Michael Joseph Beson, 67, was shot and killed on April 8, 2016, at a gas station in Plant City, Florida. Michael and his wife Bonnie were refueling when two men, identified as Alkwaun Dixon and Xavier Smith, approached intending to rob them. When Dixon demanded Bonnie’s purse, Michael stepped in to protect her and was shot in the face with a revolver; he died at the scene.

Surveillance cameras at the gas station recorded the encounter. Both men were arrested and charged in connection with the robbery and Michael’s killing. Court testimony described the pair as seeking money and targeting the Besons; witnesses and the video were presented during the trials. Xavier Smith was convicted of first-degree murder and armed robbery and received life without parole, and Alkwaun Dixon, identified as the shooter, was also convicted.

Michael was born July 13, 1948, in Bay City, Michigan, and split his time with his wife between Michigan and their second home in Plant City.