Joe was twenty-one and living at home with his stepfather and mother, Marlene. He was recuperating at home with a broken leg, having breakfast with his mum and three friends.
They looked out the window and saw a clown approaching the door with a handful of balloons and flowers. Joe thought one of his friends had sent him a surprise present.
Marlene got up and went to the door; Joe said he heard a bang, and his mother had fallen to the floor. The youngster rushed to his mother, who was struggling for breath. His friends rang 911 whilst he pursued the fleeing clown in his car.
The murder of his mother would not be solved for another thirty years.