Chris Walker

The family being the mafia? I asked her what she meant by that.

The family being the mafia? I asked her what she meant by that.

Robert's mother-in-law didn't actually know if the story was true, but at least in her mind, it offered a possible explanation for Jack's murder. And I knew all about Michael. Meaning she knew about Michael's indictment in the federal grape fraud case and the rumored links to organized crime.

Robert's mother-in-law didn't actually know if the story was true, but at least in her mind, it offered a possible explanation for Jack's murder. And I knew all about Michael. Meaning she knew about Michael's indictment in the federal grape fraud case and the rumored links to organized crime.

Pieced together with the stories Robert had told her about mob ties back east, she feared that maybe she'd said something to the wrong person at the funeral. Because the calls kept coming. Until finally, one night, she had the idea to dial Star 69.

Pieced together with the stories Robert had told her about mob ties back east, she feared that maybe she'd said something to the wrong person at the funeral. Because the calls kept coming. Until finally, one night, she had the idea to dial Star 69.

The person hung up, and she never got another creepy call after that. But she didn't report any of it to the police. She figured that detectives already had their hands full with Jack's murder investigation. And she wasn't wrong. Stockton police kept quiet when they first started looking into Jack's murder.

The person hung up, and she never got another creepy call after that. But she didn't report any of it to the police. She figured that detectives already had their hands full with Jack's murder investigation. And she wasn't wrong. Stockton police kept quiet when they first started looking into Jack's murder.

They didn't want to give away any hints about where their investigation was headed, lest a suspect flee or destroy important evidence.

They didn't want to give away any hints about where their investigation was headed, lest a suspect flee or destroy important evidence.

But I know exactly what happened in Jack's murder investigation because I got copies of something journalists usually don't have access to, an entire trove of discovery material, which was provided during a later trial and includes all of the internal police reports. The paper trail shows that things moved quickly at first.

But I know exactly what happened in Jack's murder investigation because I got copies of something journalists usually don't have access to, an entire trove of discovery material, which was provided during a later trial and includes all of the internal police reports. The paper trail shows that things moved quickly at first.

During an autopsy, a Stockton County medical examiner extracted fragments of a .22 caliber bullet from inside Jack's skull, which explains why there was no exit wound. He also used Jack's body temperature at the time he was discovered to extrapolate a time of death of around 12 a.m. on the morning of January 19th, plus or minus three hours. So that set the window of death between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m.

During an autopsy, a Stockton County medical examiner extracted fragments of a .22 caliber bullet from inside Jack's skull, which explains why there was no exit wound. He also used Jack's body temperature at the time he was discovered to extrapolate a time of death of around 12 a.m. on the morning of January 19th, plus or minus three hours. So that set the window of death between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m.

And remember that Robert said that everything was normal when he left around midnight. This left open the possibility that Jack was shot in those three hours after Robert said he'd left the house. The detectives on the case, police sergeants John Williams and Andy Capron, quickly got to work.

And remember that Robert said that everything was normal when he left around midnight. This left open the possibility that Jack was shot in those three hours after Robert said he'd left the house. The detectives on the case, police sergeants John Williams and Andy Capron, quickly got to work.

They collected statements from neighbors, from the Lichardi's housekeeper, and from all of the Lichardi's siblings. Well, all of them, except for some reason that's not spelled out in the reports I have, Michael. But from the interviews they did conduct, Williams and Capron kept circling back to a few important clues.

They collected statements from neighbors, from the Lichardi's housekeeper, and from all of the Lichardi's siblings. Well, all of them, except for some reason that's not spelled out in the reports I have, Michael. But from the interviews they did conduct, Williams and Capron kept circling back to a few important clues.

Clue number one, it appeared the assailant had gotten past Jack's fiercely protective dogs. This suggested a perpetrator that the dogs were familiar with.

Clue number one, it appeared the assailant had gotten past Jack's fiercely protective dogs. This suggested a perpetrator that the dogs were familiar with.