Mark Dale Cavaness, 22, was found dead of a shotgun wound on his family’s farm near Harrisburg, Illinois, on April 9, 1977. His body was discovered by his younger brother Sean, then 15. The coroner’s jury could not reach a definitive conclusion, listing the death as either accidental or homicidal, and no arrests were made at the time.

Seven years later Sean Cavaness, by then 22, was found shot to death near Times Beach, Missouri. That investigation led to the arrest and conviction of the brothers’ father, Dr. John Dale Cavaness, for Sean’s murder; he had taken out large life insurance policies on his sons and collected $40,000 after Mark’s death in 1977. Family members later said they believed Dr. Cavaness was also responsible for Mark’s death, but he was never charged in that case. Dr. Cavaness was sentenced to death for Sean’s murder and later died by suicide in custody.

Are there any readers who remember the Cavaness family or have information about Mark’s death in 1977?