On the afternoon of August 30, 1982, 45-year-old Owen Griffin was playing cards with friends in a vacant lot in Marrero, Louisiana when he heard gunfire coming from his home. He ran toward the house and entered, only to be met by more gunfire. Neighbors summoned police and officers found five people dead inside: Owen Griffin; his wife, Myrtle Griffin; his stepdaughter, Sheila Thomas; Sheila’s four-year-old daughter, Chantelle Osborne; and the child’s father, Carl Osborne.

All had multiple gunshot wounds, primarily to the head. A .38 caliber pistol and a .22 caliber semi-automatic rifle with Sheila inscribed on the stock were recovered at the scene. Authorities identified Leslie Lowenfield, a native of Guyana and a former boyfriend of Sheila Thomas who had been making threats after their breakup, as the shooter; he was arrested and charged.

Was anyone in the Marrero neighborhood aware of the harassment before August 30, 1982?