Joels widow did not want a longer term. In late 1999, Linda caught her husband burning credit card statements in the fireplace. After that marriage ended, she married Robert Yates, a solid man known more for being religious and polite than anything else at the Whidbey Island Naval Air Station, where he kept track of inventory. The couple had a son and then a daughter. However, she felt guilty about splitting up the father from his daughters and moved back in with him. "Boys aren't attached to their mothers like girls are," he says. - by Sarah Firth. The kids thought it was Shakespeare. While in the Army, Yates had 30 days of leave a year. Linda Yates, who is from Walla Walla, married Robert Yates in 1976. [3], Yates left the active duty Army in April 1996, apparently a year and a half short of being eligible for his full retirement benefits and pension. Robert Lee Yates Jr. kept trying to hold his life together. He almost had enough credits to be a junior there. "It doesn't throw us over the edge.". She moves home to Fall City with her parents. With nothing but the clothes on their backs, the Yates family went into hiding. Kyle is related to Cameron Yates and Margaret A Yates as well as 3 additional people. At first glance, Robert Lee Yates seems like a typical middle aged American man. [26][27][28][20], Shawn Ann McClenahan and Laurie Page Wason If he were convicted in those two deaths, the 15 victims would exceed the 14 that Richard Ramirez, Southern California's "Night Stalker," was convicted of killing, and the total of Henry Lee Lucas, convicted in Texas of 13 murders. They avoid meat, drugs and alcohol. [8][9], On September 19, 1998, Yates was asked to give a DNA sample to Spokane police after being stopped. Then Robert Yates moved to Fort Drum, N.Y. Last week, the 48-year-old Army veteran and National Guard helicopter pilot admitted to 10 Spokane-area slayings from 1996 to 1998, the murders of a young man and woman in southern Washington in 1975 and the murder of a woman in the state's northeastern corner in 1988. Six months later, Linda gave birth to a daughter. He received a classical education in New York City and later studied law with William Livingston. Many students and teachers there don't remember him. Anna Mae Yates did the hair of neighborhood ladies and worked as a housekeeping supervisor at the local hospital. Bob was born January 27, 1935 in Tacoma, WA to Peter and Margaret (Lingham) Yates. Linda Yates had grown up in the Eastern Washington town. She says she never exchanged more than 10 words with Linda Yates, who stayed at home with the children. Yates only surprised occasionally: Quit football his sophomore year. A family guy. Gatti's lottery number came up, and he went to war. [4], Yates' first murders were committed in 1975, when he shot and killed two college students who were picnicking. Although Yates was ultimately convicted and sentenced to death, Washington Gov. Yates was sentenced last month in Spokane to 408 years in prison for 13 murders 10 women in Spokane since 1996, a woman in Skagit County in 1988 and a couple near Walla Walla in 1975 and one attempted murder. Miles Merrill, who learned to teach flying from Yates, thought the man he spent time with seven hours a day for eight weeks was a single parent. Summary of Robert Lee Yates. Detectives are also investigating whether Yates might have killed five women found dead between 1990 and 1995 and a woman who disappeared in 1998. "I don't believe it. SeattlePi reports Linda also noticed Robert was making an unusual number of withdrawals from their bank account and as a result, they were "running out of money." His oldest daughter moved out. Most Facebook users can now claim settlement money. Yates is a force to be reckoned as the former #1 in the world pickleball player. Local News Nation / world. Reward offered as manhunt for Texas shooting suspect reaches "dead end" The remarks came Tuesday after a boy, 13, was shot in a suspected drive-by shooting Saturday. And after their five kids came along, he was a doting dad who enjoyed fishing and camping trips. Yates was 22. I didnt love him like a wife should. But Yates didn't have a car, not one anyone could remember. They take some carpet fibers for testing. He also confessed to two murders committed in Walla Walla in 1975 and a 1988 murder committed in Skagit County. Yates retired from the military after 18 years and rented a home with his family in a maze of Spokane subdivisions. At the time Yolanda Sapp, Nickie Lowe and Kathy Brisbois were found, police linked them to a single killer, investigators have said. [23][24][20][25], Shawn Lynette Johnson 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. [29][30][31][32][20], Sunny Gail Oster In 1976, Robert Yates and Linda Brewer had a second wedding ceremony - this time in Oak Harbor, with Brewers' parents as the witnesses - most likely because his divorce hadn't been final the first time. As reported by Seattle Times, Robert Lee Yates Jr.'s parents were devout Seventh-Day Adventists, and Robert joined the church when he was 14 years old. Investigators from 30 states and two countries have called about him, wondering if he can be linked to their unsolved killings. As an adult, he was a man's man, a soldier. He has five children, (four daughters and one son), with his second wife Linda, whom he married in 1976. View Full . He stays in College Place, home of Walla Walla College. [21][22][20], Melinda Lee Mercer They also expect to move the case to Spokane County Superior Court, at which time Yates will enter a formal plea. Teenagers cruised the downtown strip in their cars; they called it "dragging the gut.". . She is the only known survivor of Yates' crimes. "Bob was really kind of quiet. "There's absolutely no doubt," says Sterk, adding that DNA links Yates to eight of the deaths. All of these women were shot and dumped in remote areas. However, she has been very open about her relationship with Robert and the aftermath of his arrest and conviction. Anna Mae and her first husband had two daughters. 2. At the age of 6, Robert was molested by an older neighbor boy. While there, he wrote a letter to the local newspaper, defending the National Rifle Association, the Second Amendment and the right to own a weapon. Young fan gets a racing helmet signed by Doug Yates, son of Hall of Fame team owner Robert Yates at the NASCAR Hall of Fame Fan Appreciation Day on. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Spokane authorities now say Yates is a serial killer. On November 5, 1997, the partially decayed remains of Darla Scott, 29, were found in a shallow grave near a golf course in Spokane. Once, he decided to go for a run and ended up in Coupeville, 10 miles down the road. Despite his outward appearance, something sinister was lurking under the surface of the killer's seemingly ordinary exterior. He and his wife had six children, including Yates' mother, Anna Mae. September 1998 - Yates is laid off from Pantrol as part of a reduction in force. He is currently serving life in prison at the Washington State Penitentiary. He is charged with killing Jennifer Joseph, a 16-year-old prostitute. He was in pre-med. She moved back to her home town, Walla Walla. Yates, born in Anacortes, sits now on the other side of the state, in jail on a $1.5 million bond. August 1974 - Yates' and Nylander's divorce is official. They wanted a barbecue after more than a month of eating Army food, says Dennis Mills, who later served with Yates. Law enforcement officers in many of those places are studying unsolved crimes to see if Yates might be involved. This would allow them to retain certain assets while selling off property to repay their debts. The family settled in . In September 1998, Pantrol laid off two people, including Yates. From 1975 to 1998, he is known to have murdered at least 11 women in Spokane. He has to rush back to New York to go to Haiti. March 1998 - The Yateses buy a home a mile away from their rental house. Son Kyle born - starts neglecting daughters. He chose to go to Skagit Valley Community College with Gatti, about 28 miles from home. However, Seattle Times reports his death sentence was commuted to life in prison without the possibility of parole following the Washington Supreme Court's decision to abolish capital punishment. Robert Yates Sr. told The Spokesman-Review newspaper that his son, then 6, was molested by an 11-year-old boy. When the family's church burned down, Robert and his father worked together to help rebuild it. Associated Press. He also refused to give a blood sample for a DNA test. A middle-aged father of 5, Robert L. Yates Jr., a decorated military helicopter pilot, and National Guardsman was convicted of 15 murders but suspected of as many as 18.The most prolific serial killer ever sentenced in Washington state, he now sits on death row. His son, Doug Yates, announced his father's passing on social media . The attempted murder charge involves a woman who survived a gunshot wound to the head. In March 1999, Yates tried to get a job flying helicopters for Spokane's air-ambulance service, but no positions were available. As reported by HeraldNet, law enforcement officials descended on the family's home, forcing Linda and her children to leave with little warning. Police discovered bullet fragments in her hair; Smith was unaware that she was actually shot. "You knew it had to be something good," says Dennis Niles, who served with Yates. In October 1998, the final body linked to the serial killing was found, in Tacoma. He takes vacation in Washington in September 1994, to buy a white 1977 Corvette from Sarah Marsh in Walla Walla. As reported by Radford University's Department of Psychology, Yates Jr.'s childhood was far from ideal. In this article, we take a look at how his wife came to terms with her husbands sins. "We had laughs, a good talk," says Gatti, who now works in a factory. Obviously, this was a shocking revelation for the wife. He declined to comment on the specifics of the case: "The place where I do battle is in the courtroom.". March 1974 - Nylander and Yates separate. It was Linda Yates first interview since the arrest of her husband in Spokane the morning of April 18. Yates pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree murder in that attack. She had been missing since October 29, 1997. "Especially when he said he was going hunting, and he was dressed up nice and had cologne on," she told "Dateline." However, as reported by SeattlePi, she ultimately reunited with her husband for the sake of their five children. The wife of serial killer Robert L. Yates Jr. says she asked him during a jailhouse visit why . [42][43][20], Yates was arrested on April 18, 2000, for the murder of Jennifer Joseph. Yates had three cars, and he fiddled with them and washed them in front of his home. The couple went on to have four daughters and one son. The Army hasn't yet released a complete time line of Yates' duty, but state records show he returned to Washington state at least once. The three oldest girls slept in the basement, the neighbor says. April 1996 - Yates moves to Spokane without a job, rents a house with his wife and five children. "I still love you dad, even though you did this," she said as her father looked away. She was found nude and partially obscured by a hot tub cover. On August 26, 1997, the body of Heather Hernandez, 20, was found in an overgrown lot in Spokane. [5], In 2001 Yates was charged in Pierce County, Washington, with the murders of two additional women. Spokane County Superior Judge Richard Schroeder also fined Yates $60,000, and signed him over to the custody of the sheriff of Pierce County. He was sentenced to 408 years in prison. December 1974 - Linda Yates gives birth to a daughter. About 18 months after Robert and Shirley married, Shirley Yates moved home to her parents. "If he did do these things, the way I feel about it is, my friend Bob Yates died a long time ago. Serial Killer Robert L. Yates, Jr. Spokane, Washington. Science professors don't remember him. In May, Yates was selected for induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame's Class of 2018. By the time Yates moved to town, five women were already dead. The arguments were rejected in 2007 by the Washington Supreme Court. Robert Lee Yates Jr. was born on May 27, 1952, and grew up in a middle-class family in Oak Harbor, Washington. He learned to be an instructor pilot for the OH-58, the Kiowa, at the time the Army's primary observation helicopter. February 1984 to October 1984 - Yates is a support aviator in the Brigade Support Company, Aviation Training Brigade, Fort Rucker, Ala., the Army's flight training center. He and his wife, Linda, had five children together and were still married at the time of his arrest. On October 13, 1998, the body of Connie Ellis-LaFontaine, 35, was found in a ditch in Tacoma. His son, Doug Yates made the announcement Monday. October 16, 2000 / 3:42 PM / CBS. June 1974 - Yates and Linda Brewer, of Benton County, apply in Walla Walla County for a marriage license. Meet the candidates and likely candidates vying for your vote [47] A September 19, 2008 execution date was stayed by Chief Justice Gerry L. Alexander pending additional appeals. At Yates' trial, it was revealed that even after she was shot in the head, Mercer had chewed through two of the bags before succumbing to her injuries. Inslee cited the high cost of the appeals process, the randomness with which death sentences are sought, and a lack of evidence that the penalty serves as a deterrent to other criminals. One Army colleague says he thought Yates planned to join a friend at a company cleaning paper mills. Al Gatti, who was close friends with Robert Lee Yates Jr. in high school, said they spent a lot of their free time together fishing, hiking, hunting, and even working odd jobs to make extra money. In a 2000 interview, Linda Yates admitted how painful it was to learn her husband of 24 years was a serial killer and how difficult the situation was for their entire family. October 1976 - Anna Mae Yates dies after a long bout with cancer. A heck of a teacher, say Army subordinates. [13][14], Shannon Rene Zielinski In 1916, he bought land. The family settled in Spokane, Washington, and Robert was seen as a doting father as well. He lasts four months. He refused, stating that it was too extreme of a request for a "family man. He didn't remember his friend's name. Here's how. -------------------------------------------------------------. At this time, the military was reducing its numbers, so he received full retirement despite being short of the customary 20 years served. His wife, his three youngest daughters and his son moved to a motel after his arrest, and it's not clear where they are now. Religious. Richard Fasy, the Spokane County public defender assigned to Yates' case, says police statements implying Yates' guilt are premature and inappropriate. The elder Yates said he did not think that molestation was relevant in his son's case. Yates decided he wanted to be a doctor. Cal Walker said Thursday. He worked as a guard at the state penitentiary in Walla Walla - Linda's dad had worked there for 18 years - but Yates lasted only four months. These dates are when their bodies were found, not necessarily when they were killed. Sometime in mid-May 1998, Melody Murfin, 43, went missing. [44], After searching the Corvette, police discovered blood that they linked to Jennifer Joseph, and DNA from Yates that they then tied to 12 other victims. Trending News November 1997 - Yates is cited for speeding in his Corvette, about 2.5 miles from where a slain woman's body was found three weeks earlier. Her death didn't seem to affect Yates much, Gatti says. Robert Yates' son Doug currently runs Roush Yates Engines, a company set up in 2003 to be Ford's exclusive Engine partner in NASCAR, as well as other series. Meticulous. On June 14, 1996, Shannon Zielinski, 38, was found shot in the head in Mead. He later works as a janitor in a hospital and as a theater usher. All 18 women used drugs, worked as prostitutes or lived on the streets. Shortly after, women began disappearing from the streets . He ended his letter, "Do not seek what seems like the simple solution, because it isn't.". On July 14, 1975, the bodies of Patrick Oliver, 21, and Patricia Savage, 22, were found shot in the head near Walla Walla. April 19, 2000 - He is charged with murdering Joseph. He wasn't thin. Because this isn't the same Bob Yates I know.". Sheriff Mark Sterk says DNA and other evidence link Yates to at least 12 of the slayings. Yates replaced Sadler with an unproven an probably undeserving rookie in David Gilliland. On December 7, 1997, Melinda Mercer, 24, was found shot and dumped in a field in Tacoma; she had been shot several times and had four plastic bags covering her head. However, there were no reports of criminal activity prior to 1975 when he killed his first two victims at the age of 23. Robert Lee Yates led an evil double life. The prosecutor in Pierce County, where the other two murders took place, has said he will not allow Yates a plea agreement to avoid the death penalty. December 1998 - Yates crosses picket lines to go to work at Kaiser Aluminum as a carbon setter. Maybin, who paid for her crack habit by working as a prostitute, had been missing since November 22, 1997. #inline-recirc-item--id-922979d6-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d, #right-rail-recirc-item--id-922979d6-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d { He and his son helped rebuild it. "I didn't get to know him that much," says Mary Nylander, Shirley's mother. He married Kay (Harrison) Barnes August 4, 1979. Bobby Labonte drives the Ask.com Ford during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Pocono 500 on June 6, 2009 at Pocono International Raceway in. Late that spring, another prostitute was found shot to death. On December 28, 1988, the partial skeleton of Stacy Hawn, 23, was found near Big Lake. Six months after moving to Spokane, Yates found a job at Pantrol, a tiny company that makes circuit boards. His choir teacher drove him home from practice for "Plenty of Money," the school musical. He denied the cheating allegations and said that he went there to use their hot tub after his 12-hour shifts at the aluminum plant. [45] On September 19, 2002, Yates was convicted of those murders and subsequently sentenced to death by lethal injection on October 3, 2002. He is charged with killing Jennifer Joseph, a 16-year-old prostitute. The Spokane County sheriff says he is suspected in the deaths of 12 to 18 women. Last month, the Washington State Patrol crime lab matched the carpet fibers from the Corvette to fibers found on Jennifer Joseph's shoes and a towel left near her body. There, he taught helicopter pilots how to teach soldiers to fly OH-58 helicopters. On the day of his arrest, law enforcement officials entered their house early in the morning to search for evidence of his crimes. [3], In October 1977, Yates enlisted in the United States Army, where he became certified to fly civilian transport airplanes and helicopters. Al Gatti thought Yates had found a good deal on a house in Spokane and steady work. "They tried to court-martial him because he didn't go through the proper channels," Mills says. The other killing the murder of Shawn McClenahan is the killing in which evidence against Yates is strongest, and prosecutors will hold it in abeyance in case Yates tries to renege on the agreement or seek appeals. You'd think you were talking to a professor. October 1984 to October 1987 - Yates is a support aviator in a different unit in Fort Rucker. At this point, he has 32.5 days of unused leave. The next was when Yates was on duty in Alabama in the mid-80s. However, she and her children ultimately settled into "a quiet life" and are currently living in the state of Washington. Robert Yates was arrested for murder and detectives searched the entire property. I know him too well," says Al Gatti, who met Yates in sixth grade in Oak Harbor, then a town of fewer than 5,000 people on Whidbey Island anchored in the Navy and farming. European newspapers call him the "notorious Washington Ripper." That performance . His vehicle was described as a 70s era black van with an exterior yellow/orange stripe, bucket seats, wood panelling, and a raised bed. There were rumblings that a serial killer might be loose in Spokane, but nothing official. In a public statement, provided by Kitsap Sun, Yate's family expressed sympathy for the victims. The serial-killer task force began circling Yates. He was 74. On July 7, 1998, Michelyn Derning, 47, was found shot once in the head in Spokane. He told me most marriages, they have their ups and downs. The next year, Robert Lee Yates signed up with the Army. Yates shot a pig in Somalia from his helicopter. Describing her now incarcerated husband, Linda said, He was a very moody person. By NICHOLAS GERANIOS. Authorities seized the Corvette. Well, the offseason hits, Kyle Busch gets the 18 and Mars has a choice, go with the best young talent in the sport at the time or stick with an unproven rookie. Both women were shot twice in the head and their heads were wrapped with three plastic bags each. A lover of the outdoors, Robert would often head out alone to go . Hernandez had only recently come to the area and within a few weeks was arrested twice for prostitution. "He didn't go along with the trend, when everyone was growing their hair long.". On December 18, 1997, the body of Shawn Johnson, 36, was found with two gunshot wounds and two plastic bags covering her head, about a mile from the remains of Darla Scott. Yates' father and three sisters gave only one public statement: "Bobby is a loving, caring sensitive son; a fun-loving and giving brother; an understanding, generous and dedicated father, who enjoys playing ball, fishing and camping with his kids. "I want to know why, like anybody else," Linda Yates said she asked her husband. He floated through high school without making many solid connections. They were shot and dumped like yesterday's yard clippings. My Dad and Hero . Although he was described as a bit of a loner, Robert Lee Yates Jr. participated in a number of extracurricular activities, including football and choir. While there, he learns to teach soldiers to fly Huey helicopters. Police later say they found a button matching one missing from Joseph's jacket and traces of blood on a seat and seat-belt buckle. "He could one minute he could be real easygoing, and go into a room and come out and be a totally whole different person.". Records show that for one year, his oldest daughter was in the sixth grade in Walla Walla. On Nov. 10, 1998, a police officer pulled over Yates' car, with a known prostitute in the passenger's seat. Former landlords in College Place don't remember him. Another thought he planned to be a pilot in Spokane. "Do you have any idea what it's like to go to a cemetery for a family reunion for 25 years?" The case renewed debate about the state's death penalty laws. "If he did do these things, knowing Bob like I do, he'd 'fess up to it," Gatti says. The .25 caliber bullet casing was still in her hair. She said her father hit her all the time. He is unemployed for several months. He killed that.. They interviewed hundreds of potential suspects and considered Yates to be only one of them. She was killed just a month after arriving in Spokane. "He would overstep his boundaries.". Profile from Radford University Dept of Psychology students, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_Lee_Yates&oldid=1152090421, Crimes against sex workers in the United States, People convicted of murder by Washington (state), Prisoners sentenced to death by Washington (state), United States Army personnel of the Gulf War, Violence against women in the United States, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 28 April 2023, at 03:59. The prosecution sought the death penalty for the deaths of Melinda L. Mercer in 1997, and Connie Ellis in 1998, which were thought to be linked to the killings in Spokane County. Yates bought a new home for $122,000, a tan split-level about a mile away from the rental. She clarified, The girls were pleading to be with their dad. September 1997 - Driving a white Corvette, Yates is stopped for a traffic violation near East Sprague Avenue, the strip of town where prostitutes work. "I said, Do you know why you killed these women? " Linda Yates recalled in an interview that aired Friday night on NBC televisions "Dateline" program. The family settled in Spokane, Washington, and Robert was seen as a doting father as well. Among the slayings is the death of 19-year-old Teresa Hesselgrave, whose body was found in a wooded area near Whidbey General Hospital in 1977. A mother-of-pearl button was found that matched one missing from Joseph's jacket. In 1975, he was hired by the Washington State Department of Corrections to work as a correction officer at the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla. Here's how. display: none; Police say he drove his 1977 white Corvette down East Sprague Avenue and picked up prostitutes.

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