*From The South Bend Tribune - 07 Mar 1979
Bourbon General Store Owner Slain
Bourbon, Ind. - A popular Bourbon resident, who operated a general store in this northern Indiana town for 42 years was shot to death outside his home early Tuesday soon after he closed the business for the day, police said.
Police believe robbery may have been the intended motive in the death of Claude Yarian, 68, who was murdered shortly after midnight as he and his wife, Ann, returned home after closing the store.
Marshall County Coroner George E. Deaton said Yarian's assailant fled under cover of darkness. Mrs. Yarian "saw a figure holding a long-type gun" believed to be a rifle or shotgun, but it was too dark to see anything else, said Deaton.
Investigators from the Bourbon Police Department, Marshall County Sheriff's Department, and State Police checked the murder scene for evidence later in the day. An autopsy was ordered.
Deaton said Yarian died of a gunshot wound in the abdomen. One of the storekeeper's possessions was missing, but the coroner would not specify if it was Yarian's wallet.
"The way it stacks up now, it was an apparent robbery," Deaton said.
A lifelong resident of Bourbon, Yarian sold groceries, sandwiches, and newspapers in his store on Bourbon's main thoroughfare. He lived eight blocks away with his wife and youngest son, Randy, who also works at the store.
Deaton said Mr. and Mrs. Yarian closed the business at its normal midnight closing time and drove home. Yarian walked to the front porch to turn on an outside light while his wife remained in their car, the coroner stated. After hearing a gunshot and seeing the outline of a man with a gun in the darkness, Mrs. Yarian used the car horn to summon help from neighbors, Deaton said. Yarian died soon afterward.
Deaton said Randy was asleep inside the home at the time of the shooting.
It "appears" the killer was lying in wait for Yarian, he added.
Deaton said Yarian was the type of person "who never hurt anybody. He owned that store since 1937. Everybody around here knew him."
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Friday in the Deaton Funeral Home. Burial will be in Pleasant Hill Cemetery at Bourbon.
Survivors include the widow, son Randy, and another son, Edward Yarian, of Elkhart.
Bourbon General Store Owner Slain
Bourbon, Ind. - A popular Bourbon resident, who operated a general store in this northern Indiana town for 42 years was shot to death outside his home early Tuesday soon after he closed the business for the day, police said.
Police believe robbery may have been the intended motive in the death of Claude Yarian, 68, who was murdered shortly after midnight as he and his wife, Ann, returned home after closing the store.
Marshall County Coroner George E. Deaton said Yarian's assailant fled under cover of darkness. Mrs. Yarian "saw a figure holding a long-type gun" believed to be a rifle or shotgun, but it was too dark to see anything else, said Deaton.
Investigators from the Bourbon Police Department, Marshall County Sheriff's Department, and State Police checked the murder scene for evidence later in the day. An autopsy was ordered.
Deaton said Yarian died of a gunshot wound in the abdomen. One of the storekeeper's possessions was missing, but the coroner would not specify if it was Yarian's wallet.
"The way it stacks up now, it was an apparent robbery," Deaton said.
A lifelong resident of Bourbon, Yarian sold groceries, sandwiches, and newspapers in his store on Bourbon's main thoroughfare. He lived eight blocks away with his wife and youngest son, Randy, who also works at the store.
Deaton said Mr. and Mrs. Yarian closed the business at its normal midnight closing time and drove home. Yarian walked to the front porch to turn on an outside light while his wife remained in their car, the coroner stated. After hearing a gunshot and seeing the outline of a man with a gun in the darkness, Mrs. Yarian used the car horn to summon help from neighbors, Deaton said. Yarian died soon afterward.
Deaton said Randy was asleep inside the home at the time of the shooting.
It "appears" the killer was lying in wait for Yarian, he added.
Deaton said Yarian was the type of person "who never hurt anybody. He owned that store since 1937. Everybody around here knew him."
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Friday in the Deaton Funeral Home. Burial will be in Pleasant Hill Cemetery at Bourbon.
Survivors include the widow, son Randy, and another son, Edward Yarian, of Elkhart.
*From The South Bend Tribune - 07 Mar 1979
Bourbon General Store Owner Slain
Bourbon, Ind. - A popular Bourbon resident, who operated a general store in this northern Indiana town for 42 years was shot to death outside his home early Tuesday soon after he closed the business for the day, police said.
Police believe robbery may have been the intended motive in the death of Claude Yarian, 68, who was murdered shortly after midnight as he and his wife, Ann, returned home after closing the store.
Marshall County Coroner George E. Deaton said Yarian's assailant fled under cover of darkness. Mrs. Yarian "saw a figure holding a long-type gun" believed to be a rifle or shotgun, but it was too dark to see anything else, said Deaton.
Investigators from the Bourbon Police Department, Marshall County Sheriff's Department, and State Police checked the murder scene for evidence later in the day. An autopsy was ordered.
Deaton said Yarian died of a gunshot wound in the abdomen. One of the storekeeper's possessions was missing, but the coroner would not specify if it was Yarian's wallet.
"The way it stacks up now, it was an apparent robbery," Deaton said.
A lifelong resident of Bourbon, Yarian sold groceries, sandwiches, and newspapers in his store on Bourbon's main thoroughfare. He lived eight blocks away with his wife and youngest son, Randy, who also works at the store.
Deaton said Mr. and Mrs. Yarian closed the business at its normal midnight closing time and drove home. Yarian walked to the front porch to turn on an outside light while his wife remained in their car, the coroner stated. After hearing a gunshot and seeing the outline of a man with a gun in the darkness, Mrs. Yarian used the car horn to summon help from neighbors, Deaton said. Yarian died soon afterward.
Deaton said Randy was asleep inside the home at the time of the shooting.
It "appears" the killer was lying in wait for Yarian, he added.
Deaton said Yarian was the type of person "who never hurt anybody. He owned that store since 1937. Everybody around here knew him."
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Friday in the Deaton Funeral Home. Burial will be in Pleasant Hill Cemetery at Bourbon.
Survivors include the widow, son Randy, and another son, Edward Yarian, of Elkhart.
Bourbon General Store Owner Slain
Bourbon, Ind. - A popular Bourbon resident, who operated a general store in this northern Indiana town for 42 years was shot to death outside his home early Tuesday soon after he closed the business for the day, police said.
Police believe robbery may have been the intended motive in the death of Claude Yarian, 68, who was murdered shortly after midnight as he and his wife, Ann, returned home after closing the store.
Marshall County Coroner George E. Deaton said Yarian's assailant fled under cover of darkness. Mrs. Yarian "saw a figure holding a long-type gun" believed to be a rifle or shotgun, but it was too dark to see anything else, said Deaton.
Investigators from the Bourbon Police Department, Marshall County Sheriff's Department, and State Police checked the murder scene for evidence later in the day. An autopsy was ordered.
Deaton said Yarian died of a gunshot wound in the abdomen. One of the storekeeper's possessions was missing, but the coroner would not specify if it was Yarian's wallet.
"The way it stacks up now, it was an apparent robbery," Deaton said.
A lifelong resident of Bourbon, Yarian sold groceries, sandwiches, and newspapers in his store on Bourbon's main thoroughfare. He lived eight blocks away with his wife and youngest son, Randy, who also works at the store.
Deaton said Mr. and Mrs. Yarian closed the business at its normal midnight closing time and drove home. Yarian walked to the front porch to turn on an outside light while his wife remained in their car, the coroner stated. After hearing a gunshot and seeing the outline of a man with a gun in the darkness, Mrs. Yarian used the car horn to summon help from neighbors, Deaton said. Yarian died soon afterward.
Deaton said Randy was asleep inside the home at the time of the shooting.
It "appears" the killer was lying in wait for Yarian, he added.
Deaton said Yarian was the type of person "who never hurt anybody. He owned that store since 1937. Everybody around here knew him."
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Friday in the Deaton Funeral Home. Burial will be in Pleasant Hill Cemetery at Bourbon.
Survivors include the widow, son Randy, and another son, Edward Yarian, of Elkhart.
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