The Case Of The Hi-Fi Murders Trivia Quiz

Answer: Cortney Naisbitt

On Monday, April 22, 1974, 16 year-old Cortney Naisbitt, better known as Cort, left school and proceeded to the Ogden Municipal Airport, where he had been learning how to fly. That afternoon, his instructor, Wolfgang Lange, surprised Cortney and let him solo for the first time. Cortney was ecstatic, and when he landed the plane Wolfgang cut his shirttail and pinned it to the wall.

Then Cortney's instructor handed him a card that read: "Cortney Naisbitt-Monday, April 22, 1974-Wolfgang Lange." After leaving the airport, Cortney then proceeded to Washington Boulevard, one of Ogden's busiest streets.

He went to Inkley's to pick up pictures for his parents, and because he parked his car behind the Hi-Fi Shop, which was owned by his cousin, Brent Richardson, Cortney headed to the popular stereo store.

Answer: Stanley Walker

20 year-old Stanley Walker, better known as Stan, had been working at the Hi-Fi Shop for a couple of years. Stanley was a husky young man who was well liked and very responsible. When Cortney saw Stan standing against the basement wall on the landing, he thought it was a little peculiar, but continued to thank him. Stan, in an attempt to save Cortney's life, told him to stop, but Cortney kept on walking. Stan then yelled, "stop Cortney! He's going to shoot you!", but either Cortney didn't hear or he didn't pay attention.

But as Cortney placed his hand on the doorknob he heard a man say, "take another step, and I'll put a bullet in you." Cortney stopped cold in his tracks and turned around to face the man, and to his horror he saw a gun pointed at him.

He immediately put his hands in the air so the gunman could see that he was cooperating, and as he did so Cortney mumbled, "Geez, if you hadn't said anything I never would've even known you had a gun." Then the next thing Cortney knew he was being thrown down the basement stairs, and has he landed at the bottom of the basement he was being kicked and punched.

In the basement another man stood waiting. He tied Cortney up, and Stan, who had been knocked down the basement during the time that Cortney was walking toward the back door, was already tied up. These two strapping young men were no match for two methodical murderers.

Answer: Michelle Ansley

19 year-old Michelle Ansley, whose real name was Sherry Michelle Ansley, began working for the Hi-Fi Shop the previous week. She had an outgoing personality and was engaged to be married. When the two perpetrators entered the store that night, she was forced down the basement and tied up.

At first she was by herself down in the dark basement, but was soon joined by Stan and Cortney. Little did Stan, Cortney, and Michelle realize that their time was coming to an end, and that the city of Ogden would be in a state of panic following this brutal massacre.

Answer: Orren Walker

When Stan failed to return home from work, his father, Orren, went looking for him. Orren arrived at the back alley of the Hi-Fi Shop and saw a light blue van parked flush against the back door. Orren entered the shop and was confronted by two men brandishing guns. One of the men yelled, "What are you doin' here man!" and then Orren Walker was assaulted and thrown down the basement steps.

When Stan saw his father, he said, "Why'd you have to come, Dad?", and as soon as Stan said this, there was a sound of gunfire.

This time the gun didn't claim any lives, as the bullets went into a wall. After a second round of gunfire Michelle yelled "I'm just nineteen, I don't want to die!", and Cortney yelled "I'm too young to die!". But the men ignored their pleas.

Then Stan said, "Just take the stuff and go, we can't identify you," and Orren added, "take the gear and leave, we can't identify you, we won't identify you." But still the two perpetrators ignored their pleas. The taller of the two asked what they were going to do next, and the shorter one said that they were going to do what was planned.

The shorter man held out a green plastic drinking cup, while the taller one filled it with a thick blue liquid. When the four hostages asked what it was, the perpetrators told them it was a German cocktail, and that it was mixed with vodka and that it would make them sleep. Then the gunmen handed the cup to Orren and told him to administer it to the other three hostages, but Orren refused. Then the taller man said, "Man, there is a gun to your head!", but still Orren wouldn't move. Then the shorter man made Orren sit on one of the basement steps and proceeded to tie Orren's hands behind his back. It would be a few more hours before the men left the shop, and when they did they would leave a path of destruction in their wake.

Answer: Carol Naisbitt

When Cortney failed to return home at 6:30 PM, his mother, Carol, started to worry. When Byron Naisbitt, Carol's husband, returned home from working a shift at St. Benedict's Hospital, she told her husband how worried she was that Cortney hadn't returned home. Byron, who thought that Carol worried a little too much, told Carol not to worry and that Cortney would return home soon.

But when Cortney still hadn't returned home by 7:00 PM, Carol became frantic with worry. She began calling all of Cortney's friends, and even went to the Ogden Municipal Airport to see if he was in Ground school.

When she couldn't locate Cortney anywhere, Carol became even more frantic. About 8:30 PM Carol decided to check out the Hi-Fi Shop, even though it would have closed by 6:00 PM on Mondays. Upon arriving at the shop, Carol noticed her son's car in the back alley of the shop.

She tried the door and to her amazement the door opened. She slammed the door back and entered the store and looked toward the basement stairs, and looked right into the barrel of a gun.

The man holding the gun shouted, "What are you doin' here, man!", and Carol responded, "I'm checking on my son. What is going on here?". Down in the basement, Cortney heard the familiar voice and knew it was his mother, and said "Damn it!", as his mother was forced down the basement stairs and tied up next to him, but neither Cortney or his mother spoke. The two gunmen then proceeded with their plan, and with all of their victims tied up, walked over to each one and forced them to drink the so-called German cocktail. The drink was given to Carol first, who said she didn't drink, but was made to drink it anyway. No sooner had she drank it, when she started gagging and vomiting. Cortney was given the drink next, and he too started gagging and vomiting. The two fiends then refilled the cup and forced Stan to drink it, and he also began gagging and coughing. The next one to have the drink administered to them was Michelle, she heaved violently and was basically silent. The two gunmen then refilled the cup and walked over to Orren and forced him to drink it, but Orren, who realized that the drink wasn't what the two men claimed it was, faked swallowing it and, when the men weren't looking, let the drink spill out of his mouth and onto his shoulder. Then the men went back to Stan and forced him to drink another mouthful, and this time Stan began retching violently. Then the men once again forced Orren to drink it, but again when the men weren't looking, Orren spit the drink out of his mouth. The men then tried to tape their victims' mouths, but the tape wouldn't hold on all of them, just Carol and Cortney. The two men then finished loading up the light blue van with approximately $24,000 worth of merchandise. When they finished filling the truck up the two men began going through their victims pants and took their wallets, and the they stole some jewelry from their male victims, but left the women's jewelry untouched. Then the shorter man drew his gun and, with deliberate intent, walked over to Carol and shot her point blank in the back of the head. Cortney was next to feel the hot fire from the gun. Orren watched as the man walked over to him. The man knelt down and felt for the back of Orren's head, then stood up and fired, but as he fired Orren moved his head and the bullet lodged in the floor. Then the man walked methodically over to Stan, and as Orren watched in horror, his son was shot at point blank range in the back of the head. Then the man walked back over to Orren and aimed at his head again, and this time he didn't miss. Orren fought to stay awake, for he knew that if allowed himself to slip into unconsciousness that he would never make it. Michelle was the only one left who hadn't been shot. The short man walked over to her and untied her. He forced her into another room, adjacent to the room that they were in, and brutally raped her. Not bothering to retie Michelle, the man made her lie next to Orren, and shot her in the back of the head. After shooting Michelle, the short man ran upstairs but then returned to the basement. The short man walked over to Stan once more and shot him again in the back of the head. Then the man walked over to Orren with a piece of rope. Orren knew what the man was going to do, and so he expanded the muscles in his neck as the man yanked the rope tight around his neck. Orren pretended to go limp, and this seemed to satisfy the man for the moment. But then the man returned to Orren and kicked a ball point pen into his ear. The pen was kicked with such ferocity that Orren could feel the pen in the back of his mouth. Then the short man ran back upstairs and he and the taller man left the Hi-Fi Shop. The time was a little after 10:00 PM. For a little over four hours, five people were brutally tortured and some were murdered. Unbeknownst to the two murderers, they didn't kill everyone.

Answer: Officer Kevin Youngberg and Officer Gale Bowcutt

Around 10:30 PM, Officer Kevin Youngberg and Officer Gale Bowcutt were alerted by the police dispatcher that there was "unknown trouble at 2323 Washington Boulevard." Upon arriving at the scene, they were met by Orren Walker, his wife, and their younger son.

As soon as Orren's son saw the officers he yelled, "They're inside!", and Orren said, "They're downstairs. Four of them, and they're all shot." Youngberg and Bowcutt proceeded cautiously inside the Hi-Fi shop to the basement. When they flashed their lights in the darkened basement, they saw a mass of bodies.

At first they thought it was some kind of practical joke, but then realized that it wasn't. They knew that the smell of blood and vomit were real. At this same time, they heard a strange sound, almost like the sound of a wounded animal.

They trained their lights on the noise and saw a young man lying on his back, trying to breathe. Youngberg yelled that they were going to need an ambulance, but Orren said that he had already called an ambulance. Orren then began rummaging around the work area in the basement trying to find scissors or dykes to cut the cord off of his son, Stan.

When Youngberg and Bowcutt asked him what he was doing, Orren replied, "This is my boy, Stanley. I've got to save him," Youngberg asked, "Which one is your son?", and when Orren pointed to the husky handsome young man in the corner of the room, Youngberg and Bowcutt knew just by looking that the young man was dead. It ached Youngberg to have to tell Orren that his son was dead, and he advised the older gentleman to go outside with his family, and that the officers would take care of everything. After Orren left, Youngberg knelt between Cortney and Carol and realized that they were still alive, if only barely. Youngberg rushed back upstairs to discover that more officers and the news media had arrived.

Answer: St. Benedict's Hospital and McKay-Dee Hospital

The paramedics arrived a few minutes later to take Cortney and Carol to St. Benedict's Hospital, and to take Orren to McKay-Dee Hospital. By the time Carol and Cortney arrived at St. Benedict's, Carol's life had passed. The odds didn't look good for Cortney, whose eyes didn't react to light and who didn't have any blood pressure.

His skin was gray and clammy and he could barely breathe. The doctors, since Cortney's life was hanging by a thread, cut into his throat to get to his trachea, but as soon as they made the cut, a bubbling pink froth was oozing out.

After much effort the doctors were able to get a tracheotomy going, but Cortney's life was still hanging in the balance. The doctors saw the burn marks on his face, and noticed that the same marks were on the woman who came to the emergency room with him, his mother, although at the time the doctors didn't know that that they were mother and son. Over at McKay-Dee, Orren was wide awake and answering questions as he was being treated.

The doctors successfully removed the pen from Orren's ear and throat, and astonishingly discovered that the bullet had only grazed his head. When asked how he got the burns on his chest and shoulder, Orren told them that everyone, including himself, was forced to drink some kind of liquid caustic, that he hadn't swallowed it but instead he spit it out. Orren told police officers that two Negroes were the perpetrators. He described the short one as stocky with a protruding derriere, high forehead that sloped to the back, and eyes that were too close together. He said that the taller man was physically built, and that he seemed reluctant during the crimes. He also pointed out that the two men had a cropped afro haircut that reminded him of a military cut. Back at St. Benedict's Cortney was transported to ICU, with little chance of surviving. The hospital didn't have to contact his father, Dr. Byron Naisbitt, Ob-Gyn, because his father had heard about the murders at the Hi-Fi Shop, and instinctively knew that his son and wife were there, and that that was the reason why they didn't return home. Byron flew down to the Hi-Fi shop, and upon seeing his wife's car and his son's car demanded to know if they were in there, but the officers refused to let him enter.

Answer: Robert Newey

The county prosecutor, Robert Newey, arrived a few minutes before Byron. Newey was close friend of Byron's. When the police officers refused to let him in the Hi-Fi Shop to see if his wife and son were there, Newey gave him permission to see, but there was a catch. Byron was to be escorted to the fourth step from the bottom and he could only look, he was not to touch anything. Since Cortney and Carol weren't in the basement, Byron demanded to know where they were, and Newey advised him that a woman and a young boy were taken to St. Benedict's. Upon hearing this, Byron raced to the hospital a few minutes after Cortney was taken to the ICU with little chance of survival.

It was at the hospital that Byron found out that Carol had passed on. Within an hour, the whole Naisbitt family had arrived at St. Benedict's to give their support to Cortney, who didn't even know they were there.

In the ICU, nurses and technicians were under orders to spray straight ethel alcohol into Cortney's trachea to break up the edema from the caustic.

A few hours after arriving at the hospital, Cortney was taken into emergency surgery to have two burr holes drilled into the back of his head to relieve the pressure on his brain. Cortney was not expected to live through the night.

Answer: Hill Air Force Base

When the city of Ogden woke up on Tuesday, April 23, 1974, there was a sense of terror that the city hadn't had before or since. The newspapers in Ogden, and indeed around Utah, blasted front page headlines calling the murders the most gruesome ever seen.

The police were drowning with tips from concerned citizens, who were scared because the killers were still on the loose. No one knew where or when the perpetrators would strike next. Then late in the afternoon, two boys collecting bottles in a trash dumpster for Barracks 351 at Hill Air Force Base came across two women's handbags, three men's wallets, credit cards, a checkbook, driver licenses, and clothing.

The two young boys happened upon Airman Robert Paul Weldon and showed him what they found. Weldon called the phone number on the checkbook, which belonged to Michelle Ansley, and when he called he discovered that she had been murdered the night before.

At that same moment, Corporal Cecil Fisher, a member of the Ogden Tac Squad, had received a phone call.

The person told Fisher that he knew who committed the Hi-Fi Shop murders.

Answer: Dale Pierre and William Andrews

Dale Pierre, also known as Pierre Dale Selby, was born on the isle of Tobago in 1952, but grew up on the isle of Trinidad. Growing up, Dale was always in trouble for one thing or another, although his parents tried to instill in him the difference between what was right and what was wrong. Dale was a compulsive liar and he had a temper that he tried to control, and when he knew that someone had his game, he became subdued. If Dale didn't get what he wanted, when he wanted it, there was no standing him, but this side of him was not known to his parents.

In June 1970, Dale left Trinidad and Tobago for the United States, arriving in New York on June 7th. He lived in Brooklyn until May 1973, when he joined the United States Air Force, and was assigned to the Hill Air Force Base in Utah as a helicopter mechanic. Dale was new to the Air Force when he became a suspect in the murder of Sergeant Edward Jefferson. Jefferson was found in his apartment, murdered by a bayonet.

The detective in charge of the case, Don Moore, pieced together what happened from witnesses and records. On Sunday, October 1, 1973, Dale Pierre had been at Jefferson's apartment taping music, when Jefferson discovered that his car keys were missing.

Although Pierre and Jefferson thoroughly searched the house, the keys remained missing. It wasn't until the next day that the keys were found. How they were found is the key to the murder. It seems that Pierre swiped the keys and brought them to the base for duplication. When Jefferson's car keys and apartment key were duplicated, Pierre signed the name 'Curtis Alexander', in an attempt to conceal the fact that he had stolen them. When Pierre returned to Jefferson's apartment the next day to help him find the keys, and miraculously, the keys reappeared. Jefferson immediately became suspicious of Pierre, and changed the locks to his apartment and changed his ignition. When confronted by Jefferson, Pierre denied everything. Sometime during the hours of 10:00 PM on Thursday, October 4th and 4:00 AM on Friday, October 5th, Jefferson was murdered with a bayonet. The perpetrator of that crime had jammed the long knife with such ferocity into Jefferson's face and head, that only the handle could be seen. After interviewing dozens of witnesses, and after researching the name of 'Curtis Alexander,' Detective Don Moore came to the conclusion that Pierre had murdered Jefferson. However, there wasn't enough evidence to arrest or convict Pierre. The case remained unsolved until he, and William Andrews, were brought to trial for the Hi Fi Shop murders. William Andrews was born in Virginia in 1953. His childhood was basically normal, and William, by all accounts, was a well behaved child. He joined the Air Force in 1973 and was also assigned to Hill Air Force Base as a mechanic for helicopters. At Hill, the two men became friends, against all odds. None of the other Air Force men wanted to be friends with Pierre, because of his attitude and sullen ways. On the other hand, Andrews had quite a few friends, but these friends drifted away when Andrews became close with Pierre. In March 1974, both men filed for separation from the Air Force. To their commanding officer, it seemed that Andrews was basically a follower, and that Pierre, with his uncontrollable rage, was the leader.

Answer: Blackbelt Jones

On April 23, 1974, Dale Pierre and William Andrews were arrested for the brutal massacre at the Hi Fi Shop. When Pierre was arrested, he immediately clammed up until he saw his lawyer. However, Andrews, in an attempt to clear himself, claimed that he and Pierre were watching a movie called "Blackbelt Jones" at the movie house on the base.

Therefore, according to Andrews, they were innocent. However, it became clear that Andrews and Pierre actually did see "Blackbelt Jones," but it was on Sunday, April 21st, not Monday, April 22nd.

Answer: Liquid Drano

When the police searched Pierre's barracks room, they discovered a rental agreement between Pierre and Wasatch Storage. The police knew that this was where the stolen stereo equipment was at. The next day, they searched the storage facility, and put into evidence about $24,000 worth of stolen stereo equipment.

The police continued to search, and came across a rolled up car mat, and inside the car mat was a half full bottle of Liquid Drano. The package read "Tough on clogs. Won't hurt pipes."

Answer: Magnum Force

Days after the murders at the Hi Fi Shop, a sergeant at Hill Air Force Base went to the police, and told them that on April 2, 1974, Pierre and Andrews had watched the movie "Magnum Force" at the base. The sergeant said that he remembered because he noticed the name "Pierre" stitched on the airman's shirt, and recalled a day, a few weeks before, that he had received a call for an airman Pierre.

The sergeant did some research and discovered that there were only two Pierres listed for the whole base.

The police became very interested in the movie, which starred Clint Eastwood, because there was a scene that went like this: "a hooker is sitting in the backseat of a taxicab, counting a roll of money and laughing. The cabdriver stops in front of a building, and a tall man, the woman's pimp, jumps into the backseat with her.

He is wearing a thick, floor length fur coat and wants to know where she's been. She appears terrified and immediately begins to plead with him, saying that she's been working a convention, and that she was just now looking for him to give him his cut.

The pimp starts hitting her, and the driver suddenly stops the cab and runs away. The pimp then pulls a can of Liquid Drano out of a pocket in the fur coat, and forces the some of the caustic down the hooker's throat. She tries to claw and kick at the pimp, but in a matter of a few seconds she begins to weaken, and the pimp pushes her to the floor. She is coughing and choking as the pimp alights from the car. The hooker dies within less than a minute of ingesting the Liquid Drano." It seems that Pierre and Andrews, after watching this movie, thought that the Drano would kill their five victims as fast as it did the hooker in the movie.

Answer: Keith Roberts

During the week after the murders, Keith Roberts was arrested. He was charged with first degree murder, just like Pierre and Andrews. However, Orren Walker told the police that only Pierre and Andrews were in the basement. It was found out that Roberts was the lookout and was stationed in the front of the Hi Fi Shop in a getaway car.

But Roberts wasn't in the clear just yet, the district attorney still charged him with first degree murder.

Answer: August 1974

After Cortney underwent emergency brain surgery to relieve the pressure in his head, he slipped into a coma. But his coma was not a normal coma, he would actually open his eyes, and in the first few days after the murders at the Hi Fi Shop, he even told his father, in bits and pieces, what happened.

Then four days after his emergency brain surgery, his brain began swelling even more. The doctors thought that Cortney wasn't going to make it. He did make it, but he couldn't talk or walk. When he was awake, the nurses would try to get him to drink something, but every time the cup was placed to his mouth, he would close it tight. To everyone around him, it seemed that Cortney was reliving that night in the Hi Fi Shop over and over again.

The doctors were at a loss.

They couldn't get him to eat or drink, and Cortney began wasting away. It seemed doubly cruel, that after surviving that horrible night, he was close to death weeks later because he was refusing to eat. The doctors agreed that the only thing that could be done to save Cortney, and to make him eat, was to attach a gastrostomy tube to his stomach.

This would ensure that the boy would get enough to eat. However, in his coma, Cortney began pulling out all the tubes, and even tried pulling the gastrostomy tube out. After four months in a coma, Cortney awakened. He was weak on his right side, and his right eye wasn't fused with his left. As he grew stronger, Byron was allowed to take his son on small excursions outside the hospital. On one such excursion, Cortney asked his father why his mother never came to visit him. It pained Byron to have to tell his son that his mother was dead, but he felt that Cortney needed to know. After finding out how and when his mother died, Cortney went ballistic. He refused to let anyone near him and all day long he would shout "damn." Cortney's screams could be heard all over the ICU. The nurses, doctors, and his father tried to console him, but he refused to be consoled. Cortney was in the hospital until January 1975.

Answer: October 15, 1974

The trial of Dale Pierre, William Andrews, and Keith Roberts began on October 15, 1974. The trial had a change of venue, and was tried in Farmington, Utah. During the trial, the defense attorneys attempted to force Cortney to testify as a witness, but his doctors testified that Cortney was basically a victim on amnesia, and couldn't remember that night at all.

His doctors also said that it was doubtful if he would ever fully recover.

Answer: Orren Walker

Although there were other witnesses, the prosecution's main witness was Orren Walker. Orren was on the stand for nearly two weeks. He relived, in detail, what happened in the basement of the Hi Fi Shop from the time that he arrived. He identified Pierre as the man who systematically shot them, and he identified Andrews as the man who held the gun on him when he walked in the shop. Orren told, in detail, about Carol Naisbitt's arrival, the forcing of the Drano, the shootings, and the rape of Michelle Ansley.

When questioned about the role of Roberts in the murders, Orren told the court that Roberts wasn't in the Hi Fi Shop, and that he never saw him. Cortney's father also testified as to the injuries his son received at the hands of Pierre and Andrews.

However, the defense attorneys' idea of a defense was mistaken identity. They claim that because Pierre and Andrews were African American, that Orren couldn't clearly identify them. However, this was not the case, for Orren could identify them, and he did in open court.

Answer: He was found guilty on three counts of first degree murder and two counts for aggravated robbery

The jury was given the case on November 15, 1974, and the next morning they reached their verdict. The jury found Pierre guilty on three counts of first degree murder, and two counts of aggravated robbery. The case then went to the penalty phase, where the jury would either pass a life sentence or execution. They chose to execute Pierre.

Answer: He was found guilty on three counts of first degree murder and two counts for aggravated robbery

The jury found Andrews guilty on three counts of first degree murder, and two counts of aggravated robbery. The case then went to the penalty phase, where the jury would either pass a life sentence or execution. They chose to execute Andrews.

Answer: He was found guilty on two counts of robbery

The jury was hung on the first degree murder charges, but found him guilty of robbery. Roberts was sentenced to 20-30 years. He was paroled in 1987

Answer: True

In the beginning of August 1987, Pierre's last appeals hearing had taken place. He astonished everyone by admitting that he murdered Stanley Walker, Michelle Ansley, and Carol Naisbitt. Pierre thought that if he admitted that he murdered them, that he would be spared the death penalty. This wasn't the case.

Answer: August 28, 1987

Dale Pierre was executed August 28, 1987. He was given lethal injection, which was more humane than how his victims died. When he was executed, Cortney, then 29 years-old, and Orren Walker did not go to witness the execution. In an interview several years before, Cortney said that he had forgiven Pierre and Andrews for what they did.

Answer: July 30, 1992

After Pierre was executed, William Andrews became the longest person awaiting execution on death row. He was finally executed on July 30, 1992.

Answer: July 14, 2002

In 1975, Cortney had to have major surgery to repair his esophagus. The doctors cut about a foot of his colon and transplanted it into his throat. After everything that happened to him, Cortney survived. He graduated with his class in 1975, and ten years later he was married. All who knew Cortney, knew that he was a special young man. Always known as a "Survivor of the Hi Fi murders, all he wanted was to be treated normally. Sadly, on July 14, 2002, Cortney passed away.

Answer: Racial tension

Before the murders in the Hi Fi Shop, the city of Ogden had a relatively low crime rate. But after the murders, the city was rocked to its core. Racial tension hit every Caucasian in the city, because the victims were white and the murderers were African American. Everyone was on high alert, and every black man was thought to be suspicious.

It took years before the tension began to subside, but the city of Ogden was forever changed on April 22, 1974. All information can be found in the book "Victim: The Other Side Of Murder" by Gary Kinder and www.va.essortment.com/robberymurderut_rmpu.html.