On October 25, 1983, four members of a Gilmer family were found shot to death in their apartment at the Upshur House Motel. Victims were 35-year-old Bhikhibev Patel and her three children: Jayaben Patel, age 9; Shila Patel, age 6; and Jayesh Patel, age 2. Each had sustained a gunshot wound to the abdomen. The Upshur House Motel was owned and operated by the Patel family, who lived on the premises; Bhikhibev managed the motel with her husband, Gandabhai Motibhai Patel.

Gilmer police and motel employees discovered the bodies after other residents raised concerns. About five hours later authorities found Gandabhai Motibhai Patel at a roadside park near Marshall, Texas, with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the abdomen; he was taken for medical care and subsequently charged in the deaths. During the legal process his competency was questioned, he underwent evaluations and temporary psychiatric commitments, and he was later tried for the killing of his 6-year-old daughter. He was convicted in that trial and sentenced to fifteen years in the Texas Department of Corrections.

Are there readers who knew the Patel family or have additional information about the events surrounding October 25, 1983?