Tim Barnes went out on the night of January 22 1980 to buy a notebook for school. On his way to Sean Murphy's shop, he ran into Latrell Richmond and his friends who threatened to hurt him if he didn't get him and his friends model airplane glue for them to sniff. Tim protested, elling them he only had a dollar. After some forceful persuading, he went into the store and shoplifted the glue, unbeknownst to the owner of the store. He bought the notebook, even though he was 29 cents under (Sean let him off because it was for school and he didn't want Tim to "end up like those mutts". Tim ran outside and gave Latrell the glue, which Sean saw. He chased after Tim, who ran, and hit him, causing Tim to go unconscious. Sean ran off and left him there to die, thinking he was already dead from the hi