On the morning of July 15, 1999, 17-year-old Roscoe Anthony Merchant Jr. was found murdered in the Phoenix apartment he shared with his sister, AnnMarie Merchant, and her girlfriend, Cindy Richards. All three had been attacked during an intrusion: Roscoe and Cindy were found fatally shot while AnnMarie suffered a violent assault and was also shot and killed. Cindy’s infant son, who was present in the apartment, was unharmed.

Investigators traced the crime to 18-year-old Eugene Robert Tucker, who had tried to visit AnnMarie the previous evening and later forced his way into the apartment. He was arrested and charged with three counts of first-degree murder plus sexual assault, kidnapping, and burglary. A jury convicted Tucker on all counts in 2000; during sentencing the murders’ cruelty and depravity were presented as aggravating factors and he received death sentences for each murder, along with lengthy terms for the other convictions.

Did anyone who knew Roscoe, AnnMarie, or Cindy notice anything unusual in the days before July 15, 1999?