William Jackson Smith Jr., 54, was shot and killed inside Smith Jewelers in Franklin, Virginia, on a July morning in the summer of 1978. He had spent 24 years building the business and was known locally as a father and member of his church choir.

Witnesses said Turner fired additional shots into Smith as he lay on the floor and another witness described Smith yelling as he fell. At the time, Turner was on probation for a prior murder conviction from about four and a half years earlier; his prior violent behavior had reportedly been brought to police attention.

Turner escaped the local jail for a day during the aftermath, and his case drew criticism over how the robbery and investigation were handled. He was later tried, convicted of Smith’s murder, and sentenced to death; the appeals process followed for years.