Dateline: Family Business - Who was Roberto Ayala? What happened to him? Disturbing details of family betrayals and a 2011 homicide, revealed 

Dateline, the true crime show, features another horrific murder case from 2011 involving family betrayals and homicide. The victim is Roberto Ayala, a 43-year-old farmworker from Grimes, California, who was tragically killed on July 16. He was apparently killed during an explosion while adjusting an irrigation pump on the Moore brothers' rice farm. His son was 7 and witnessed the incident. He ran for help but in vain, as his father died instantly after the blast.

The catch is that what appeared as an accident was discovered to be a deliberate murder. Read on to know more about the case, as shown on Dateline.

Dateline: Family Business - Who was Roberto Ayala?

Roberto Ayala was in his 40s, and for almost 2 decades, he had been working as a farmworker at Moore Brothers' rice farm in California. He tragically lost his life in a bomb blast while working on the same farm in 2011. The incident eventually made the headlines when it was discovered that it was not an accident but a deliberate attack. At the time of his death, Roberto was accompanied by his 7-year-old son, Fabian, who witnessed the explosion and ran approximately two miles to seek help.

“I yelled his name out, and he wasn’t answering,” Fabian Ayala told Dateline. “So… I’m gonna go and try and get help.”

Despite his efforts, Roberto succumbed to injuries caused by shrapnel and electrocution. The incident caused him severe burns and shrapnel injuries.

When investigated, the officials found some deep-seated tensions within the Moore family. Paul and Peter Moore, the sons of the original farm owner, got into some resentment with Roberto, who had earned the trust of their father working on the farm. His opinions were valued, and this trust sprouted jealousy among the brothers, and Roberto had to bear the brunt.

Dateline: Family Business -What happened to him?

According to reports, Paul Moore felt overlooked and believed that Ayala was attempting to take over his life. He reportedly expressed his animosity, stating,

“Those son-of-a-b******, they are trying to take over my life. I’m going to get that F*****.”

In the months following Roberto's death, investigators received two anonymous letters claiming responsibility for the bombing. The second letter had a diagram of the explosive device matching the one found at the crime scene. The officials then searched Paul Moore's home and discovered the same stamps used in the letter, which linked him to the crime.

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In 2013, Paul was convicted of first-degree murder with a special circumstance for using a bomb and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. During the investigation, it became evident that his uncles Gus and Roger were close to Roberto because of his efficient work, and Paul started to see him as a threat to his position in the family. While Peter was feeling excluded from what belonged to him, as he didn't have the permission to farm on the land. He built a career outside the family business, but the resentment was still growing. Although Paul and Peter Moore had their feud, they shared a common hostility toward Roberto Ayala.

While Peter once threatened Ayala, it was Paul who actually committed the act, as per Dateline. Paul Moore is currently serving his sentence at Avenal State Prison in Kings County, California. His conviction was upheld on appeal in 2016, as shown on Dateline.

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