I attended an event on 10/30/18 held at the Charlevoix Library (about 40 miles from Good Hart) that was held to discuss the Good Hart murders. Hopefully the link works-
50 year remembrance of Robison Murders w/ Richard Wiles and Mardi Jo Link
It was a very thorough presentation of the case and facts surrounding it over the years. The conclusion was that it was indeed Richard Robison's business partner, Joseph Scolaro who committed the murders. Several other theories were also addressed and debunked as well. The event was standing-room only, and in conversing with a gentleman before things got started I learned that he was a retired detective who had actually worked on the case. His opinion was 100% certain that Scolaro had committed the murders. Also, at the end of the presentation another gentleman stood up and introduced himself as a cousin of the Robison family. He stated that he wanted to come to see how his family would be portrayed and if they would be treated respectfully. He informed us that he had heard the news of the murders over the radio as he was driving to work. He was 18 years old at the time . Obviously this tragic event changed the trajectory of their family forever. This gentleman went on to thank the presenters for the respect they showed his family. It was an amazing moment and I hope it brought him some healing. I left feeling confident that it was Scolaro who committed the murders as well, and that had he not committed suicide he would have been arrested, prosecuted, and convicted for the murders of the entire Robison family.
I agree that Scolaro did it. The Robisons were killed with very rare ammo that Scolaro is known to have had. It should be considered a closed case.Thanks so much for sharing the information about the program. Very informative. I have to agree about the business partner as the prime suspect in these horrible murders. After reading a lot about this case a couple of years ago, I reached the same conclusion. No other scenario fits. It had to be someone who knew the family, knew their habits and schedule . Scolari certainly had a motive, too.
He was well practiced, IIRC, his brother or brother in law had a shooting range on his property near Milford MI, which was country back in the late 1960'sWas Scolaro known to be a good shot? I don’t think it would be easy to shoot and kill someone through a window. But I don’t have any shooting experience, so I could be wrong!
The prosecutor was getting ready to press charges. The perp offed himself before that could happen.Do we know why the prosecutor refused to press charges at the time?
It'd be one thing for the killer to have murdered Mr. Robison, in the hope of avoiding being nabbed for having embezzled from Mr. Robison's business.John Norman Collins, convicted killer of Karen Sue Beineman (July 1969) was considered by Michigan State Police as a potential suspect in the Robison family murders. Collins remains the prime suspect in several other murders of young women in Michigan and California.
Collins knew Richard C. Robison, Jr. the oldest of the Robison children. They met at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti in 1966 at summer orientation. How well they knew each other is not known.
Collins was said by several witnesses to have possessed a .22 handgun, which he had disposed of before his arrest in July 1969.
Although there are conflicting stories of how the Robison family was murdered, whether by a .22 rifle or pistol, or by a .25 pistol, it was clearly stated that father Richard and daughter Susan were exceptions. The killer bludgeoned them with a claw hammer.
Shirley's body was found, nude from the waist down and displayed in a manner similar to many of the Ann Arbor Co-Ed murder victims. Some reports state that she had been raped.
Perhaps this was the motivation of the killer, rather than any monetary or business reasons.
I admit that the connection between Collins and Richie Robison is an intrguing coincidence, but the evidence against Scolaro is pretty compelling, especially the fact that he had the very rare ammunition that was used in the killings.It'd be one thing for the killer to have murdered Mr. Robison, in the hope of avoiding being nabbed for having embezzled from Mr. Robison's business.
It'd be a whole 'nother thing for the killer to have also murdered the other 5 members of the family.
It'd be yet a further whole 'nother thing for the killer to have bludgeoned the young daughter (and mother, I've read that it was the mother and daughter who were bludgeoned, and not the father) and to have staged the mother's body and perhaps have raped her. The treatment of the females reeks of sexual deviancy.
So, we are to believe Scolaro was not only an embezzler, when called out on it raced up north, killed all, raced back home (not bad for a newbie mass murderer) but he is also a sexual deviant?! One day, an employee, the next, an embezzler, a perv, and a man who successfully pulled off a mass murder on his first try. I find it a bit hard to believe. Yet, he is deemed the likely perp.
Meanwhile, a known sexual deviant, who is also already an active, experienced killer, and who coincidentally happens to have been personally acquainted with one of the murder victims (Richie Robison), is not deemed the likely perp. I wonder what John Norman Collins was up to that summer? He was a known thief, ultimately kicked out of his frat house for stealing, and stole rig he and pal took out to CA, where he also killed. Perhaps he'd sniffed out that the Robison family had money. Perhaps he knew of their planned long vacay in Good Hart. Perhaps he hopped on his motor bike for a road trip. Perhaps Richie Robison even invited him up. Who knows.
Some interesting analysis of this strange and convoluted case here:Scolaro, in his suicide note, wrote that he had nothing to do with the murders of the Robisons. I'm inclined to believe him.
Some interesting analysis of this strange and convoluted case here:
The Robison Family Murder - a holiday home invasion