IL IL - Robin Abrams, 28, Beecher, 4 Oct 1990

The Doe Network:
Case File 589DFIL

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/589dfil.html

Robin Renea Abrams
Missing since October 4, 1990 from Beecher, Will County, Illinois.
Classification: Endangered Missing


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Vital Statistics
•Date Of Birth: August 13, 1962
•Age at Time of Disappearance: 28 years old
•Height and Weight at Time of Disappearance: 5'7, 170 lbs.
•Distinguishing Characteristics: White female. Brown, medium length hair; hazel eyes.
•Marks, Scars: Pierced ears.
•Clothing: White long sleeved knit pullover, black slacks, black patent leather shoes, black leather jacket, carrying a small light beige patterned clutch purse.
•Jewelry: Gold pinkie ring.


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Circumstances of Disappearance
Abrams was last seen when she and her father waved at each other as their cars passed on a rural Will County road in Beecher, Illinois on October 4, 1990.
It was the last time Robin Abrams, a former Will County deputy sheriff, was seen.


Her vehicle, a bright red 1989 Dodge Daytona Hatchback was recovered 11 hours later by police in south suburban Harvey, Illinois. Her keys were still in the ignition inside the locked car.
A nearby resident saw the vehicle dropped off around 22.00 by two men in what was described as a tow truck.

Around 3.00, police were called to the scene by another resident who reported that someone was trying to break into the car. In addition to the keys, police found Abrams camera inside the car.
Police alerted the family by telephone shortly after 3.00.
Three days later her purse was located three blocks away from the car's location. Abram's wallet and credit cards were gone, but her checkbook was still in the purse.

Authorities suspect she met with foul play — and her family believes her disappearance was somehow tied to her job with the Will County Sheriff's Department.
She got hired there in January 1988, and, according to a civil rights lawsuit she filed in late 1989, she had a five-month affair with a married officer involved with the sheriff's auxiliary unit.
The officer harassed her for a year and orchestrated her firing, the lawsuit claimed. And then she vanished.



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Investigators
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Illinois State Police
815-726-6291

Agency Case Number: 90-F6393

NCIC Number:
M-702816241
Please refer to this number when contacting any agency with information regarding this case.

Source Information:
NCMA
Chicago Tribune 10/1/91
Sun Times 10/21/07


http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/a/abrams_robin.html
More details at Charley Project.


http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=19124355
More details.


https://www.findthemissing.org/cases/2707/0/
NamUs profile:
Dental: NA
DNA: NA
Fingerprints: NA

Many articles, all pay per view.

Robin has been missing almost 20 years. Come home soon.

:bump:

On Dec. 13, 1989, Abrams filed a federal lawsuit against her former lover and seven other members of the sheriff’s department alleging wrongful termination and sexual harassment.

There was a hearing set for Oct. 22, 1990. Her case was dismissed Jan. 9, 1991, because Abrams was missing.

State police were assigned to investigate the case. A Will County grand jury also investigated Abrams’ disappearance in the summer of 1991, and authorities named Abrams’ former lover and his stepbrother as suspects.

The investigation was led by then-Will County State’s Attorney Edward Burmila, who now is the judge presiding over Drew Peterson’s murder trial.

http://heraldnews.suntimes.com/news...ks-justice-for-sister-missing-since-1990.html

Going to look for Robin's Charley and NamUs page's.

I've seen Robin's case before, being semi 'local'. Glad to see it getting some media attention, even if that means by way of Drew's Trial. There is never bad media for a missing persons case.

Lot's of interesting info in this article. This might be a case for Robin's family to contact the no body murder guy, who was interested in helping John Spira's sister. Here is a link to his site. He's a smart man. Lot's of very good case info at this site.
http://www.nobodycases.com/

There is some really funky politics in Illinois. I have this creeping feeling a very dark side of Will county is about to be exposed as part of the ripple effect of Drew's trial.

Robin's Charley Project page:

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/a/abrams_robin.html

Robin's NamUs profile:

https://www.findthemissing.org/cases/show/2707

“Robin is now Illinois’ oldest active missing adult case on the National Center for Missing Adult Web site.”

"She didn't have a lot of money, she wasn't a high-profile person, but she had a loving family, and it just seems like they brushed it under the rug," Her sister said. "I just don't know if there's anybody who really cares. I mean, she was a human being."

The story of Robin Abrams’ disappearance has the elements of a riveting crime novel. Sex, damage, fear. And, finally, the mystery. Some believe the events leading up to her disappearance actually remove some of the mystery surrounding it.
PROJECT JASON:
http://projectjason.org/forums/index.php?topic=1525.0

LETS BRING THEM HOME:http://www.lbth.org/ncma/gallery/ncmaprofile_all.php?A200300167W

NORTH AMERICA MISSING PERSON NETWORK:http://nampn.org/cases/abrams_robin.html

411 GINA.ORG:http://www.411gina.org/robinreneaabrams.htm


Disappearance still haunts family after 20 years
Family of former Will County sheriff's officer convinced ex-boyfriend played a role
Comments

October 4, 2010

BY VICTORIA JOHNSON, Correspondent
The family of Robin Renea Abrams lives on without knowing what happened.

In their hearts, they know she's dead. She has to be dead. She wouldn't leave without calling, they say.

» Click to enlarge image

Don Abrams holds a poster for his missing daughter, Robin Abrams, while standing along Goodenow Road near Beecher. Robin Abrams was last seen by her father as they drove in opposite directions on this stretch of road near their home on Oct. 4, 1990.
(Matt Marton/SouthtownStar)
But there is no body, no answers, no closure. The only certain truth is she's gone.

Abrams disappeared 20 years ago today. The last time anyone in her family saw her was about 4 p.m. Oct. 4, 1990, when she and her father, Don Abrams, waved to each other on Goodenow Road near their Beecher home. He was heading home from his job as a bricklayer, she was just leaving the house.

Nobody asked where she was going. She was 28, after all, and it wasn't unusual for her to go out to see friends.

When she didn't return home the next morning, her family called the Will County sheriff's office to report her missing.

Her car was found that morning in a residential neighborhood of Harvey. The car was locked, but the keys were still in the ignition of the red Dodge Daytona. The day after Abrams' car was found, her purse also was recovered, also in Harvey. Her credit cards were gone.

Her father, now 75, and sister Donna Abrams, 54, have their suspicions about who was involved with her disappearance - a married man Abrams briefly had dated.

<modsnip>

At this point, Abrams' family just wants to find closure, and to hopefully prosecute those responsible, especially because Abrams' mother died before she ever got that chance.

"She went to her grave always thinking Robin was coming home," Don Abrams said.

DO YOU KNOW ANYTHING?

Anyone with information about the Robin Renea Abrams case is asked to call the Illinois State Police at--(815) 726-6291.
http://www.southtownstar.com/news/2769626,...0abrams.article

Robin's DNA was submitted to NamUs and the tests are now listed as complete.

She does have DNA profile for comparison in the future. This is a step forward.

In my opinion, I think they ex boyfriend (cop) had something to do with it. The whole thing about him trying to accuse HER of intentionally hitting his car...when it was he who did it...it really doesn't sit well with me. Also, the slashing her tires thing. It is disturbing. I hope the rest of her family gets closure. Are there any more updates? Are they still investigating the case?

The case is open. She needs more press and help bringing her case to light.

Robin made #5

http://listverse.com/2013/08/27/10-controversial-missing-persons-cases/

:rose: Robin is our featured cold case from 10/13/2013 to 10/20/2013 :rose:

Where is this ex boyfriend now? Is he still in LE or has he retired? What has his life looked like over these years? If the description of what transpired is accurate, it is highly likely more than one person knows of her fate.
It is my belief that this type of behavior cant be surpressed and manifests again. The subequent girlfriends and wife (ves) could fill in knowlege gaps there if they arent too afraid to do so.

I think the only way this case will be solved is by an anonymous tip.
I will also say that what is being suggested as a foul LE department is truly rare, and im sure they will want to once and for all clear this mans name or convict him. Its a cloud of suspicion no department would want hanging over them.
Where is he now? Did his wife stay with him?

Updated: Just read info from the link Chigirl provided. It appears the ex-boyfriend was dismissed from the sheriff's department when a new sheriff took office. Interesting....
Where is this guy and what has he been doing since Robin disappeared? What do his ex's have to say about him?

Just read the charley project brief on this case. I mean wow.....wow. How has this case not been brought to justice. Its freakin nutso. The alleged person of interest still lives in the town. What type of a place is tgis to let this crime hang like this?!

Coincidentally, this is one of the last cases I read before I went to bed last night. I had no idea it was going to be featured this week.

Here's an earlier article from 1991.

Mom Clings To Hope For Daughter

October 01, 1991|By Jerry Shnay

snipped
"Not knowing if Robin is alive or dead really drives me crazy," she said, weeping. "I can`t get through the night without waking up...worrying...thinking."

snipped
M, 47, who is married, has not been charged with any crime. In a civil rights suit filed in December 1989 in U.S. District Court in Chicago, Abrams claimed she was a victim of police harassment because she failed to keep quiet about the affair after she was fired from her deputy`s job the year before.

Earlier this year, a Will County grand jury investigating Abrams' disappearance subpoenaed hair and blood samples from both AM and his stepbrother, JR, and ordered them to appear in a police lineup. The Appellate Court upheld the grand jury. Lawyers for both men are now asking the Illinois Supreme Court to overturn that ruling because they believe that search warrants, not subpoenas, should have been issued. That case is not expected to be heard until November.

Click to expand...

Woman seeks justice for sister missing since 1990

By Janet Lundquist August 13, 2012 5:46PM
The men appealed the ruling, which eventually was overturned by the Illinois Supreme Court, which said the grand jury&#8217;s order violated their constitutional right to privacy. They have not been charged in connection with the case.

Click to expand...

Family, police search for answers in 22-year-old mystery

By Janet Lundquist jlundquist@stmedianetwork.com October 5, 2012 11:18PM
snipped
Court records show Abrams and her mother were granted an order of protection from Marquez in November 1989.

Abrams and her mother were afraid of Marquez and claimed that he carried a gun and abused his position as an auxiliary officer, the petition says. The Abrams&#8217; order of protection was extended for a year until Nov. 27, 1990.

snipped
On Dec. 13, 1989, she filed a federal lawsuit against Marquez and seven other members of the sheriff&#8217;s department alleging sexual harassment and wrongful termination.

Abrams was scheduled to give a deposition in the lawsuit on Oct. 22, 1990, but then she disappeared.

snipped
A request by The Herald News under the Freedom of Information Act for state police reports on the investigation was denied, and the denial is being reviewed by the Illinois attorney general&#8217;s office.

The Will County sheriff&#8217;s department also denied a FOIA request for all of the department&#8217;s reports involving Abrams. That denial also is being reviewed by the attorney general.

Click to expand...

I only read her Charley Project file, but to me, her position as a deputy sheriff in the 90s (and maybe before that) is a powerful position for a woman. Could that have something to do with it? Also, in regards to the boyfriend smashing her car, he sure sounds like a good person of interest. I actually read Robin's story in a book recently, I believe it was part of a chapter from Cases that Haunt Us by John Douglas. A very shady case all-around indeed.

rosesfromangels said:

Just read the charley project brief on this case. I mean wow.....wow. How has this case not been brought to justice. Its freakin nutso. The alleged person of interest still lives in the town. What type of a place is tgis to let this crime hang like this?!

Click to expand...

A rural farming community. My ex-fiance is from Grant Park and I lived in several different nearby towns, at one point during the 90s. That area of the state, stretching from probably Coal City to Beecher is mostly farm land. I lived in Wilmington, which was about 45-50 miles west of Beecher and used to drive to Grant Park (10 or so miles due south of Beecher). Not much out there.

Wilmington was a town of about 5,000 people and about 15 minutes SW of Joliet. Sirens were a regular occurrence throughout the day. With Beecher being closer to Chicago Heights, it wouldn't surprise me if crime was just as bad there as in Wilmington... If not, worse.

Will County, from my recollection, has never been a real safe place, with many of the roads leading from the smaller towns directly into Joliet, Naperville, and Chicago. It's really a "don't trouble til trouble troubles you" sort of area... Many desolate areas in Will County. It's hard to actually even say if she disappeared from Beecher, Harvey, or somewhere in between.

I wonder if she had friends in Harvey, if she'd been there to conduct business, or if she'd actually been there herself at all that day. Has her credit card, ID, or SSN been used since anywhere?

I do hate to say it, and I don't believe that Robin's disappearance was a random kidnapping, but the crime rate in Will County is a little disturbing, even if you exclude the entire city of Joliet. Even in a town as small as Wilmington was and as well lit as E. Baltimore St. (IL Hwy 53, Old US Rte 66) was, I was still very, very uncomfortable walking that street at night. Despite all the lights and traffic.

Hope that sums it up :/

The two people of interest right now are AM (aka Tony) and his step-brother JR, as one of the articles stated. She did not know anyone in Harvey. Harvey is/was know as being a rough neighborhood and would have been a great place to "drop off a car" thus planting evidence that maybe her car was "stolen".

AM still can be found in the same town and has a thriving Financial business from what I can tell. His business can be located on many area Chamber of Commerce websites.

snipped:
On Dec. 13, 1989, she filed a federal lawsuit against Marquez and seven other members of the sheriff’s department alleging sexual harassment and wrongful termination.​

This may go deeper than AM, considering there was 7 others named in the lawsuit. Just an observation.

snipped:
In December 1989, she was terminated from the sheriff's department, two weeks before her probationary period was scheduled to end. Shortly after Abrams was fired, Marquez filed a criminal complaint against her, alleging harassment. The complaint was dismissed. Marquez was himself terminated from the police department in December 1990.​

She ended the affair, she got fired?? Who helped make that decision?? What players were involved? I am sure there were no signs of her not being an exemplary employee until this point.

Snipped:
Illinois passed a law in 2008 -- dubbed "the Drew Peterson law" or "Drew's law" by the media -- that allows hearsay evidence if prosecutors believe the victim was killed to prevent his or her testimony.​

I am sure there is plenty of hearsay evidence from Robin. Do you believe that she "disappeared" after filing a lawsuit and relentlessly not giving up?? Do you think Drews Law can help her in this case?

23 years and the same questions are still being asked. : (
I am sure the run around is tiring for the family and they deserve some answers!

Where was her car towed from??
I dont think those two men were tow drivers. I think they were Killers hired by LEOs or Associates of LEOS,OR forced to do it with threats of incarceration by planting dope on them which would have them locked up for years to kill the woman and tow her car to where it was seen being dropped off. They locked her keys in her car after parking it, because i believe you need the keys to maneuver the vehicle to tow it. They left her purse in area where it was found to make it appear she was abducted in that area.

You find where they towed the car from you may find her remains.

The above is nothing more than speculation and assumptions based on what little i Have read. Just thinking outside the box and not implying the tow drivers are actual killers and not legitimate workers. Jut thinking outside the box for discussion.

I have not read what i have read where the car was towed from, and or what tow workers had to say about the situation. This is where I got my hypothetical theory.

add on...
Ex felons, gang-bangers etc.....That would had been facing life if pulled over and found with weapons and or dope in there possession. They really didn't have a choice, either kill the girl or go to prison for life. To them they had no option.
Just another outside the box theory

Find the wife (or now ex wife?) and get her to talk. She knows.
Or has she "passed on" as well?

Too bad the media doesn't shine a bright light on this case
Perhaps the family should erect a billboard like Desiree Young did? (Kyron Horman case).

Opinion only!:moo:

"Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Zero,"

http://heraldnews.suntimes.com/phot...earch-for-answers-in-22-year-old-mystery.html

That doesn't seem to be a very helpful attitude for a former law enforcement officer.

There is something wrong with the caption on the photo at that link. It's saying Robin is pictured there with her family, but that it was taken in 2012.

Do you think they mean it was handed out in 2012? It would be good if there were more photographs contemporary with Robin's disappearance. I'd think the Sheriff's Office where she worked would have one they could release.