Court officer murdered serving eviction notice weeks after his mother and sister died in fire

CLAY TWP., Mich. (FOX 2) - Robert Silver was last heard before he set out to serve an eviction notice in Clay Township on Dec. 28. After he had been unreachable for hours,  police made the gruesome discovery of him shot to death on that very property.

Bob Silver’s extended family is the regulars, at Moose Lodge 158 in Port Huron.

"It's just mind blowing that somebody would do that," said Lisa Fowler, a friend and lodge bartender. "I've known him. I've been here eight years. He plays pool every Tuesday night downstairs.Great guy."

Fowler still can’t believe it. Silver, a veteran and avid pool player, was murdered just doing his job, as a St. Clair County court officer.

"They had pool last night, so I know they really missed him downstairs," she said. "It was really hard on all of them."

He’d worked for the county for 35 years. And like he’s done so many times before, Bob was serving an eviction notice to a man at a residence in Clay Township.  

Bob had been to 49-year-old Michael Stickler’s home before – but this time, it was different.

After Clay Township police found him dead, it led to a short standoff with Stickler. He would eventually be taken into custody and charged with murder.

"His mother and sister just passed away," Fowler said. "He was supposed to be at the funeral that day that it happened."

Bob’s mom and sister died in a house fire in Port Huron three weeks ago, just before Christmas. On their celebration of life, the day of his murder.

A family in unimaginable pain, understandably without much to say to us, only to say that they’re grieving in private.

"We are all here for them, if they need anything all they have to do is come," Fowler said. "We're here with open arms."

Robert Silver