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Missing Robin Frances Murphy 
Robin, approximately 1995 Date reported missing : 04/09/1995 Missing location (approx) : Carmel, New York Missing classification : Endangered Missing Gender : Female Ethnicity : White DOB : 01/11/1978 (43) Age at the time of disappearance: 17 years old Height / Weight : 5'9, 140 pounds Description, clothing, jewerly and more : A black and white plaid flannel shirt, ripped black jeans, black stockings and black boots. Carrying a small black purse. Distinguishing characteristics, birthmarks, tattoos : Caucasian female. Brown hair, blue eyes. Robin's hair was dyed black at the time of her disappearance. Information on the case from local sources, may or may not be correct : Robin was scheduled to meet her boyfriend, Matt Esposito, for dinner in their hometown of Carmel, New York on April 9, 1995. She was last seen at approximately 7:30 p.m., walking in the Shop-Rite Plaza Shopping Center (alternatively called the Carmel Center or the Nichols Plaza Shopping Center) on Route 52. Robin never arrived at the restaurant and has never been heard from again. The shopping center is less than one mile from her residence. Her mother's red Oldsmobile, which she had borrowed for her trip to the shopping center, was located near the Burger King restaurant in the mall's parking lot shortly afterwards. Her keys, wallet, purse and checkbook were discovered in a marshy, grassy area behind the center several days later. Investigators don't believe Robin ran away from home. Less than two weeks before she disappeared, she bought candy and presents for her younger siblings for Easter, but disappeared before the holiday. She dropped out of high school prior to her disappearance to take a job at the Shop-Rite supermarket, but had decided to return to school and planned to eventually enroll in college and become a journalist. Esposito was questioned regarding Robin's case and cleared as a possible suspect early in the investigation. Authorities announced that Howard J. Gombert Jr. was a suspect in Robin's disappearance after his arrest on Gender : ual assault and child endangerment charges in March 2000. He was taken into custody after Gender : ually assaulting an eight-year-old girl, as well as his own girlfriend, and was sentenced to 30 years in prison. When the police arrested him in 2000, they found Robin's underwear hidden in a suitcase in his girlfriend's house; they were able to get DNA from the underwear and match it to Robin. Gombert had no explanation for how it got there. He had previously resided in Carmel and was employed at a laundromat in the shopping center where Robin disappeared, and he knew her. He stated he had spoken to Robin the day she disappeared and asked her for advice about his girlfriend, and they talked for a few minutes. In the days after she went missing, Gombert attempted suicide and had to be hospitalized. He has never been charged in connection with her disappearance. He has a prior criminal record and had been charged with first-degree rape in 1991, but the charge was dismissed when the thirteen-year-old alleged victim recanted her story shortly after his arrest. Robin liked to wear black clothing in 1995; she also enjoyed writing and listening to rock music. Her disappearance remains unsolved. Foul play is suspected in her case. Other information and links : ncy Carmel Police Department 845-628-1300 September 2021 updates and sources The National Center For Missing and Exploited Children Child Protection Education Of America New York State Missing and Exploited Children Clearinghouse The News-Times The Journal News Gender : Offender Registry and Gender : Crime Search, Info and Discussion A missing person is a person who has disappeared and whose status as alive or dead cannot be confirmed as their location and condition are not known. A person may go missing through a voluntary disappearance, or else due to an accident, crime, death in a location where they cannot be found (such as at sea), or many other reasons. In most parts of the world, a missing person will usually be found quickly. While criminal abductions are some of the most widely reported missing person cases, these account for only 2�5% of missing children in Europe. By contrast, some missing person cases remain unresolved for many years. Laws related to these cases are often complex since, in many jurisdictions, relatives and third parties may not deal with a person's assets until their death is considered proven by law and a formal death certificate issued. The situation, uncertainties, and lack of closure or a funeral resulting when a person goes missing may be extremely painful with long-lasting effects on family and friends. Several organizations seek to connect, share best practices, and disseminate information and imAge at the time of disappearance: s of missing children to improve the effectiveness of missing children investigations, including the International Commission on Missing Persons, the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC), as well as national organizations, including the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children in the US, Missing People in the UK, Child Focus in Belgium, and The Smile of the Child in Greece. The New York Times Peter Henderson Jr. |