Suvechha Sarkar
Robert Carl Henry, affectionately known as Bob, never imagined his life would end suddenly in September 1995. The 33-year-old was in the parking lot of his workplace in Tacoma, Washington, when he was shot dead. The investigation later uncovered a series of betrayals, greed, and painful consequences of jealousy. Investigation Discovery’s ‘The Killer Beside Me: Deadly Business’ delves deeper into the circumstances surrounding the case and a trail of clues that led authorities to the killer more than 5 years after Bob’s death. The episode also features emotional interviews with his wife, a co-worker, and law enforcement officials who helped crack the case.
Robert Henry Was Fatally Shot in the Parking Lot Outside His Workplace
On December 31, 1961, Robert Carl Henry arrived as a blessing in his parents’ lives. While growing up, he was lovingly known as Bob and received an abundance of love and support from his parents. People who knew Bob described him as someone with incredible leadership qualities and a likable personality. After high school, he pursued higher education and ultimately began his professional trajectory. Bob assumed the role of an executive at North Coast Electric Company, becoming the second-in-command of the management team there. When he was in high school, he first crossed paths with Paula Henry, and soon their undeniable connection brought them closer.
The couple attended college together and tied the knot shortly after graduation, surrounded by their family and friends. To earn extra money, Bob and Paula eventually started buying houses, renovating, and then selling them for a profit. Since both of them shared their love for the outdoors, they often went on fishing and boating trips with their friends. Apart from that, Bob loved playing golf and aspired to become a pilot one day. By 1995, he was set to begin his first flying lessons. However, Bob’s life turned upside down on September 11, 1995. Around 5:40 pm on that day, officials received multiple 911 calls reporting a shooting in the parking lot outside North Coast Electric Company.
Several witnesses reported seeing a man wearing a helmet shooting a man with a shotgun before fleeing the scene. When authorities rushed to the scene, they found Bob dead from multiple gunshot wounds. They reportedly observed Bob lying by his car, with his door still open. They quickly ruled out robbery after discovering that Bob’s belongings remained untouched. They also noticed that the key was still in the vehicle and hadn’t been stolen. Investigators also found that the fence of the parking space had a hole in it, near which they recovered extended shotgun shell casings. The autopsy revealed that Bob was shot at close range, and his cause of death was determined to be multiple gunshot wounds.
Officials Linked a Hidden Shotgun and Motorcycle Trail to Bob Henry’s Killer
At the scene, officials learned from several witnesses that Bob’s shooter was wearing a helmet. According to reports, one truck driver nearby observed a white male running along the nearby railway tracks before fleeing the scene on an unusual black motorbike. It was also reported that Bob and the killer had a verbal exchange before he was shot. Although the truck driver noted the bike’s license number, detectives were unable to connect it to any state. Reports state that when Paula was questioned, she informed officials that she suspected Bob’s former friend and business associate, Lawrence Paul Shandola, AKA Larry. In her statements, Paula said Larry worked with Bob in his house-flipping business, but their relationship soon deteriorated over financial issues related to the business.
According to court records, Paula also informed the authorities that on New Year’s Eve in 1993, Bob and Larry had an argument during which Larry punched Bob. It reportedly led Bob to seek medical assistance, and he later filed a lawsuit against Larry, seeking medical costs. Bob reportedly won the lawsuit, and the court ordered Larry to pay Bob back in the first week of September 1995. Shortly after that, the 33-year-old was shot dead. As per police records, when officials questioned Larry about the murder, he denied knowing anything and claimed he was at the home of an elderly woman, Reta Peck, during the time of the crime. A breakthrough arrived in April 1998, when a shotgun was discovered under blackberry bushes near the crime scene. Forensic experts concluded it was the murder weapon after matching the shotgun shells.
Investigative reports suggest that by May 1998, officials found the previous owner who had sold the gun during a gun show in Puyallup, Washington, to a man who resembled Larry. Authorities eventually connected the gun to him when they discovered that Larry was a member of the Washington Arms Collectors. According to reports, several of Larry’s co-workers came forward, stating that after Bob’s murder, Larry had made several incriminating comments. Another witness reportedly told the officials that Larry had said, “No, I’m gonna kill him,” when he was asked to pay Bob back for the medical damages. Additionally, detectives tracked the people who sold bike parts to Larry, which prosecutors argued he used to build the getaway bike. Ultimately, Larry was arrested and charged with first-degree murder on January 23, 2001.
Larry Shandola is Incarcerated at a Washington Correctional Facility Today
The jury trial of Larry began on July 2, 2001, during which the prosecution presented the murder weapon, bike parts, and several witnesses before the court. It included one of Larry’s co-workers, who testified that the defendant had offered him money to hurt Bob. According to court records, some of his other co-workers testified that Larry had tried to sell a shotgun to them after the murder and had threatened one of them. On the other hand, the defense claimed that he was at Reta’s house at the time of the murder, and some evidence came from an illegal search. Ultimately, the jury found him guilty of first-degree murder in July 2001.
On September 7, 2001, Larry was sentenced to 31 and a half years in prison without the possibility of parole. Following the judgment, he appealed his conviction on several grounds, claiming that his rights against self-incrimination were violated, the court wrongly denied a bill of particulars, and the evidentiary rulings were improper. On February 3, 2004, the Appellate Court affirmed the conviction. While incarcerated, Larry later sought a transfer to Canada because he is a Canadian citizen, but his request was denied.
In 2013, Larry sued Paula and the victim advocates for slander and alleged privacy-related harms and emotional distress by them. The trial court reportedly dismissed the lawsuit and entered a $10,000 judgment against him for each defendant, along with attorney’s fees and litigation costs. On May 9, 2017, the Washington Court of Appeals ruled that, since the anti-SLAPP statute imposing the monetary judgments was later declared unconstitutional, the monetary judgments should be vacated. Although the court upheld the dismissal of the lawsuit, it struck the financial penalties. As of writing, Larry is serving his sentence at the Stafford Creek Corrections Center in Aberdeen, Washington.
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