John Robert Vicha, a 39-year-old sergeant with the Waco Police Department and a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, was killed on August 29, 1989, in Waco, Texas. Vicha had been attempting to stop his brother-in-law, Billy Wayne Coble, from murdering members of Coble’s family at their home in Axtell, Texas. Vicha’s parents were also killed during the incident. Coble fled, taking Vicha’s sister at gunpoint; a high-speed chase ended when Coble’s vehicle collided with a truck and he was arrested.

The case went through multiple trials and appeals. Coble was convicted of murder and received a death sentence; that sentence was overturned on appeal, and he was later retried and again sentenced to death. Vicha left behind two children and a sister, and his death profoundly affected the Waco community and local law enforcement. Does anyone have memories of Vicha or information about the Axtell case that could add detail to the timeline?