. >> and the woman who had called police to the scene was julia phillips, melvin's longtime girlfriend. >> she was worried that melvin was dead. she said she didn't know what had happened to him. >> investigators at the scene told julia the devastating news. melvin had been murdered. >> is that a little jolt, melvin roberts is the victim? >> yeah. because melvin's not the type of a person to be a victim of anything. >> melvin was the longest-practicing lawyer in south carolina. he had defended both the rich and poor for 55 years. he almost sounds like a bit of a small town celebrity, whether he liked it or not. >> the thing about melvin is he was into everything. >> he was so influential, the street where he lived was named after him. roberts avenue. a true renaissance man devoted to his family. >> he was everything to me. he was my best friend. he was my mentor. >> melvin had two sons, david and ronnie. >> he was instrumental in making me into who i am. >> the three men shared an unusually strong bond. >> dad, david and myself, it was our normal routine to have lunch every day. >> you