The Killer Beside Me is in Tacoma, Washington, to investigate the murder of Robert Henry, who was gunned down in a parking lot by his friend and former business partner, Lawrence “Larry” Shandola.
On September 11, 1995, Robert Henry was shot dead as he left his office by a masked gunman who then fled the scene on a motorcycle. The police quickly ruled out a robbery as the gunman hadn’t taken any of Robert’s possessions.
It was Robert’s wife, Paula Henry, who immediately suggested to investigators that they have a look at her husband’s friend and former business partner, Lawrence Shandola.
Henry and Shandola had run a company together, but when the business failed, their relationship had soured. Things deteriorated further when Shandola later punched his so-called friend in the mouth at a new year’s party. Henry decided to sue over the incident, which caused Shandola to become even more bitter.
Prosecutors would later argue that this bitterness had driven Shandola to murder. He strongly denied having anything to do with the crime and claimed he been working on home repairs at the time of the murder.
However, the cops weren’t buying Shandola’s lies, and they were eventually able to link him to the murder weapon.
In 2001, a Pierce County court gave Shandola a maximum sentence of 31 years for first-degree murder with a deadly weapon.
Watch the Latest on our YouTube ChannelLawrence Shandola sued Robert Henry’s family
Unfortunately, for the family of Robert Henry, their ordeal at the hands of Shandola wasn’t quite over. The killer had been in jail for 18 years when he requested a transfer to a prison in his native Canada.
When Paula Henry heard of Shandola’s request, she sent a letter to the court asking that the request be denied. The court agreed with the widow and decided to keep Shandola locked up in Washington.
Amazingly, the killer, angered by the decision, then decided to sue Paula and three other family members for $100,000 each. Shandola actually claimed that his victim’s family had invaded his privacy and caused him emotional distress.
A judge ultimately threw out Shandola’s case and even ordered him to pay Paula $10,000. A court of appeals later ruled that he would not have to pay; he didn’t have the money anyway. Today the killer remains behind bars in Washington state.
More from The Killer Beside Me
Follow the links to read about more murders profiled on The Killer Beside Me.
The police believe that Property Manager Melinda Schaefer tried to terminate the employment of maintenance worker Rashaan Williams for poor performance when he snapped and stabbed her a shocking 69 times. Veteran police officers were shocked when they discovered the blood-soaked office.
Caroline Nosal rejected the sexual advances of her coworker Christopher O’Kroley and reported his unacceptable behavior to the management. He responded by waiting for her to finish her shift, and he shot her dead.
The Killer Beside Me airs at 11/10c on Investigation Discovery.