James Santelli was murdered by Joseph Pryor, a former maintenance man at the motel owned by Abu Rahmatullah, who had not undergone a criminal background check and had a prior conviction. Pryor used a master keycard he retained after leaving his job to enter Santelli's room, leading to his confession of robbery and murder. Santelli's widow is suing Rahmatullah for negligence in hiring Pryor, raising questions about Rahmatullah's liability in Santelli's death.