Famed Soul and Rhythm & Blues singer Sam Cooke was murdered in a Los Angeles motel by a woman who claimed he attacked her. Having cited self-defense, in 1967 she was awarded $30,000. Originally from Mississippi, Sam was raised mostly in Chicago. Some of the original newspaper reports about the singer's violent death mention robbery as a possible motive. Most notably, Cooke was known to carry large amounts of money while he was traveling.