Harold Austin, a White man who worked at a convenience store in Tioga, Louisiana, was shot and killed during a robbery on January 17, 1981. The assailant fled the scene, leaving the community with a homicide investigation to pursue.

Police later arrested Avery Pete Moore, described as having a criminal record, and charged him with the robbery that turned into Austin’s killing. Moore was tried for the offense; a jury found him guilty and sentenced him to death. Appeals moved through the courts and the conviction and sentence were affirmed in State v. Moore, 432 So. 2d 209. Reports later noted that the chairman of the state pardon board privately expressed doubts about Moore’s guilt, but clemency was denied and Moore was executed by the state in June 1987.

Are there witnesses, family members, or anyone with knowledge of the Tioga convenience store robbery who can add details about the night of January 17, 1981?