In the quiet town of Troy, Missouri, the life of 53-year-old Don McRoberts was tragically cut short in December of 2011. What initially appeared to be a fatal house fire at his residence on West Cherry Street soon revealed a more sinister story. Firefighters discovered McRoberts's body inside the charred remains of his home, and while the fire was determined to be arson, the cause of death was a gunshot wound.
This grim discovery launched a homicide investigation that would unravel a murder-for-hire plot born from a soured real estate deal.
Investigators learned that McRoberts, a white male, had been in a financial dispute with Michael and Jennifer Hall. McRoberts had purchased their home at a foreclosure sale and allowed them to remain as tenants with an agreement to buy it back. When the Halls failed to make payments, McRoberts was forced to evict them. The eviction, coupled with McRoberts being a witness against Michael Hall in a separate fraud case, is believed to have been the motive for the murder. The investigation revealed that Michael Hall, enraged by the eviction, solicited his brother, Allen Hall, and his brother's girlfriend, Viola 'Jody' Helm, to kill McRoberts.
The trio conspired to commit the murder, and on that fateful December day, Allen Hall and Jody Helm went to Don McRoberts's home. It was there that Allen Hall shot McRoberts in the head before they set fire to the house to cover up the crime. The subsequent investigation led to the arrest of all three individuals. In the end, justice was served for the senseless murder of Don McRoberts. Michael Hall, the mastermind behind the plot, was convicted of first-degree murder and armed criminal action and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Allen Hall, the triggerman, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and also received a sentence of life without parole. Viola Helm, for her part in the crime, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and first-degree arson, receiving a 25-year prison sentence.
