Real Name: Robert William Fisher
Aliases: Bobby
Wanted For: Murder, Arson
Missing Since: April 2001
Case[]
Details: On the morning of April 10, 2001, an explosion ripped through the home of forty-year-old churchgoer and outdoorsman Robert Fisher of Scottsdale, Arizona. It burst into flames, and inside firefighters found the bodies of his thirty-eight-year-old wife, Mary, twelve-year-old daughter, Brittney, and ten-year-old son, Bobby.
Based on the physical evidence, police surmised that the previous night, Robert waited for his family to go to sleep. He then shot Mary in the back of the head, slit her throat, and then Brittney's and Bobby's. He then disconnected the house's furnace from the gas connection and used a candle to rig the house to explode the next morning, detonating hours after he left town. More gasoline was placed in the bedrooms to ensure the crime scene would be destroyed. He hasn't been seen since.
Investigators believe that Robert is a man with many faces; although he appeared to be a loving father and husband, the marriage was difficult from the start. Mary claimed that he was controlling and authoritative, that they argued frequently, and that he often yelled and screamed at Brittney and Bobby. The marriage almost ended a few years earlier when he confessed that he had an STD and that he was having an affair. Mary kicked him out, and he sought solace at his favorite hunting grounds. However, a few days later they reconciled and agreed to counseling at their church.
A detective's call with a friend of Robert revealed that ever since he flunked his Navy Seal test, he has not been the same. He used to go out with his buddies and play war games in the woods and tried to show off to his friends. He was always trying to impress people. He is an avid hunter and is very proficient in the use of weapons. He was very particular about how his house was kept and extremely picky about things being left around. He was devoted to the church and very religious. However, he perhaps became insecure when he consistently questioned Mary's involvement with the church's pastor.
Prior to the murders, Mary told a friend that she was thinking about divorcing Robert. On the night before the murders, they were heard arguing just after returning home from Brittney's induction into the Junior Honors Society ceremony. Police believe that Robert's motive was an imminent divorce, because he didn't want to put Brittney and Bobby through what he went through when his parents divorced. Robert did not socialize much with his family due to his fear of getting close to people and then losing them.
A few days after the murders, authorities thought they had Robert cornered in a small cave near Payson, Arizona, after Mary's SUV and their dog, Blue, were spotted by a camper. However, a special sewer camera found no trace of him in there, and now they believe that the SUV was left as a red herring to help him escape. A further search of the area turned up no trace of him.
Some believe that Robert committed suicide; he told friends that when Mary kicked him out, he had gone to the woods and contemplated suicide. They suspect that he may have gone through with it after the murders. However, others including the police believe that he is alive and has created a new identity. He has been indicted for the murders of his family. He was born on April 13, 1961, 6'1", weighs 190 lbs., has blue eyes, brown hair, surgical scars on his lower back, and a golden crown on his upper left canine tooth. He should be considered armed and dangerous.
Extra Notes:
- This case first aired on the June 18, 2002 episode.
- It was also profiled on America's Most Wanted, The Hunt with John Walsh, In Pursuit with John Walsh and People Magazine Investigates: Crimes of the 2000s.
Results: Wanted. Since June 2002, Robert has been added to the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list with a $100,000 reward for information leading to his capture. Police have followed hundreds of leads but have found no trace of him. In 2004, authorities acted on a tip and the Royal Mountain Canadian Police arrested an individual in British Columbia, Canada who bore a uncanny resemblance to Fisher. However, the individual was released after the fingerprints were found not to be a match. Another tip in 2014 led law enforcement officials to a home in Commerce City, Colorado which turned out to be a false lead. However, the officials did arrest and question two men at the home on drug and weapons charges as well as obstruction. There is no evidence they were ever connected to Fisher. In 2016, age progression photos of him were released. The FBI received several tips as a result of the photos and The Hunt with John Walsh airing. However, it is not known if anything credible came from these tips. On November 3, 2021, Fisher was removed from the FBI's 10 Most Wanted fugitives list but remains at large
Links:
- Robert Fisher on Unsolved.com
- Robert Fisher on Wikipedia
- Robert Fisher on Murderpedia
- Robert Fisher on The FBI's website
- Robert Fisher on the AMW website
- Explosion, fire destroy Scottsdale home, killing three - April 11, 2001
- Police: Fire that killed three at Scottsdale home was homicide - April 12, 2001
- Law enforcement frustrated after futile Fisher search - April 23, 2001
- Search called off for Scottsdale man suspected of killing family - April 23, 2001
- Man sought in arson slayings led double life - June 8, 2001
- Officials to search for murder suspect's body - June 26 ,2001
- Missing husband-father indicted in Scottsdale fire deaths - July 20, 2001
- Police: Ariz. fugitive may have called TV show - April 6, 2002
- Scottsdale man makes FBI's most wanted list - June 30, 2002
- FBI: Canadian man is not Robert Fisher - February 7, 2004
- Why FBI Won't Give Up Finding Most Wanted Fugitive Robert Fisher - April 11, 2014
- New images, few leads in 2001 Robert Fisher case - April 8, 2016
- Police: Fugitive dad killed family, burned down house - July 6, 2016
- 15 Years After Murders, FBI Receives New Tips on "Most Wanted" Fugitive Robert Fisher - July 22, 2016
- Robert Fisher among FBI tweets highlighted on 69th anniversary of most wanted list - March 14, 2019
- Scottsdale man Robert Fisher no longer on FBI's 'Ten Most Wanted' list - November 4, 2021
- Mary, Brittney, and Bobby Fisher on Find a Grave
- AMWFans Discussion forum
- Websleuths Discussion forum