Larry Allen Broughton was a hardworking family man, a husband, father, and proud grandfather remembered by loved ones for his dedication and love. The 63-year-old Caucasian man worked hard, played hard, and loved hard, according to his friend Alice Williamson. His daughter, Tonya Baldock, recalled being very close with her father, who she said worked right up until the day he died. He was a constant and loving presence in the lives of his wife, his daughters Tonya Baldock and Melissa Sheridan, and his grandchildren, who would grow up without the grandfather they adored.
On the night of Monday, May 12, 2008, Broughton was at his job, working behind the front desk at the Country Hearth Inn on Equipment Drive near West Sugar Creek Road and Interstate 85 in north Charlotte, North Carolina. Two men entered the hotel lobby, seemingly to inquire about a room. The encounter quickly turned into an attempted robbery. One of the men produced a gun and opened fire.
Broughton was shot multiple times in the chest and was pronounced dead at the scene. His co-worker, 55-year-old Manjula Patel, was also shot. She survived the attack but was left paralyzed from the waist down.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department responded to the deadly shooting. Investigators recovered surveillance video from the lobby that captured clear images of the two suspects, described as two Black men. The footage showed the men walking in and shooting the two employees. Despite the video evidence, police struggled to develop significant leads in the case. A year after the murder, police stated they had an idea of who was responsible but needed someone from the community to come forward and confirm it.
In the immediate aftermath of the crime, the hotel's owner offered a $10,000 reward for information that led to the capture of the people responsible. The hotel's general manager also announced a $5,000 reward. In subsequent years, police reports mentioned a $5,000 reward for information. The hotel, formerly the Country Hearth Inn, later became the Sunset Inn. The area had seen other violent crimes, and some community members expressed frustration, believing that even when suspects are caught, the justice system often lets them go.
For years, Larry Broughton’s family has lived with the pain and uncertainty of his unsolved murder. They learned of the shooting on the news and rushed to the hotel, begging police for information. The confirmation of his death was the beginning of a long and difficult journey. "We think about it everyday. All the time," his daughter Tonya said eight years after his death. "It's getting harder instead of easier." On the tenth anniversary, in May 2018, the family gathered at his gravesite, no closer to getting the answers they so desperately seek. "Ten years is a long time to go with no answers and no rest," Baldock said. "We want answers, justice. We want to figure out exactly the reasons why things happened the way they did."
Friends and family have held memorials to honor Larry's memory and to keep his case in the public eye. Two years after his death, they gathered at his grave and released balloons with messages attached, pleading for help in finding his killers. His grandchildren have marked milestones—proms, birthdays, and graduations—all without their grandfather. His wife has faced the challenges of aging without her husband by her side. "He will always be in our hearts, and never gone, and never forgotten," his daughter said.
As of May 2018, the murder of Larry Broughton remains unsolved. A $5,000 reward is still being offered for information. Anyone with information about the case is urged to contact CMPD Detective R. Jones at 704-336-8964 or call Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.
