In the busy parking lot of an Opelika, Alabama Walmart on October 4, 1993, the life of 38-year-old Opelika Police Sergeant Roger Lamar Motley was tragically cut short. A concerned citizen had flagged down the veteran officer, pointing out a car where a child appeared to be in distress, reportedly mouthing the words 'help me.' Ever the dedicated public servant, Motley approached the vehicle to investigate the welfare of the child. Inside were George Sibley, Jr.
and a young boy.
As Sergeant Motley engaged with Sibley, the situation quickly and violently escalated. When Motley requested identification, Sibley, an anti-government extremist, refused to recognize the officer's authority. He then produced a firearm and opened fire on Motley. The officer, caught in a hail of bullets, returned fire. Adding to the horror, Sibley's companion, Lynda Lyon Block, who had been at a nearby payphone, ran to the scene and began shooting at Motley from behind. Despite being grievously wounded, Motley managed to get back to his patrol car. He succumbed to his multiple gunshot wounds later at a local hospital.
The assailants, George Sibley Jr. and Lynda Lyon Block, fled the scene with Block's nine-year-old son in the car. They were later apprehended after a standoff with authorities on Wire Road in Auburn. Both Sibley and Block were subsequently tried and convicted of capital murder for the cold-blooded killing of Sergeant Motley. They were both sentenced to death for their crimes. Lynda Lyon Block was executed on May 10, 2002, and George Sibley Jr. followed on August 4, 2005.
