Deborah Lee Atrops.Photo: Washington Co. Sheriff’s Office
Nearly 35 years after his estranged wife was found dead in the trunk of a car, a 68-year-old man from Oregon has been formally charged with her murder, authorities said.
Robert Elmer Atrops was arrested at his Newberg home on March 2 and charged with one count of second-degree murder in connection with the 1988 death of 30-year-old Deborah Lee Atrops, according to apress releasefrom the Washington County District Attorney’s Office.
Robert then called several friends and family members to see if they knew where Deborah was before reporting her missing to the Tigard Police Department, authorities said.
The two-door sedan also had its driver’s side window down and was missing license plates, authorities said.
Investigators said Deborah’s body was found inside the trunk of the car.
Deborah Lee Atrops.Washington Co. Sheriff’s Office
“Based on the positioning of her body, it appeared Mrs. Atrops had been placed in the trunk after her death,” the release states.
An autopsy determined Deborah had been assaulted and strangled. Her death was ruled a homicide.
Despite more than three decades of investigation, the case eventually went cold.
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Detectives with the Washington County District Attorney’s Office Cold Case Multidisciplinary Unit re-opened the case in 2021, about a year after forming a partnership with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
The cold case unit was formed in 2020 after receiving a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice.
The Washington County District Attorney’s Office Cold Case Multidisciplinary Unit re-opened the case in 2021, the release states. After receiving a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, the cold case unit was established in 2020 in partnership with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
For the next year and a half, investigators said they re-interviewed multiple witnesses and had forensic evidence reexamined.
“I am proud of the work our Cold Case Unit has done to ensure that victims and cases are not forgotten, despite the passage of time,” Washington County District Attorney Kevin Barton said in the release.
Robert was booked into the Washington County Jail was scheduled to be arraigned on March 2.
It is not immediately clear if he has entered a plea or retained an attorney to speak on his behalf.
source: people.com
