Ellen Robb: Phila suburbs

luthersmama · #1 12-24-2006, 03:33 PM

This one is just a few miles from me. It isn't the sort of neighborhood that a random burglar would go sniffing around in. I think she knew her killer:

http://www.timesherald.com/site/news...id=33380&rfi=6

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/n...y/16310590.htm

http://www.timesherald.com/site/news...id=33380&rfi=6

Gracelin · #2 12-24-2006, 07:09 PM

I said the same thing to my hubby as we watched the news last night!
Howdy neighbor!

luthersmama · #3 12-25-2006, 11:59 AM

Sounds like Ellen may have been very depressed. Still, it is darn near impossible to blungeon yourself to death:

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/16314207.htm

Bobbisangel · #4 12-26-2006, 06:19 AM

The husband said that he saw his wife in the morning before he left for work but aren't all colleges on Christmas break? I wonder if anyone saw him at the college? Also wonder where the 12 yr old daughter was when her mother was murdered or was she conviently at a friend's home? I also wonder why the were estranged. Lots of questions with no answers.

I hope the wife got a few good scratches in so LE can get some DNA from under her fingernails. Poor thing.

Gracelin · #5 12-28-2006, 12:10 PM

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?se...cal&id=4884302

Police Following Leads in Woman's Murder

UPPER MERION TOWNSHIP, Pa. - December 27, 2006 - Sources tell Action News the husband of a murdered Montgomery County woman remains the focus of their investigation.

ANGRYWOLF · #6 12-28-2006, 12:55 PM

on...Sometimes I think it has more to do with the police being lazy..and hoping the "significant other" will be the real killer so they won't have to work very hard.
The child could have been at a sleepover....that happens a lot with close family friends...girl children especially like to have those and their moms tend to encourage it.My daughter has been to a couple of those, although none recently.
Of course you look at the husband but you don't want to have tunnelvision. You look at burglaries in the area.You look at drug problems in the area.Junkies often will perform burglaries to support their habits.So is anything missing from the home? Has her ATM or bank card been used? Did she carry around alot of cash with her ? Stuff like that.
You also look to see if any recent work has been done at the home.Any home improvements where some workers might have come there and been inside the home.
We'll see if the husband has an alibi.I hope he does..I hope he didn't do it .That will make the case much more interesting.

luthersmama · #7 12-28-2006, 01:29 PM

The police are quite confident that it was not an intruder who killed Ellen:

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/n...y/16324419.htm

If she was killed in the middle of the day as Rafael seems to be suggesting, somebody would have seen something. The houses in that neighborhood are pretty close together. The street doesn't have much "through" traffic, so an unfamiliar vehicle parked at the house would have been noticed.

Husbands are very much the focus at the beginning, especially if the couple is separated and the wife has just hired a lawyer. It isn't looking good for Rafael, IMHO. I hope the daughter has some family to rely on.

opme · #8 12-28-2006, 01:30 PM

http://cbs3.com/local/local_story_360165927.html

"Sources believe Ellen Robb was not killed by a stranger, but rather by someone she knew and perhaps trusted. Sources tell CBS 3 the killer, shattered the glass pane of a back door to make it appear that she had been attacked by an intruder during a break in.

Sources said the robbery was staged by someone she knew. "

Also the police have seized forensic evidence from inside the home and the husbands offices at Penn in an attempt to rule him out as a suspect however at this time they are unable to do so.

Apparently they are attempting to detemrine the motive and one of the aspects is t he information that surfaced that indicates Eileen Robb had initiated divorce proceedings

luthersmama · #9 12-28-2006, 01:48 PM

Ellen had filed for divorce in 1993 but the case was terminated in 2004. My guess is that she got pregnant and decided to stay with him.

luthersmama · #10 12-28-2006, 04:44 PM

I heard on the radio that the police are interested in what someone might have noticed between 8:10 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.

I'm guessing the daughter left for school at 8:10. Perhaps 10:30 is the latest time she could have died according to the ME. No details that I have been able to find.

Good thing Rafael got home when he did - the daughter's school had earl dismissal according to the school calendar. She might have found her mom if he was even a few minutes later.

luthersmama · #11 12-28-2006, 08:48 PM

Ellen's Death notice:

Robb, Ellen Gregory
ROBB
ELLEN GREGORY, age 49, on Dec. 22, 2006,, of Wayne, PA. Wife of Raphael Robb; dear mother of Olivia Robb; dear daughter of Mary J. Gregory; beloved sister of Arthur W. and Gary L. Gregory. Relatives and friends are invited Thurs. eve 7 to 9 P.M. and Fri. 8:30 to 9:30 A.M. THE DONOHUE FUNERAL HOME, 366 W. LANCASTER AVE., WAYNE PA, 610-989-9600 and to Funeral Service Fri. 10 A.M. Radnor United Methodist Church, 930 Conesstoga Rd., Rosemont, PA 19010. Int. private. In lieu of flowers contributions in her memory to The Radnor United Methodist Church (above address).

www.donohuefuneralhome.com
Published in the Philadelphia Inquirer & Philadelphia Daily News on 12/26/2006.
Notice • Guest Book • Funeral home info • Flowers • Gift Shop

Reannan · #12 12-29-2006, 12:27 AM

Why, oh why, do these jerks think they can get away with this? Why isn't it just easier to get out of a relationship and get on with life? I will never, ever, understand it. (P.S. yeh....I know...."HE" hasn't been implicated yet, but come on, it's obvious - that is what makes it so stupid.)

luthersmama · #13 12-29-2006, 09:29 AM

Looks like the DA is pretty focused on Rafael. I feel very badly for the daughter.

http://www.timesherald.com/site/news...id=33380&rfi=6

kidzndogznme · #14 12-29-2006, 09:58 AM

Whoever wrote this obit, I bet it wasn't dear ol hubby. Notice how all the other family members are decribed as being dear and beloved except him.

Quote:

Originally Posted by luthersmama

Ellen's Death notice:

Robb, Ellen Gregory
ROBB
ELLEN GREGORY, age 49, on Dec. 22, 2006,, of Wayne, PA. Wife of Raphael Robb; dear mother of Olivia Robb; dear daughter of Mary J. Gregory; beloved sister of Arthur W. and Gary L. Gregory. Relatives and friends are invited Thurs. eve 7 to 9 P.M. and Fri. 8:30 to 9:30 A.M. THE DONOHUE FUNERAL HOME, 366 W. LANCASTER AVE., WAYNE PA, 610-989-9600 and to Funeral Service Fri. 10 A.M. Radnor United Methodist Church, 930 Conesstoga Rd., Rosemont, PA 19010. Int. private. In lieu of flowers contributions in her memory to The Radnor United Methodist Church (above address).

www.donohuefuneralhome.com
Published in the Philadelphia Inquirer & Philadelphia Daily News on 12/26/2006.
Notice • Guest Book • Funeral home info • Flowers • Gift Shop

kidzndogznme · #15 12-29-2006, 12:30 PM

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,239798,00.html

The latest on Fox about this case.

luthersmama · #16 12-29-2006, 03:04 PM

A couple of new details, but not much news:

http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/16333127.htm

Sounds like a heckuva mess. Poor Olivia!

Gracelin · #17 12-30-2006, 10:31 AM

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/16349918.htm

GAZING at his sister's coffin, Gary Gregory could barely contain his grief.

"She was an angel on earth," he said of Ellen Robb, choking back a sob. "She was too good to keep here."

As the tear-streaked faces of those packed in the tiny Montgomery County church nodded in emphatic agreement - remembering the stay-at-home mother for her warmth, generosity and dedication to her 12-year-old daughter, Olivia - one spectator sat conspicuously still.

Rafael Robb, listening stoically from the front row, had also just given a eulogy to the 150 people in the sanctuary of the Radnor United Methodist Church. But his delivery had elicited discreet, disapproving head-shakes and even a few scoffs and unintelligible mutterings.

englishleigh · #18 12-30-2006, 11:31 AM

Yes, poor Olivia...prayers for her and God bless the little angel...just awful for her. Doubly terrible if her dad DID do this.

Gracelin · #19 12-30-2006, 12:28 PM

I agree, poor child, sitting in church listening to the rumblings! and wondering if they are true! How do you keep a 12 year old away from the news reports?

misterallgood · #20 12-30-2006, 02:21 PM

I've been fascinated by this case from the start. I wrote a blog entry:

http://huffcrimeblog.com/?p=519

I decided to look at a couple of papers Dr. Rob(b) wrote as part of his work. Interesting, complicated stuff.

Steve

luthersmama · #21 12-30-2006, 05:26 PM

I was out on errands and decided to view the house. I had been in that neighborhood before, but not that specific street.

The houses on each side of the street are closer together than I remembered. However, each side of the street is at a different elevation. The "uphill" side, where the Robb house is located, is about 10 feet or more above the street. The houses on the "downhill" side are at least 10 feet below the street. So no one can look straight into a house on one side of the street from the other. More private than the space between the houses might suggest.

The houses are 1970's splits. The Robbs is somewhat bigger than most of the ones on the same street. From experience with similar houses, the lower level has a garage, one large or two smaller rooms and a full or partial bath. The second level has a big living room with huge picture window, kitchen and dining room. The third level has 4 bedrooms and at least 2 baths. The kitchen is toward the rear of the second (main) level. The kitchen of the Robb house backs up to a wooded area between this neighborbood and the next one uphill, if I am correct about the floor plan.

The Robb house looks well kept. Nothing unusual about it. I couldn't sit and stare because there was alot going on. A house across the street had some kind of gathering getting going. Lots of cars and people.

Gracelin · #22 12-30-2006, 05:50 PM

www.montcopa.org

I have been trying to log on to the courthouse all day, it seems the server is down.
They record tax assesments and describe the house in detail room size ect..

Also we could check more on any filings. Domestic abuse cases are listed as well as divorce and criminal..

Good job describing the ride by..

Read your blog Mr. pretty interesting stuff..

luthersmama · #23 12-30-2006, 06:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gracelin

www.montcopa.org

I have been trying to log on to the courthouse all day, it seems the server is down.
They record tax assesments and describe the house in detail room size ect..

Also we could check more on any filings. Domestic abuse cases are listed as well as divorce and criminal..

Good job describing the ride by..

Read your blog Mr. pretty interesting stuff..

I ran a criminal check on him on the PA Unified site and found nothing. The prior divorce proceeding, which was halted in 2004, is listed on the Montco site but nothing else. Montco no longer puts PFA's on the website, but I don't think she had sought one. I didn't look at the land records. I checked Rafael in Philadelphia as well. He comes up clean.

strach304 · #24 12-30-2006, 06:22 PM

After reading Steve's blog I had this weird thought that maybe a divorce would somehow shame him and discredit him professionally. The description of their relationship before the murder isn't what we normally see in these type cases. Then there's always the possibility he didn't do it.

luthersmama · #25 12-30-2006, 06:40 PM

I think that if it was Rafael who did it, it was because of financial control issues.

She had had a career and "her own" cash before she quit to raise Olivia. She might have been feeling an urge to get back to work and financial independence now that Olivia is almost a teenager. I wonder if he had kept a tight string on the household purse and she was tired of being under his thumb.

I don't think the average UPenn prof would feel "shamed" about a divorce, but Rafael might not be "average".