In a tragic turn of events stemming from a dispute over money, Opal Keller Coward, a female resident of Tucson, Arizona, was killed on February 23, 1958. Her life was cut short by Robert Dwight Fenton, a 24-year-old man to whom she and her husband had previously extended kindness. Fenton had come to Tucson the month prior and, having met the Cowards, was invited to stay in their home and work odd jobs on their properties.
This arrangement concluded on February 14, 1958, when Fenton found full-time employment and was asked to vacate the guest room to make way for other guests. Upon his departure, Opal gave him $20.
On the afternoon of February 23, Fenton returned to the Coward residence to do some yard work. As Opal was preparing to leave for work, he asked her for $200. She declined his request, offering him $40 instead. Feeling wronged, Fenton formulated a plan to steal from the home. He entered the house and began packing suitcases with their belongings, deciding to assault Opal upon her return to facilitate the theft of her car.
When Opal returned home around 6 p.m., Fenton was lying in wait. He hid behind a door and struck her on the head with the barrel of a. 22-caliber pistol. According to Fenton's account, the gun accidentally discharged during the assault. In a state of panic, he proceeded to fire more shots until she was motionless. An autopsy would later reveal that she had been shot eight times and had also suffered a scalp laceration. Following the brutal attack, Fenton went through her belongings, taking her wallet and some loose change. He then attempted to flee in her car but had trouble with the keys. He was forced to re-enter the house by breaking a bathroom window to retrieve them before finally driving away. His initial plan to escape to California fell through, and after spending some time at a drive-in theater, he headed toward Nogales, Arizona.
