On March 13, 1982, 18-year-old Cynthia Renate Cindy Paulson and four members of her family were found dead in their farmhouse near Allendale, Michigan. Her father Robert Paulson, 42; his wife Mary Jane, 40; and Cindy’s younger sisters, 13-year-old Carla and 8-year-old Casey were discovered after a neighbor reported smoke. The house had been set on fire, and investigators determined all five had been shot execution-style with a .22 caliber weapon before the fire was started.

Police identified Maris Karklins, a former co-worker of Mary Jane Paulson, as the primary suspect. Karklins allegedly confessed, describing a delusional motive in which he believed he was acting as a hit man for God and that the family were demons. He reportedly said he waited two hours in the home speaking with Robert and Mary Jane until he perceived a sign to begin. A trial without a jury resulted in a conviction for five counts of first-degree murder and a life sentence without parole.

Did anyone in the Allendale area know the Paulson family or have information about Maris Karklins’s behavior before March 13, 1982?