One Last Call

The episode 'One Last Call' from 20/20 investigates the 2019 murder of Evansville firefighter Robbie Doerr, who was shot in his driveway just after returning from a 12-hour shift. The case quickly became a community tragedy, with the entire city mourning the loss of a beloved first responder. Initial investigation revealed no shell casings, but forensic analysis uncovered a unique mixture of ammunition types—indicating a Taurus Judge revolver, a rare firearm. This led detectives to a pawn shop where Larry Richmond Jr., a former employee, had posted photos of the gun. His father, Larry Richmond Sr., a man with a 20-year murder conviction, emerged as a central figure. Despite no direct evidence linking him to the crime, digital evidence from his phone showed he was near the crime scene at the time of the shooting, and he had a phone call with Robbie’s wife, Elizabeth Fox Doerr, just minutes before the murder. Doerr was charged with obstruction of justice for deleting the call, but later faced murder and conspiracy charges alongside Richmond Sr. The trial relied heavily on circumstantial evidence, including timelines, phone data, and testimony from family members. Ultimately, both were convicted—Doerr sentenced to 90 years in prison, and Richmond Sr. to life without parole. The episode explores themes of grief, loyalty, and the devastating consequences of secrets, while questioning whether justice was truly served. The narrative arc reveals how a web of relationships—romantic, familial, and financial—unraveled in the wake of a single violent act. Elizabeth Doerr’s relationship with Larry Richmond Sr., her sister Mandy’s involvement, and the couple’s hidden pasts all contributed to a complex case where motive, opportunity, and digital evidence converged. Despite her claims of innocence and the defense’s argument that the case was built on a single deleted phone call, the jury found her guilty. The episode ends with lingering questions: Was she truly complicit, or was she a victim of circumstance and a system that failed to see the full picture? The emotional toll on her children, especially her son Nathan, underscores the human cost of a case that became a media sensation and a cautionary tale about trust, truth, and the fragility of justice.