Robert Groff, 54, was found dead in his Paradise, California, home on January 8, 1981, in what investigators determined was a homicide. The scene suggested a struggle and forensic evidence indicated he sustained fatal injuries during a violent confrontation. Investigators considered both a personal motive and the possibility of a robbery gone wrong.

Several suspects were identified during the original investigation, including a local resident with a prior criminal history who had been seen near Groff’s home around the time of the killing. Witnesses reported loud noises and suspicious activity, but investigators lacked sufficient proof at the time to make an arrest. The case was reviewed periodically by cold case investigators and examined with later forensic techniques, but it remained unsolved as of the latest review.

Anyone who knew Robert Groff, lived in Paradise in January 1981, or has information about activity near his home that night is asked to come forward.