'd actually just gone out. to a nice dinner. So, they had that. conversation, they hang up, that's that. nice call with mom. But later that. evening, Barbara calls back and [music]. now she's upset and she said that she. found out who Bobby was having an affair. with. The record doesn't say who it was.

or explain how Barbara allegedly caught. them. I mean, I wonder if she was like. listening in on their phone. conversations. >> I don't think she could. So, there there. was that phone in the basement, but it's. connected to her main line, not his. So, like I don't know what she thought she. knew or how she knew it. But regardless, >> at this point, when she thinks she. knows, Barbara is so angry that she. didn't even want to be in the same house. anymore. She wanted her daughter to come. pick her up. So, her daughter hangs up. It's like, "Listen, I'm going to talk to.

my husband about this." And then she. calls her mom back. This is the call. that Barbara went to answer on the. basement phone mid-fight. So, Barbara. picks up on the first ring and her. daughter could tell that she was even. more upset now. So, she's trying to like. calm the situation down. And at some. point, her mom said that she wanted her. to speak to her stepfather, meaning. Bobby, and she could hear her mom put. the receiver down. And then she heard. Barbara and Bobby shouting at each. other. Her mom was yelling to Bobby that. he needed to come to the phone and like.

[music] admit what he'd done. and Bobby. just replied by yelling profanities and. then he told her to quote shut up. She. then heard a loud noise [music] and then. the next thing she knew, Bobby was on. the phone telling her to hang up because. he had to call 911. Now, the second she. heard him say that, she and her husband. got in the car and headed to her mom's. house. And the first thing her husband. Tom says when he walks up to the scene. leaves little room for doubt about what. they think happened. He looked right at.

Bobby and he said, "Why do you kill. her?" And Bobb's only response was that. he didn't mean to. But they don't. believe him. Not just because of what. Barbara Schuford heard on the other end. of that phone that night. She's basing a. lot of her feelings on what she heard on. a tape that her mother made her 3 months. before her death. a tape that she hands. over to police where from beyond the. grave, Barbara talks of Bobby trying to.

kill her before and that if something. ever happens to her, no one should. believe that she took her own life. Basically, if I die, look at Bobby. Did. she hear anything more than shut up on. the phone? I mean, he said he told her. to put the gun down. She tells police in. no uncertain terms that she did not hear. Bobby say put the gun down. There was no. talk of any gun ever. And by the way, she had no reason to believe her mom. would even be holding a gun. And. moreover, she says that her mom usually.

kept her gun in a closet upstairs. And. she didn't hear her mom go up or down. the stairs, which she feels like she. would have because the phone is right. there by the stairs. And she says that. she wouldn't even had enough time based. on the length of the call that like in. what she was hearing and everything. happening. But there might be an. explanation, just not one that really. helps Bobby's position much. Allegedly, Barbara's son-in-law, Tom, had heard. from Barbara's other daughter, Debbie, that within the last week or so, her mom.

told her that Bobby had taken her gun. from her. So, that gun was probably in. the basement if he took it. Yeah. But. that still doesn't line up with his. story. I mean, in his version of events, the phone call comes in and then she. tries to get into his bedroom. He breaks. the door off the hinges, which by the. way, I feel like you would hear. >> I feel like that would be a little bit. of a commotion, especially with two. people kind of battling it out on either. side of the door. >> and the door coming off the hinges like.

so. And like, so they they're fighting, the door comes off the hinges, then. Barbara supposedly comes at him with the. gun, he fires. Her daughter only hears. one loud noise. It just doesn't add up. No, it doesn't. I also don't like. physically get how he pushes the door so. hard it breaks through the door frame. and comes out into the hallway yet she's. [music] left standing to pull a gun on. him. >> I guess that's what I'm thinking. Like. if like when I say a commotion, I'm like. the door is coming through and it's got. to knock her over. Knock her into the.

wall like. >> or p I guess push her back if if it. happened kind of slowly or. >> it just like it just feels like there. would be so much more again. And like. and like right away like right he she's. pulling the gun on him, he shoots her. Like it's all happening so fast that I. just can't make heads or tails of it. Also, none of the stories explain how. Barbara ended up where she did. Bobby. said that Barbara was well inside his. bedroom holding the gun in her right. hand, but officers found Barbara's body.

outside of the bedroom in the hallway, but there is blood spatter from. Barbara's exit wound inside the bedroom, >> which would [music] have like exit wound. would have been like kind of behind her. if she's in the hall, not the bedroom, >> or her body was moved. Like so the. question is like if she's shot inside, how does she end up in the hallway or. outside of the room? >> And where exactly on her body was she. shot? >> Her chest just to [music] the left of. center. >> Okay, >> but listen, if you want to ignore all of.

the above, weird logistic things, everything happening so fast, heat of. the moment, he doesn't remember, whatever, fine. Okay, let's just look at. Barbara. So, according to Bobby's. version of events, he pushes the door. out of its frame. She comes advancing at. him with the cocked gun in her right. hand. He grabs a gun off his shelf, shoots, and hits her while she's still. quote well inside his room. There is. what they call the back spatter, which.

is like the blood material thrown from. the bullet inside Bobby's room. But we. know Barbara herself is found outside of. [music] the room. The gun is laying next. to her hand. And honestly, listen, the. position of her body could work. So, there's some blood on a wall across from. Bobby's room that suggests that maybe. she staggered back, like out of his. room, hit the other wall before. collapsing. But the state police at the. time could not figure out how to make. sense of the gun if that is what. happened. They're like, it makes more.

sense that she would have dropped the. pistol either when she was shot. >> or even if she had held on to it, she. would have dropped it when she hit the. wall as she like staggered back. The. weapon could have gone off at any point, but it didn't. And even if it didn't, it. should not have landed next to her hand. Her right hand, by the way, the very. right hand, which, oh, by the way, she. physically couldn't have pulled a gun on. him with. According to her daughter, Barbara's daughter told police that her. mom recently had surgery on her right.

hand for carpal tunnel syndrome, and she. wouldn't have been able to grip anything. as heavy as a revolver in that hand. What's more, when the police dust the. gun that Barbara was allegedly holding. for her prince, none come back. >> So, she never even held it. >> Not so fast. Are you ready for a crime. junkie first? >> Always and never at the same time. >> I did not know that this was a thing. until this case. But in this case, police talk with Barbara's doctors and.

they basically say, okay, yes, she had. carpal tunnel syndrome, but they. actually say she probably would have. been able to hold a gun of that size and. weight, whatever. So, that's not. shocking. As far as her prints not being. on it, they say that's actually not. surprising either because apparently she. had another condition where she could. not leave fingerprints. What? I'm sorry. I've No. What? I'm actually going to. have you read this right from the. prosecutor's motion to dismiss. It's. wild. It says, "The victim was 59 years.

old. The skin of her right hand, according to her family doctor, was. atrophied, tightly drawn, and very, very. thin. In interviewing the victim's. physicians, it was learned that she. suffered from a medical condition known. as reflex sympathetic distrophe of her. right hand. One of the symptoms of this. condition is a dimmonition and/or. sessation of perspiration in the. affected hand. Given this fact, the lack.

of the victim's fingerprints or smudges. on the weapon she allegedly was holding. at the time of her death is not a. significant evidentiary datim. So. legally aside and like medical jargon, Barbara couldn't secrete oils in her. fingers to leave fingerprints. I mean, not 100% of the time. So what. that all means is that like this. syndrome would make it less likely that.

she Yeah. would leave any fingerprints. [music] Like it's not that it's not. weird to them. They're like, "Yeah, she. like she could touch something and not. leave a print.". That is bonkers. >> I know. And it all really ends up. working in Bobby's favor because even. though he's been arrested and held on. murder charges over the course of about. a month, the special prosecutor that's. brought in realizes that their case. [music] just isn't super solid. >> I mean, how there was an ear witness, >> but so even that falls apart.

investigators actually set up this. experiment where they did a kind of. sound test reenactment and they had one. officer and Barbara's daughter listening. on the phone at the bottom of the stairs. and then they had two other officers. like shout at each other in the basement. and they found that very little could. actually be heard. So they were. basically like while the daughter didn't. hear the mom go upstairs or hear Bobby. yelling at her to put the gun down that. doesn't prove that those things didn't. happen. Okay. What about the tape that. Barbara made saying that Bobby was going.

to kill her? You know, they don't even. mention that in the court record. My. thinking is like even though Barbara may. have had a good reason to think that her. life might have been danger. They were. going through what sounds like a. contentious divorce. And it even might. prove the opposite, that Barbara was. already scared for her life and that she. had reason to grab her gun to protect. herself against Bobby. So, because they. can't prove Bobb's lying about anything, the prosecution decides that they don't. have enough evidence to win a trial.

against him for murdering his wife on. purpose. And a little more than 6 weeks. after the shooting, prosecutors dismiss. all charges and they let him out of. jail. Did they ever figure out if he. really was having an affair? >> Might have, but it's not in the few. documents that are publicly available. [music] And if they did, it didn't help. them build their case, which as you can. imagine was not very comforting to. Barbara's children. Like, they are. angry. And they start to rally the.

people in Fremont against Bobby. Like, how could they let this man who they all. believe so clearly killed their mom just. like get away? And it's important to. mention that at the time, they didn't. have the benefit of actually reading. through the evidence like we can now. The prosecution didn't have a case. beyond a reasonable doubt to prove that. Bobby definitely killed his wife [music]. in anything other than self-defense. But. as far as everyone outside the. investigation knows, Bobby's story is. murky at best. And as a former homicide.

detective, they think he would. definitely know how to stage a crime. scene to make it look like a. self-defense shooting. And to add fuel. to the fire, 4 days after Bobby is let. out of jail, dude wants his job back. >> Uh, bold move. >> Yeah. The [music] town board has to hold. a vote to decide whether or not to give. it to him. And this meeting draws a. crowd. >> Oh, I'm sure. >> People come out with what local. reporters describe as torches and.

pitchforks. But despite this, just about. 2 months after the shooting, the board. votes 2 to one to reinstate him as the. town marshal. And people are big mad. It's not like they can just elect. someone new. The position of town. marshall isn't elected. It's appointed. by this board. And listen, I went down a. rabbit hole on this like board and like. some weird stuff. I think there might. have been like something up going on. there. I don't want to derail our. episode, but I will do a short little.

video on social for anyone who wants to. know what I found about this board. makeup and what I think is a little sus, but anyways, the decision to reinstate. Bobby ignites this firestorm. Literally, people are making threats against Bobby. and someone even plants pipe bombs at. the homes of two board members who were, I assume, like the two that voted for. his reinstatement. And both of these. actually explode, >> though it's unclear if anyone got hurt. Now, people are so mad that a senior. county official warns Bobby to leave.

town for his own safety. But Bobby's. like, "Nah, I'm just going to sell the. home. I'm going to move a little closer. to town and get back to work. I'm going. to be fine." But he is not fine. 5. months [music] to the day that Barbara. was shot, someone comes for Bobby and it. is so clear that they're sending a. message. On July 26th, 1988, Bobby gets off duty.

and guides his cruiser into the driveway. of his new home at around 10:30 p.m. He. gets out of the car and mounts the. stairs up to a little side porch when. suddenly a shot rings out. The first. shot doesn't hit him, but a second. bullet rips through Bobby's right. shoulder and out through his [music]. left, cutting a clean path through his. aorta and both lungs. He drops to the. ground. I mean, within minutes, he's. dead. Now, this is a much more populated. area than where he and Barbara lived.

just a few months ago. So, neighbors. hear the gunshots and call police. Bobby. is the one who would normally respond, but it's his deputy that arrives, then. the Indiana State Police. Investigators. eventually find two shell casings from a. high-powered rifle in a vacant lot. across the street. So, it sounds to me. like whoever shot Bobby was probably. laying in wait. And that could suggest. that the killer knew Bobby's schedule. well enough to know when he would be. getting home. The current investigator.

on Bobby's case, Captain [music] Kevin. Smith, says that the fact that the. killer missed the first shot doesn't say. anything about their experience with a. gun. He doesn't like to speculate about. things like that because he says even if. you're an experienced shot, shooting at. a human is way different and like your. nerves can get in the way. I just keep. coming back to 5 months to the day of. when he shot Barbara. Like that feels. like such a message. >> It's not even just the day though. It's. to the hour. Yeah. And this ends up. being a critical clue for investigators.

If the timing was intentional, which it. sure feels like it was, then that tells. them that whoever shot Bobby may have. been avenging [music]. Barbara, and that is motive, folks. So, although there could be a long list of. culprits, police pretty quickly have one. person that they want to talk to most. Barbara's son, Samuel [music] Sisler. I. feel like we haven't talked about him at. all. Yeah, there because there's nothing. about him in the court documents for. Barbara's case where he's mentioned, [music]. but I know he'd split his time between.

Fremont and Lafayette, which is like a. town a couple of hours away. He was a. new grad of the Indiana State Police, and so that's where he'd been stationed. >> But come July, when Bobby is killed, he's actually in a whole different. position. So, he had been dismissed from. the Indiana State Police job in May. He. was definitely in Fremont the night of. the shooting. Someone saw him like 25. minutes before, but in the days after, no one can find him. All police can find.

is Sam's car, which is at his sister's. property at Crooked Lake, which is like. 15 minutes at the most from Fremont. So, rumors quickly swirl that Sam could be. involved in Bobby's death. >> Turns out Sam was in Colorado Springs. And when police do reach him, he's like, "Yeah, I'll talk, but later." But by the. time he gets back to Indiana, seems like. he's had a change of heart and he tells. police basically to stuff it and he's. not talking to them. >> Him not wanting to help in the murder.

investigation of the guy who killed his. mom. Like I don't know. I'm not shocked. >> Yeah, I get it. But there is a lot that. they would love to talk to him about. According to a local reporter, Mike. Martello, Samuel had allegedly bought a. long rifle at a local gun shop about 15. minutes away from Fremont, like 3 or 4. days prior to Bobby's shooting. Mike. said that a couple of Fort Wayne TV news. stations at the time reported this, but. we could not independently confirm. [music] that. He also was said to have.

bought similar caliber ammunition as the. bullet that killed Bobby. And again, this is just according to Mike. But when. police got wind of this, they could not. find the gun that Samuel allegedly. bought. Still have not found anything. like it to this day. >> Were you able to find out why he got. dismissed from the state police? Like, that feels important. >> It sure does. I couldn't really get a. straight answer. We tried though. So, the Southbend Tribune reported that he. had been dismissed for quote.

unsatisfactorily completing his. probation period end quote. We tried to. get official records on this, but. because it involved an internal affairs. issue, we weren't able to confirm that. I of course asked Captain Smith and he. said he couldn't comment on why he. [music] got dismissed, but I know he. knows. Not just because he's the lead. investigator. Now, in a weird twist made. only for Hollywood, Captain Smith, who. is now in charge of Bobby's cold case,

he went to the academy with Samuel. Sysler. Smith Sysler. They sat near each. other in every class. They roamed right. next door to one another. Graduated in. the same class December [music] 19th, 1987. >> Samuel L. Sisler, [snorts]. >> Kevin W. Smith.

[clears throat]. >> Our reporter asked Mike like what he. remembered from back then. Does he know. why he got dismissed? and he did confirm. the dismissal for us, but he said it's. been a really long time and he's not. totally sure, but he remembers the. police telling him that Samuel was. dismissed because he made comments about. wanting revenge for his mom. Translation, he wanted to either hurt or.

kill Bobby. Captain Smith did say that. it certainly seems like revenge is a. motive here considering the timing of. the shooting, but there's actually no. real evidence that connects [music]. Samuel or anyone for that matter to the. murder. Captain Smith said it could be. anyone. And we tried reaching out to Sam. on two occasions, but we're not even. sure if our contact information is. correct because no one ever got back to. us. [music] Smith said that they've had. a lot of leads in this case and they. continue to follow up on them. Bobby was.

a cop. Cops make enemies and it could be. anyone with reason to murder him. And. you know, as we know, lots of people. were angry [music] with Bobby before he. died. >> Was there ever a definitive connection. made between like the pipe bombs that. were planted and exploded and his. murder? >> We asked that, too, but Captain Smith. declined to comment on that. And I don't. like this whole case. I don't know. Like. for me, it it's lives in the gray area. Like Bobby's story is steeped in tragedy.

and it is so complicated because Bobby. was far from a perfect victim, >> right? >> But he was a victim. We all want. justice. We want right and wrong to be. super clear, but sometimes it's not. >> He was ultimately cleared of murder. And. to most people who knew him, Captain. Smith said that Bobby was known as a. peacekeeper, like this quiet, agreeable. man. and murdering Bobby for whatever. motive was wrong. I can feel it already. I think the comment section [music] is.

going to light up. It's hard not to have. an opinion on this case. >> And I want you to have an opinion. I. want you guys to tell us what you think. Keep it productive, [music]. but let's talk about it. What does this. case make you feel? What does justice. look like for Bobby? This case is. personal for Captain [music] Smith. I. mean, he knew Bobby and Barbara. He knew. Samuel. and he still wants a chance to. talk to the guy that he roommed next. door to. There are only a couple of. unsolved police shootings in the state. of Indiana and Bobby's is one of them.

So, Captain Smith is determined to get. to the truth. If you lived in Fremont, Indiana in July of 1988 and you know. anything about the shooting of Bobby. Moore, please reach out to the Indiana. State Police cold case [music]. investigations at 1 8004534756. or you can reach out anonymously [music]. through Crimestoppers at crimetips.org. You can find all the source material for. this episode on our website [music]. crimejunkkey.com and you can follow us. on Instagram at crimejunkie podcast. We'll be [music] back next week with a.

brand new episode.