In October of 2017 MysteriousWV profiled this case; LaRoy Gorman, a Charleston banker who was shot and killed in the parking lot of a Steak & Ale restaurant on the night of November 12th, 1982. It represented the first time MysteriousWV was allowed access to original, investigative material for use in a feature presentation. Chief Cooper with the Charleston Police Department was gracious enough to allow MysteriousWV unprecedented access to original police files and photos. The only restriction was that we could not copy or photograph any part of the report itself; only take notes and transcribe what was written.  The resulting feature DID include a great deal of new, and previously unreleased information, though it was still somewhat limited in how detailed a picture of the case it could paint. 

 In January of 2025 this all changed. MysteriousWV was once again granted virtually unrestricted access to the original investigative material. This time, however, no restrictions on copying or photographing the report were imposed. Indeed, we were advised by Sergeant Douglas Paxton that this was the first time ANY MEDIA ENTITY had been permitted copy this extremely sensitive material for use in a public presentation. In short, any documents or photos used would be seen by the public for the first time. To say that we were "humbled" would be a colossal understatement. 

 Now, in conjunction with the Charleston Police Department and the WV State Archives, we are now able to present a FAR more detailed account of LaRoy Gorman's murder than has EVER been possible. Witness statements, diagrams, crime scene notes, photographs, suspect sketches...etc. All have been gathered together for use in this feature. For the first time you will be able to SEE the parking lot of the Steak & Ale restaurant mere hours after Mr. Gorman was shot. You will be able to READ the original spoken & type-written words of those who were present that night, relating what they heard and saw. You will be able to HEAR and READ the words of the investigators as they inspected the scene of the shooting and noted what they saw...and concluded.  And, FOR THE FIRST TIME ANYWHERE, you will hear the details of the shooting as they were relayed by LaRoy Gorman himself before he succumbed to his wounds. Most importantly, you will hear who LaRoy Gorman himself thought may have shot him...  as recorded and reported by the one law enforcement officer to accompany him to the hospital.   

All of this, in the hopes that something seen, read or heard may clear a clouded memory...or dissolve any lingering fears which may still grip individuals who have never spoken out. Here's hoping that this demonstration of openness on the part of the Charleston Police Department can be rewarded with results. Here's hoping...that a 43-year-COLD case can finally be thawed.