Naoki Kamijima was 48 when he was shot and killed inside his Crystal Lake convenience store on April 5, 1999. The offender, identified as 38-year-old Douglas G. Vitaioli, entered the General Store, shot Kamijima in the face, and left without speaking. The killing was initially investigated as a robbery but investigators concluded it was motivated by hatred of specific ethnicities.

Vitaioli was arrested days later and charged with first-degree murder and a hate crime. Evidence cited in the case included witness statements, surveillance footage, and a prior visit Vitaioli made to another store where he asked employees about their race. He was held in the McHenry County Jail on a $2.5 million bond and competency to stand trial became a contested issue, with experts offering differing opinions before he was found fit.

In 2002 Vitaioli pleaded guilty to murder and received a 35-year prison sentence; the hate crime count was dropped as part of the plea and Kamijima’s widow Cindy agreed to the plea. Does anyone have recollections of the General Store or of Naoki Kamijima from that time?