On January 24, 1981, 41-year-old Bobby Clifford Neal went into the woods near Arm, Mississippi, with his half-brother Howard Monteville Neal after an argument that began in a car carrying Bobby, Howard, Bobby’s 13-year-old daughter Amanda, and a 12-year-old cousin, Melanie Sue Polk. Bobby’s body was found on March 1, 1981.

Investigators shifted focus to Howard after his arrest in Stockton, California, on an unrelated shoplifting charge; a search of his vehicle allegedly turned up a .22-caliber pistol, a .44 Magnum, and two sets of handcuffs. Howard was charged in Amanda’s murder and later also charged in Bobby’s killing. He was convicted; the jury’s split on punishment for Bobby’s murder resulted in an automatic life sentence, and the death sentence for Amanda’s murder was later commuted to life after he was determined to be intellectually disabled.

Are there details about the January 24 outing or the relationship between the family members that anyone can add?