Malachi Wilson was born to William and Evelina Wilson around 1916 in Campbell County, VA. He lived alone in a cinderblock shack across from Giles Deli and Convenience Store on U.S. Route 460 just 2 miles east of Lynchburg. He subsisted on his monthly $314 Social Security check, but was known to flash $100 bills. His habit of sitting outside his house led to people stopping by for a chat or social visits. He was described as having a great sense of humor, and as funny as any comedian. It seems his jokes could also be abrasive. His sister, Mrs. Jessie Wilson Lewis, lived across Route 460, and Malachi would come by on Sundays for an evening meal. On Monday, Nov. 5, 1984, a neighbor stopped by to ask about Malachi. Mrs. Lewis sent her son William to go check on his uncle. He was found dead in his living room, sitting up unnaturally straight on the couch. A gunshot wound above his left eye was determined to be the cause of death. He was 68 years old.
Robert Edward Lamberth, 34, was arrested in Des Moines, Iowa under the assumed name "Mason J. Gordon" on or about Nov. 10, 1984 for theft. He was wanted in connection to a burglary homicide from 1980 in Campbell County, VA. However, it doesn't appear there was enough evidence to connect Lamberth to the murder of Wilson.
