John A. Vickers was a 30-year-old El Centro Police Department officer killed on May 3, 1977 while responding to a call about a stuck car horn in a motel parking lot. Vickers was shot three times while searching for the car’s owner; his partner, Officer Arthur Hennesay, arrived shortly afterward and was shot through his windshield. Both officers died in what investigators described as a premeditated attack.

Police arrested three suspects at and near the scene: a 22-year-old man caught at the scene, a 24-year-old man apprehended at a nearby motel, and a 17-year-old woman. Three hours after the officers were killed, the parents of the 22-year-old — who managed a San Diego motel and owned the car with the stuck horn — were found shot to death; the three suspects had been living with them.

The 22-year-old was convicted of four counts of first-degree murder, including the two officers and the parents, and was sentenced to life in prison with repeated parole denials. The 24-year-old was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and given 10 years to life. Officer Vickers had served two years with the department and was survived by his wife, son, and daughter. Can anyone who knew Officer Vickers or who has information about the case share what they remember?