Chapter 1: The Fateful Morning

On July 3, 1997, Dr. Michael Tavis and his wife, Deborah, arrived at their cosmetic surgery clinic in Petaluma, California, only to find their 8:30 AM appointment, Theresa Ramirez, waiting outside. Confused about why their office manager hadn’t let her in, they circled to the back of the building to enter. While Deborah paused briefly to touch up her makeup, Dr. Tavis continued on.

Nearby, Deborah overheard a woman discussing multiple surgeries with her husband. She caught Dr. Tavis's response: “I’m sorry, I care,” just before the sound of gunfire erupted. In a panic, Deborah sprinted to the adjacent building to call for help.

When emergency responders arrived, they found Dr. Tavis, 53 years old and a father of three, already deceased. He had suffered multiple gunshot wounds, struck first in the chest and side as he attempted to escape, then shot twice in the back as he ran toward the waiting area.

Office manager Kay Carter was discovered critically injured on the floor near her desk, having been shot in the head. Although she survived, she was left with seve