In the early morning hours of Saturday, December 12, 1981, 23-year-old Corporal Michael Wayne Ritchie of the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office stopped for coffee at a convenience store on Lavey Lane in Baker, Louisiana, while on his way to work. Ritchie, who had been with the sheriff’s office for about ten months, entered the store in uniform and encountered an armed robbery in progress. The suspect disarmed Corporal Ritchie and used his service weapon to shoot and kill both Ritchie and the store clerk.

Law enforcement investigated and arrested a suspect who was later tried and found guilty on two counts of second-degree murder; a judge sentenced the person to life in prison without the possibility of parole. If anyone knew Corporal Ritchie or the clerk, or has information about that night, please share what can help preserve their memory and clarify the events.