Mother Killed During Robbery At Convenience Store

Betty Conley had seven siblings. When her mother died, her father was unable to care for them all and they were raised in different foster homes. At 19-years-old, Betty married 20-year-old Bruce Conley.

By the age of 37, Betty had two children with Bruce — 17-year-old Linda and 15-year-old Jeremiah. Betty was working several jobs at the time because she wanted to help Linda pay for college.

One of her jobs was as a clerk at a convenience store, the Xtra Mart, on State Route 67 in Charlton, New York.

On July 8, 1993, Betty was working the night shift at the convenience store. Linda Knight, who had raised Betty after her mother’s death, didn't like it when she worked alone at night. But Betty liked it when “business was slow and it gave her a chance to figure out the taxes on the cigarettes”. She had also told Linda that “if anyone does come in and want to rob the place, I’ll make them lunch.”

It was approximately 3:30 AM when two customers entered the Xtra Mart and stumbled upon a murder scene. Betty was lying on the floor, a victim of a single gunshot wound to the back of the head. She had been murdered around 2 AM and the killer had stolen $100 from the cash register.

The perpetrator left little evidence and there were no signs of a struggle at the scene. Upon the reopening of the store, a shell casing was recovered by authorities. Weapons all over New York were tested in order to find a match but to no avail.

There was a video camera in the store but it was not connected to a recording device. It merely made a sound when someone entered and exited the store. Either way, the perpetrator knocked it down and left no prints.

Witnesses recalled seeing a mid-1980s white sedan parked outside the Xtra Mart around the time of the murder. It was a four-door car with rust, partially covered with primer, on the driver’s door.

A white male was also seen. He was about 6'2", 30 to 35-years-old, medium build, and clean-shaven. He had blonde shoulder-length hair and was wearing a peach tank top.

According to Betty’s daughter Linda, authorities have treated her father Bruce as a suspect since the start of the investigation.

The murder weapon was determined to be a 9mm handgun. Bruce owned one that was unregistered. His gun was examined but the bullet that killed Betty did not match.

Furthermore, Bruce had several cars at the time but none matched the witness’ description. He also took a polygraph test and passed. Nonetheless, police claim they can’t rule him out as a suspect.

Linda has always felt the need to do something about her mother’s unsolved murder and clear her father’s name, but it wasn't until this year that she gained courage.

Due to Covid-19, Linda, a wedding photographer, has had more free time to dedicate to the case. She has been featured in several news articles and podcasts. This exposure has resulted in several leads, a few of which Linda says are credible.

Along with her friend Leann Fyvie, Linda and Bruce made a touching video that has been viewed over 100.000 times.

The Xtra Mart no longer exists, it was most recently the Route 67 Country Store and Cafe. Nevertheless, the convenience store’s parent company has stood by the offer they made at the time of the murder: a reward of 10k to anyone who has information leading to the arrest of Betty’s killer.

“It took me 27 years to be brave enough to confront this and you know I am not stopping now” — Linda Conley