Walter D. Illyankoff was a 40-year-old Fort Lauderdale patrolman killed on July 21, 1974, while responding to a robbery alarm at a restaurant on North Federal Highway. A suspect opened the rear door when he knocked; that man, later identified as 20-year-old Alvin Ford, shot Illyankoff twice in the torso and once in the head. Illyankoff was able to call for help on his radio but died of his wounds. Ford was left behind by his accomplices during the botched robbery and was later sentenced to death; he died in 1991 of respiratory complications while on death row.

Three other men—Henry Robinson, George Decosta, and Alvin Lewis—were convicted of first-degree murder for their roles in the robbery and given life sentences. Every five years the surviving accomplices come up for parole; the Fort Lauderdale Police Department consistently opposes their release, arguing that their participation in the armed robbery made them equally responsible for Illyankoff’s death. The case continues to be a point of contention at those hearings.

Does anyone with knowledge of the case or the men involved have additional details about the parole proceedings or the department’s continued opposition?