On Tuesday, August 11, 1981, 57-year-old Gary Police Lieutenant George Yaros responded to a robbery in progress at the Gary National Bank. During an exchange of gunfire as three men fled the scene, Yaros was struck and then approached at point-blank range by one of the assailants, who fired again. He was taken to St. Mary Mercy Hospital but died of his wounds. Yaros was a 29-year veteran of the Gary Police Department and a decorated World War II paratrooper who was six months from starting a new job at the bank where he was killed.

Authorities identified three suspects as Rufus Averhart, Ralph D. Hutson, and David North. They attempted to flee, leading to a high-speed chase that ended when their getaway car struck a tree. The shooter fled on foot but was captured with assistance from bystanders. All three men were charged in connection with the killing; the jury recommended the death penalty for the shooter while the two accomplices faced lengthy prison terms.

Did anyone who knew Lieutenant Yaros or who was in downtown Gary that day witness the robbery or the capture of the suspects?