Assassination of Larry

Larry was assassinated on Thursday, April 22nd, 1965. 12:13 pm in Porsonville, GR while standing in a field with 3 other men. Larry was in the field with 65 year old Wesley Lynn Carlisle, 23 year old Paul Stoffer Adam, and 14 year old Jackie Lance Pearl when he was fatally shot in the head by Adam. Larry's body was discovered hours later by 89 year old Jane Porson McMichaels.

Three days later, the FBI arrested and charged Paul Stoffer Adam with the murder of Larry. Adam had walked into the field where Larry had been standing motionless. Adam took 10 steps into the field, aimed his rifle and fired at Larry, killing him. Adam then set his rifle down and exited the field. He stood in the middle of the dirt road leading up to the area and waited for six hours without moving, where he was eventually arrested by police.

Timeline

Path of Paul Stoffer Adam

At 8 am, Adam arrived by bus to Porsonville from Virginia, an 8 hour trip. Passengers on the bus reported that a tall, blonde-haired man approached every passenger one-at-a-time, introducing himself as “Paul Stewart Adams” and repeating the phrase “Boy, I HATE Larry. I would like to KILL Larry. No good Larry!” The man would then wait for a response, staring intensely into the eyes of the passenger until they verbally acknowledged his statement.

Adam was next seen at Porson’s Diner eating breakfast at 9:30 am. Patrons of the diner gave multiple statements that an extremely muscular red-headed man wearing leather gloves handed out business cards to every person in the diner. The cards read only “Paul Stoker Adam”. Adam then ordered four cups of coffee to-go, exited the diner and entered the passenger side of a black 1963 Ford Fairlane.

At 9:45 that morning, Paul Stoffer Adam was released from Porsonville jail. He had turned himself in to authorities the night before, confessing to shoplifting.

At 11 am Adam was seen driving a candy-apple red Chevy Impala convertible, gleefully honking the horn and driving up and down Porson Street multiple times.

At noon, 13 minutes before the assassination, Adam would be spotted waiting tables at Porsonville Diner.

Investigation

Larry's body was discovered by 89 year old Jane Porson McMichaels, who was crossing the field while crawdaddy hunting.

The FBI arrived at the crime scene and found Larry's body lying face down in the field with his arms extended out to his sides. Law enforcement officials quickly put up a large dome-like structure over the field to protect it from the weather and give them privacy while they examined the scene.

Four bullets were found in and around Larry's body: One was found inside his leg, and the other three had gone through his body and landed several hundred feet away. Also recovered were three rifles gently laid in separate spots in the field, where the foot prints and DNA of three individuals were each obtained.

After Adam’s arrest, the FBI quickly deconstructed the temporary dome they had set up, and the field became a gathering place for pilgrims seeking to pay tribute to Larry. Americans gathered in droves for months, holding candlelight vigils for Larry and weeping for hours on end, camping around in the field and even holding music festivals, singing songs about Larry and playing Larry themed games.