Randall Lee Morton was 16 when he was murdered on December 24, 1976, while working a night shift at a Citgo gas station at 15th Avenue and 11th Street in Rockford, Illinois. He and a 17-year-old coworker, Michael Pixler, were shot execution-style in the head with a .22-caliber revolver after a robbery in which $600 was taken. Both bodies were found that night by Pixler’s brother Doug and a friend, Dino McNabb.

Dale Dean Finch, then 20, was arrested, convicted of the murders and sentenced to two consecutive 50- to 100-year terms plus an additional four to 12 years for the robbery. Over the years Finch’s case drew repeated parole hearings that family members and the community opposed. He died in prison on March 22, 2013, at age 56 after a terminal illness.

The killings left a lasting impact on both families and the Rockford community. Does anyone have memories of the boys or the station from that time that could add to the record?