The horrific three-decade murder case of Joy Hibbs will be covered in an upcoming episode of People Investigates magazine. On the afternoon of April 19, 1991, David Hibbs, 12, arrived home early from school to find his house on fire. Before neighbors or emergency services arrived, his mother, Joy, appeared to have burned to death.
Authorities quickly determined that Joy Hibbs had been brutally attacked, stabbed and possibly strangled to death before the perpetrator set the house on fire. According to firefighters, arson is also the cause of the fire. With no suspects or solid motives, the case dragged on for nearly thirty years until the killer was caught. The challenging case had many ups and downs, as well as twists and turns in the road. Keep reading for five fast facts about the prolific case that has dogged officials for decades.
Five quick facts about the murder of Joy Hibbs
1) It took officials 31 years to identify the culprit.
Although the police investigating the crime had a hunch about Robert Atkins, the only suspected suspect, they were unable to find significant evidence in relation to the former confidential informant of the Bristol City Police.
Robert Atkins was arrested 31 years after the crime, in 2022. Robert’s ex-wife, April Atkins, called and informed the Bristol Police Department that her husband had allegedly returned home covered in blood and had admitted to stabbing someone. According to Bucks County District Attorney Matt Weintraub,
“For the last 31 years, Atkins has lived free, but on borrowed time. Today we start charging him for that time with interest.”
2) Initially, investigators assumed that Joy Hibbs died in the fire.
When the first emergency services arrived, they discovered Joy’s charred body in her son’s bedroom. Lt. Richard Bilson, a retired Bristol Borough detective, described the situation as follows:
“She was lying face up on a mattress made entirely of springs… Her body was black and burned beyond recognition. The whole room was burnt, and she resembled a mummy.”
Fire investigators first assumed Joy Hibbs died in the devastating house fire. Joy was stabbed before the house caught fire, according to a post mortem study. She most likely suffocated.
3) In the weeks before her death, Atkins and Joy Hibbs allegedly had an argument.
Atkins often supplied Charlie and Joy Hibbs with marijuana. David Hibbs recalls his parents arguing with Atkins over marijuana in the weeks before her death. David stated:
“I remember my mother talking about it on the phone two weeks before it all happened, … My father asked my mother to return the pot because he said it was just stems and seeds.”
Atkins accepted the said argument, and officers were aware of it, but considered it too trivial an explanation for a crime of this scale.
4) Roberry was also a suspect in the death of Joy Hibbs.
Authorities discovered her wallet in the living room couch after the fire marshal determined the cause of the fire was arson. Further investigation revealed that Joy had picked up her paycheck hours before the murder. Her purse was also found empty and thrown across the house, but the money was never found. The authorities were apparently convinced to assume that robbery was one of the motives for the murders.
5) Atkins was charged with arson and murder on several counts.
After his arrest in 2022, Atkins was charged with first-degree murder, second-degree murder, seven counts of arson and two counts of robbery. He is currently incarcerated in the Bucks County Correctional Facility.
Categories: Entertaintment
Source: HIS Education