Bio

Larry McKay was born on June 26, 1956, in the United States. Prior to the events of 1981, he was living in Tennessee.

In the period leading up to the murders, McKay associated with Michael Eugene Sample. The two were linked to criminal activity in the Memphis area, including a robbery that occurred approximately ten days before the murders, during which a firearm was stolen.

By August 1981, both individuals were active together in Shelby County, Tennessee.

Murder Story

On the night of August 29, 1981, Larry McKay and Michael Eugene Sample entered the L & G Sundry Store in Memphis, Tennessee, with the intent to commit robbery.

Inside the store were two clerks, Benjamin Cooke (33) and Steve Jones (37), along with a customer, Melvin Wallace Jr.

During the robbery, both offenders were armed. McKay was observed holding a firearm to Cooke’s head, while Sample confronted individuals at the front of the store. When Wallace attempted to flee, he was shot and wounded. He survived and later provided key testimony identifying both attackers.

After demanding money, the offenders escalated the situation. Multiple shots were fired inside the store. Cooke and Jones were each shot in the head and died at the scene. Evidence later showed that at least one of the fatal shots was fired from a .32 caliber handgun recovered by police.

Following the shootings, the offenders fled the scene. Police responded shortly after and obtained descriptions from the surviving victim. Investigators linked the suspects to a recent nearby robbery involving stolen firearms.

On August 30, 1981, McKay and Sample were apprehended in a vehicle along with a third individual. Police recovered both a .32 caliber revolver and a .45 caliber pistol, along with cash believed to be proceeds from the robbery.

At trial, eyewitness testimony and physical evidence connected both men to the crime. Although there was some uncertainty regarding which individual fired specific fatal shots, the court determined that both actively participated in the robbery and killings.

In 1983, McKay was convicted of two counts of first-degree felony murder for the deaths of Cooke and Jones. The jury found multiple aggravating factors and recommended the death penalty. The sentence was later affirmed by the Supreme Court of Tennessee on October 15, 1984.

The court ruled that McKay’s direct participation in the armed robbery and use of lethal force met the legal standard for capital punishment under Tennessee law.