Boris G. Naumoff, aged 61, was tragically killed on January 3, 1979, in San Francisco, California. Naumoff, the owner of a local liquor store, was shot during a robbery that escalated into violence. The perpetrator, Robert Lee Massie, entered the store with the intent to rob it. During the robbery, a witness entered the store and saw Massie at the counter with Naumoff.
Initially, the witness thought Massie was a customer, but soon realized the gravity of the situation when Naumoff handed Massie some money. As Massie turned to leave, Naumoff attempted to stop him, leading to a physical altercation. Massie then fired several shots, one of which struck Naumoff in the neck, resulting in his death. Another store employee, Charles Harris, was also wounded in the incident.
Massie, who had a history of violent crimes, was on parole at the time of the murder. He had previously been sentenced to death for a 1965 murder in Los Angeles County, but his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment when the California Supreme Court ruled the death penalty unconstitutional in 1972. Massie was released on parole in 1978, only to commit another murder months later. Following the murder of Naumoff, Massie was quickly apprehended by the San Francisco police. He was found in possession of multiple firearms and admitted to being under the influence of alcohol or controlled substances during the crime.
The legal proceedings that followed were swift. Massie was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death by a San Francisco County jury on May 25, 1979. His case went through various appeals, but his death sentence was ultimately upheld. Massie was executed by lethal injection on March 27, 2001, at San Quentin State Prison. The case of Boris G. Naumoff's murder highlighted significant issues within the parole system and the challenges of managing repeat offenders.
