Violet Matory, 9: Mother Found Dead, Children Missing After House Fire In 1977

The sisters were set to testify against their stepfather in his child molestation trial. Their mother was found strangled.

By 1977, Earlene Williams was ready to leave her marriage to James Williams behind her. That year, the couple separated and were estranged, and by the summer, Earlene was living in Compton, California, with her three children: Ivy Matory, 12, Violet Matory, 9, and Yolanda Williams, 7. On July 20, 1977, the family was joined by a friend's son, Sir-Kristopher Marshall, 3, when tragedy struck; a fire broke out in the home, and when authorities arrived, they came across a gruesome and puzzling scene.