Charles Grande, a 40-year-old White man from Rochester, New York, was killed in October 1991 after a violent encounter in Webster. Accounts tied to the investigation say Grande met Robert Bruce Spahalski through sex work and that a dispute over money escalated; Spahalski reportedly grabbed a hammer, struck Grande multiple times, took valuables and drove off in Grande’s car. Investigators encountered Spahalski days later driving that vehicle and saw him present Grande’s driver’s license while behind the wheel. After Grande’s body was found, Spahalski was arrested and later acquitted at trial on a criminal-impersonation charge linked to that traffic stop. The case remained unresolved for years, described as a cold case into the early 1990s, with investigators continuing to regard Spahalski as the likely killer.

In November 2005 Spahalski walked into Rochester police headquarters and confessed to a recent homicide; interviews then widened to older unresolved killings. He admitted to Grande’s murder, gave a written statement, and was taken into custody in Webster. At an arraignment where a not-guilty plea was entered on his behalf he interjected that he was guilty and wanted it finished. The confession led to prosecution on multiple second-degree murder counts, including two counts in Grande’s case, and a jury convicted him; he was later sentenced to 100 years and an appellate court upheld the convictions. Anyone who knew Charles Grande or has information about his last days is asked to come forward.