Found Deceased MD - Robin Pope, 51, Stevensville, Kent Island, 1 March 2013

[JustyThoughts]

Carbon monoxide or some other noxious gas in the house?

If that possibility were true..... wouldn't it also be likely that he would not have awakened?

 

[EasternShoreSunshine]

Remember that the first report said that she had arrived to his house to get her things, then he left the home. When he returned, she and the dog were missing. In the HLN article, the daughter said that the story he told her was that he fell asleep after the phone call, woke up later, then went to the car, and Robin was asleep. Sounds like he changed his story to me!

 

[debpat]

I live a few milies from where this happened and I have had a theory for a while now - I believe she was stopping by late that Friday night to either see Bella or pick up Bella for the weekend. She finished her interview at the GNC then on the way home as she got within 1/2 mile of her old house she called to make sure Wayne had left as he had been instructed to do by his attorney. From what I've read the conversation lasted approx. 13 minutes and I assume she was telling Wayne that she was almost there to pickup Bella and that he needed to leave. I think Robin loved Bella very much and was aware of the dogs illness. Wayne knowing how much Robin cared about the dog used this to hurt Robin. Not hurt physically (at least not at the point) but emotionally. When she arrived at the house Wayne may have told Robin I dont know where the dog is - I let the dog out an hour ago and she's never come home. With it being very cold that night and windy (I remember). I would imagine Robin had been very concerned about whether Wayne was taking caring of Bella and when he showed such a lack of concern/care an argument ensued. If his lawyer had told him to leave the house when ever Robin came by why didnt he just leave? Because he wanted to show Robin and everyone else that it was his house and he was going to do as he pleased and maybe wanted to incite an argument with Robin. I believe Wayne may have choked her, hit her - this was your typical crime of passion. Wayne Pope is not a murderer at heart he was just pushed to this edge. Afterward when he realized she was dead he wanted to dispose of the body quickly - because this was someone he knew, the mother of his daughter and the sooner out of sight the faster he could put the whole incident out of mind. A person is probably not thinking very clearly at that point. The closest and most immediate place would be the water that was literlly outside their front door. And so he disposed of her in the water. The vet said the dog did not drown, I also remember reading the dog did not like water - because of his health he probably died of a combination of exposure and his health problems. I'm not sure if the dog died before or after Robin. I find it heartbreaking if Bella knew her beloved master was in the water and stayed there by her all night. Didnt the time line go something like the last time they knew Robin to be alive was at 10:30 when she made the 13 minute call to Wayne and then it was around 1:00 when Wayne went to the house of her best friend asking if she had seen Robin. That gave him 2 1/2 hours to do something with the body. Why did he go to the friends house and not just call 911? Why? He made a visit to the friend to establish an alibi. The whole story about himi falling asleep only to wake up and find her asleep outside in the car is rediculous.

Well I could go on but you get where I'm going with this.

I am so very very sorry for the families loss. I can only hope and pray that somewhere Robin and Bella are enjoying a happy walk in the sunshine . . .

 

[carbuff]

If that possibility were true..... wouldn't it also be likely that he would not have awakened?

I was thinking if it was just enough to make everybody groggy but not enough to knock them out, it might explain why they were randomly falling asleep and stumbling into the water. Yeah, kind of an off the wall thought but it was past my bedtime and I was getting groggy myself

 

[LisaB]

interesting theory...but didn't they find her shirt earlier?...no coat on a cold March night? sleeping in the car upon arriving..too many loose ends for me to digest

If I had on a parka or wool coat, and fell into the water (btw, most docks/piers don't have handrails - been around boats my whole life) it would get REALLY heavy when it got wet. I would be struggling with hypothermia and trying to keep from drowning because of my heavy coat. Remembering my Junior Lifesaving course a zillion years ago, I'd know that I will not be any colder without the wet clothes that are pulling me down and keeping me from getting to safety, so I'd take them off myself to improve my chances of survival, knowing it was only a few feet to the house/warmth/safety once I got out of the Bay.

 

[LisaB]

Why would he make up a story about them both having fallen asleep for 15 minutes? Honestly, 15 minutes of unaccounted-for time would not raise a red flag for me automatically. There would be no witnesses to it (obviously, if he made it up) so why even bother? Why not say that when she arrived, you discussed having Bella put to sleep for a few minutes, because it was a "face-to-face" kind of issue, prior to departing? Certainly makes more sense.
Why wouldn't she have gone and pounded on the door if his car was there? I would assume she DID knock if the door was locked.
Why wouldn't she have called him to let her in (phone records would show this)?
Could he have been awake and just trying to be a jerk by PRETENDING to have gone to sleep so she would have made the trip for nothing? And could she have been stubborn enough to decide to wait in the car?
Or was his car not even THERE when she got there? There would be no POINT in pounding on the door, but there should still have been a "I am here and you left the door locked so I can't get in" call.
IF there is such a call (maybe that IS the 13 minute call?) she might have returned to her car to wait for him and dozed off.
In any case his story does have some problems, but I just don't feel like it's time to point a finger. Let's wait for the autopsy.

 

[mamacita]

i thought the same thing this morning and came here to post about it. if he did something for her, i think him making up the sleeping story is in an attempt to cover something up.. it's exactly why i think something happened at that period of time. anyone else (innocent) probably wouldn't think much of that small chunk of time... or make a point to have an explanation for the time frame, at least until asked by authorities.

my main thought this morning was that if his story is correct about falling asleep, she most likely got to his house, went to the door & knocked, didn't get an answer, so then tried calling him and the call record should show that the call was unanswered. if there was no second call to him after their initial call... i see red flags all over the place. however, she very well could have gotten to his house, went to the door, there was no answer to her knock, etc... so she might have called him and he purposely didn't answer... then went outside and met her.

i'd really like to know where her phone was/is. i know it was initially reported that it was in her car with her other belongings, but every report i've read since hasn't included her phone as being in the car. was it or wasn't it? did she have it on her when she went into the water? if so, what time did it stop pinging?

i also wonder if she typically wore a watch. if she did, would the clock stop soon after going into the water? i'll have to see if i can find any pics of her wearing one.

oh man i can't wait to hear the autopsy results!!

 

[Wolf Dreamer]

Just for balance, I used to go out with a guy who could fall asleep *during* a phonecall, never mind straight after, and he'd be sound asleep in seconds. So whilst it sounds weird, it does happen.

I can't help feeling if she was put in the water by someone, then they probably wouldn't have left the dog out there just in case she started barking or did something that drew attention to the situation. It's possible Bella got out after Robin went into the water, and was brave enough to try and find Robin, got out and stayed on the shore, succumbing to hypothermia. Or it's possible they went in together accidentally and Bella managed to get out but Robin didn't.

Just hope the autopsy brings clear answers for Robin's family.

 

[pamajama]

I would be shocked if it turns out that them both falling asleep is true. That is just too weird. If he did make that part up, I believe it was to establish an alibi of sorts. His story to the police was that he went to get coffee or something like that after she got there. They have a phone call to prove that she was almost to his house around 10:30, so if he didn't go somewhere public until after 11pm, he would have to account for that half hour of time somehow, so that is why I think it's a made up story. Also I'm wondering why in the news reports, did they not give an explanation from Wayne as to the dog. Nothing was ever said until after the autopy about the dog being ill, or having tumors. I found it weird that more wasn't said about the dog, such as where the dog was exactly when he left Robin there alone, kwim? The police probably know more about it and it just wasn't reported, but I just find it odd.

 

[JustyThoughts]

Thanks for everyone's thoughts and ideas. I agree with all posts as valid possibilities. I suspect the "truth" is somewhere in the last 2 pages; and pray that the autopsy & solid evidence will reveal the "truth". The timeline and alleged account, by WP, of that evening that has been printed in MSM just does not seem to add up.

Some questions for someone local to the bay near the house: I've read that the bay is relatively shallow in that area.
How deep is the water?? 4 ft, 8 ft, 15 ft or more?
Is there a big difference between near shore and in the middle?

I am also having a hard time understanding how the body was water for 3 weeks and was not observed before with all the water & shoreline searches going on during that time period.

 

[belimom]

Thanks for everyone's thoughts and ideas. I agree with all posts as valid possibilities. I suspect the "truth" is somewhere in the last 2 pages; and pray that the autopsy & solid evidence will reveal the "truth". The timeline and alleged account, by WP, of that evening that has been printed in MSM just does not seem to add up.

Some questions for someone local to the bay near the house: I've read that the bay is relatively shallow in that area.
How deep is the water?? 4 ft, 8 ft, 15 ft or more?
Is there a big difference between near shore and in the middle?

I am also having a hard time understanding how the body was water for 3 weeks and was not observed before with all the water & shoreline searches going on during that time period.

Here's a NOAA chart. The soundings are in feet for Mean Low Low Water (lowest low tide avg). The Bay has a tide change of about a foot in that general area, and it was low tide in the middle of the night. High at 7:46pm on Friday night, and low at 2:03am early Saturday. So it was pretty much at low tide when her husband contacted the friend at 1:30am.

ETA: At midnight, it was about 37F and the wind was about 11mph per Wunderground, although it had been gustier before that.

ETA again: It gently slopes from 2 ft to 5 ft and doesn't get over 5 feet deep at low tide for almost 1/2 miles further out from her home.

http://chesapeake.usharbors.com/monthly-tides/Chesapeake-Middle Bay/Kent Island Narrows

http://www.charts.noaa.gov/OnLineViewer/12263.shtml

 

[BloodHoundSleuther]

Another article....still awaiting cause of death.

http://www.abc2news.com/dpp/news/lo...obin-popes-death-includes-high-profile-expert

 

[belimom]

Here's a NOAA chart. The soundings are in feet for Mean Low Low Water (lowest low tide avg). The Bay has a tide change of about a foot in that general area, and it was low tide in the middle of the night. High at 7:46pm on Friday night, and low at 2:03am early Saturday. So it was pretty much at low tide when her husband contacted the friend at 1:30am.

ETA: At midnight, it was about 37F and the wind was about 11mph per Wunderground, although it had been gustier before that.

Quoting myself again. Just wanted to add that in front of her home, based on my calculations, it doesn't get over 5 feet deep for almost 1/2 mile out into the Bay at low tide. That's quite a distance. The only way I can see it being accidental is if she were intoxicated, or if she were distressed over Bella and went for a swim (highly unlikely as the water temp is 41F today - it would've been even colder then).

Suicide? Murder? Accident?

I just have no idea at this point.

:no:

 

[truthsleuth]

My sincere condolences to Robin's family and friends. I hope and pray answers are found soon.

RIP Robin :rose:
RIP Bella :rose:

Tears have flowed from my eyes for both of you. So heartbreaking ...

 

[JustyThoughts]

Belimom, THANK You so much for your responses, charts and visuals related to the conditions in the bay area near the home. A depth of 5 ft is not so deep that I would suspect drowning - although other factors must have been at play. Your response is quite useful and provides a complete reply to my question. Thx.

 

[JustyThoughts]

Another article....still awaiting cause of death.

http://www.abc2news.com/dpp/news/lo...obin-popes-death-includes-high-profile-expert

Thanks for the link BloodHoundSleuther.... I snipped from article:
"... As investigators wait for the agency to weigh in on the cause of death, State Police spokesman Greg Shipley tells ABC2, “No one in homicide is taking a day off.”

But as law enforcement continue their look into Pope’s case; they have some high profile help. Doctor William Rodriguez, a forensic anthropologist who spent more than 20 years working for the Department of Defense, is actively involved in Pope’s autopsy according to MSP. Rodriguez is considered an industry expert and is known for testifying as a defense expert in the trial of Casey Anthony. ...."

This seems to say to me (and is MOO) that LE is wanting to be extra thorough.

 

[mamacita]

perhaps falling in (or being pushed), one could hit their head on the rocks? but i'm still curious about how she wasn't seen floating in the area until she was found.. and if she had been floating the entire time (or maybe not the entire time, just once the gases made her float... how long would that take?!), would she still be so close to the home??

 

[Seajay]

perhaps falling in (or being pushed), one could hit their head on the rocks? but i'm still curious about how she wasn't seen floating in the area until she was found.. and if she had been floating the entire time (or maybe not the entire time, just once the gases made her float... how long would that take?!), would she still be so close to the home??

I agree it took 3 weeks for her to surface. That doesn't sound right at all. There had already been searches in that area.

And the sleeping/taking a nap thing is just too bizarre to even take as fact. Who does that?? Why did he need a 15 minute alibi???

The dog is dead, she's dead. There were only the 3 of them there and two are dead. I don't want to point fingers but this is hinky. IMO.

 

[Topcat]

LE will be able to determine which direction the remains were floating(moo, north to south) and the approximate distance if unencumbered it floated. The Pope home is on a corner lot and the shoreline is man made with large rocks (for erosion). The dog's body was found south of the home under a pier (close to shore) the day after Robin was reported missing. We can make the assumption that the entire shoreline was thoroughly searched by LE and volunteers as well as the waterline from the home and south. I would also guess that an area north of the home was also searched quite thoroughly. Is it possible that the body was taken off shore and dumped with the dog . Would the dog be able to swim to the shore and then succumb to the cold? I'm still curious about Robins clothing for the evening and what she was wearing when found.

 

[Money Girl]

"Robin Pope Found Dead; Investigation Into Death Continues"


http://www.wjla.com/articles/2013/0...nvestigation-into-death-continues--86679.html