On October 8, 1983, Ronald Howard Mayes, 37, was one of four men found shot to death inside a metal hangar used for ultralight airplanes on a ranch about 5 miles northeast of Sherman, Texas. The other victims were Bob Tate, 51, Jerry Brown, 51, and Deputy Phillip Good, 29. All four were ultralight enthusiasts who had gathered to discuss the sale of an ultralight aircraft.

Investigators reported the victims had gunshot wounds from a .22-caliber weapon. At least two, and possibly three, of the men appeared to have been shot with the gun pressed against their heads, while Mayes was shot from a distance. A missing ultralight aircraft from the hangar was considered connected to the killings.

Lester Bower Jr., a chemical salesman from Arlington, was arrested and charged in the case. Prosecutors presented a circumstantial theory that Bower stole the aircraft and shot the men as they arrived to complete the purchase. The killings remain a disturbing and debated case; did anyone who knew Mayes or the other men see anything unusual around the hangar that day?