OKEECHOBEE-  On the night of Sept. 13, 1988 Larry Greenberger sat down on his rocking chair on his front porch to oil his gun, a .44 Magnum.

Larry had lived a distinctive life in his 40 years on this earth. A singular and complex life, especially for a simple good ole boy from small-town Okeechobee. He was a big fish in a small pond. He was named Mr. OHS of the class of 1966 during his time at high school, had acquired a fortune, owned multiple homes, cars and boats, and had a beautiful wife and an adopted son.

Before sitting down on his porch that night, Larry had spent the day with his adopted son Dax on the coast before coming home to Okeechobee to his wife and Dax’s mother Lanie Greenberger and their friend Terry Squillante.

At midnight, a single shot from that .44 Magnum ended Larry’s life.

When police arrived, Lanie claimed it was a suicide. But the medical examiner disagreed, calling Larry’s death a homicide rigged to look like a suicide. The placement of the gun, carefully positioned in Larry’s right hand resting on his knee, was the first red flag. The lack of powder burns on his face was the second.

What followed Larry’s death was a whirlwind true life drama ripped straight from the pages of a pulp detective magazine. Lanie left Okeechobee only hours after her husband’s death. But after some time, she agreed to meet investigators in Orlando. Yet, to her surprise, the meeting wasn’t about Larry’s death.

Instead detectives from Los Angeles were in Florida to arrest Lanie for the death of Roy Radin, a show business promoter who was murdered in California in 1983.

Before meeting Larry, Lanie had made a living selling cocaine to high-class clientele in Hollywood. In fact, she was more than just making a living. Lanie was bringing in hundreds of thousands of dollars every month distributing cocaine for  Milan Bellechesses, a drug smuggler based out of Miami.

But, eventually, she planned to transition out of the drug trade. And she found that opportunity in a connection she made during her time in Hollywood with producer Robert Evans. Evans was seeking financing for his movie “The Cotton Club”. And Lanie, flush with drug money and connections to wealthy clients, saw her opportunity.

But just as quickly as that opportunity opened,  it closed in her face. She saw herself pushed out of the deal by an acquaintance, Roy Radin. She also suspected Radin of playing a role in a break-in at her house where $270,000 and over 10 kilos of cocaine were stolen.

Furious, Lanie arranged a meeting with Radin. Afterwards three bodyguards hired by Lanie, Robert Lowe, William Mentzer, and Alex Marti kidnapped Radin. The trio brought him out into the middle of the desert, shot him 13 times, and ignited a stick of dynamite in his mouth.

Lanie was found guilty of helping plan Radin’s death, convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.

But, away from the bright lights of Hollywood, the question of what happened to Larry Greenberger lingered. His death seemed to be nothing more than a footnote in a larger story. But for the past three decades, the Greenberger family carried a torch for him. Keeping the fire burning in the hopes that one day, finally, they’d have justice for Larry.

Leading the charge has been Larry’s younger sister, Janis.

“She is a devoted sibling,” said Okeechobee County Sheriff Noel E. Stephen. “She wants the parties involved in her brother’s murder brought to justice. And rightfully so. That says a lot about that sibling love. She’s gonna push until she can’t.”

In February the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office had the opportunity to present their evidence from the Greenberger case to the Florida Cold Case Advisory Commission. The commission is comprised of sheriffs, forensic scientists, prosecutors, and judges.

“This was a chance for us to present what we have, what we’ve collected and see what new technologies may be available to process that,” said Sheriff Stephen on the presentation. “Another set of eyes, if you will.”

“We received some good input,” continued Sheriff Stephen. “We’re very pleased.”

Lanie, now in her mid-70’s in a California prison, has always maintained that Larry committed suicide. But the medical examiner’s report declaring it a homicide contradicts those claims.

“We have information that only the killers are going to know,” concluded Sheriff Stephen. “We’re keeping that close.”