Mradulaben Patel was 59 and working at the BP station she co-owned in Piedmont, South Carolina, on the night of April 30, 2015, when a man entered the store. After the man bought a cigar, Patel entered his birthdate from his driver’s license into the register to verify his age. He then pulled a gun and demanded money; when Patel raised her hand to push the gun away he fired a single shot that struck her in the head. The assailant fled without taking any money because the cash drawer closed as Patel fell. Patel was taken to a local hospital, underwent surgery, and died of her injuries on May 2, 2015.

Surveillance footage and a public tip to Crime Stoppers led investigators to identify 25-year-old Justin Jamal Warner of Atlanta. Warner’s birthdate matched the one entered into the register, cell phone records placed him near the station around the time of the shooting, his tattoos matched the video, and a palm print at the scene was identified as his. Warner was arrested in Clayton County, Georgia, extradited to South Carolina, and charged with murder, attempted armed robbery, and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. After a four-day trial in May 2017 a jury found him guilty on all counts and a judge sentenced him to life in prison for Patel’s murder.

Did anyone in the Piedmont area know Patel or see activity near the station that night?