AZ AZ - Robert William "Bobby" Fisher, Scottsdale, Apr 2001 *FBI Ten Most Wanted*

[mrwilde]

A few more age progressions I did, with and without beards, glasses, etc.

 

[dotr]

A few more age progressions I did, with and without beards, glasses, etc.

Thanks for the awesome age progressions, wondering if it would be appropriate to also see the poi in a more feminine light....

 

[AC's Grandma]

A few more age progressions I did, with and without beards, glasses, etc.

these are great!

 

[Ajai Baktar]

The ones with a beard, and the one with a mustache are like a totally different person. Amazing!

 

[annemc2]

The ones with a beard, and the one with a mustache are like a totally different person. Amazing!

Right!?! Like a church pastor or the eccentric English professor who lives down the road! That's wild.

 

[retrometro]

Regarding possible Fisher sightings . . . yes, please do report it, even if it's wrong.

One of my relatives in Yavapai County, Arizona has a totally off-the-wall neighbor whom I briefly thought could be Fisher. Some of the similarities were eerie--ex-military, bad back, poor temper, doesn't get along with women--but some of the facts didn't seem to fit (for one, the neighbor owns his home and is known to others in the community). I did finally report it to LE a few years back just in case. Turns out the neighbor is not Fisher but is well-known to LE for other reasons. The officer I spoke with completely understood why my mind went where it did, and appreciated me reporting that he (the wackadoodle neighbor, not Fisher) was still causing problems in the community.

 

[formerlyme]

The FBI has removed Robert Fisher from the ten most wanted list. This happened on my birthday, and every year I hope he will be found . I personally think his remains would be found someday, I don't think he is still alive.
FBI removes Robert Fisher from Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list

 

[spartanx]

I have followed this case since it happened and I believe that Robert Fisher is still alive, he is a skilled man with connections and if he had wanted to die he would have committed suicide at the time of the murders ...
I hope with all my heart that this beast from hell is found judged and imprisoned for life.

 

[Ajai Baktar]

I agree that he is still alive. I’ve said before that the man in Canada was probably him. I know detectives say no, but..seems too muddy and too coincidental for me. If anyone knows of any info specifically related to the guy in Canada, please let me know. I never found enough to drop him off my list.

 

[dotr]

I have followed this case since it happened and I believe that Robert Fisher is still alive, he is a skilled man with connections and if he had wanted to die he would have committed suicide at the time of the murders ...
I hope with all my heart that this beast from hell is found judged and imprisoned for life.

• Briana Whitney
• Posted Nov 8, 2019
• Robert Fisher: Dead or alive?
• ''For years, tips poured in. To this day, they still do. In 2004, a man in Canada was taken into custody with uncanny similarities to Robert.
  
  “He had the missing tooth, he had the back scar from the surgery that Robert Fisher had years prior when he was in the Navy,” said Heinzelman.
  
  But his fingerprints did not match Robert's.
  
  [RELATED: FBI: Tip that Robert Fisher was in AZ was false alarm]
  
  “Can you change your fingertips?” Whitney asked Jiran.
  
  “No,” he said. “You can’t change your fingertips. Fingerprints are life.”
  
  No tip or lead has ever checked out.''

There were photos of Fisher at the ATM before the house fire.

(Source: 3TV/CBS 5)

 

[retrometro]

The other thing about the man in Canada (IIRC) was that he had a criminal record record and there were people from his community who verified his identity. I know the resemblance to Fisher is eerie, but I don’t think it was him.

I increasingly lean in the direction of believing that Fisher died in the Tonto National Forest in 2001 and that Scottsdale PD bungled the investigation. (It’s a relatively wealthy city where homicides were/are uncommon, the search of the caves near the SUV weren’t as extensive as once believed, and they didn’t coordinate with the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation LE despite the reservation’s geographic proximity to the SUV).

At the same time, I understand why people want to believe that Fisher is still alive. The man was a monster, and in an ideal world, he’d be brought to justice. I don’t rule it out entirely and I still think all tips should be investigated (and I’ve reported tips myself). I just think from an Occam’s Razor standpoint, there isn’t much evidence to substantiate him being alive.

 

[mothwings]

I think he is definitely still alive.

It is sad he was on the FBI 10-most-wanted for 20-years and it did not lead to his apprehension.

 

[djameson]

these type of cases really bother me .. reminds me of bradford bishop and john list .. at least they caught list .. if he's alive, he's living free somewhere with a whole new life .. probably with friends .. maybe with another wife .. maybe even with another family .. all after doing what he did and whoever knows him is none the wiser .. creepy and eerie .. and another thing that pisses me off is that there are people who would die to have a family(myself included) and this creep already has one and decides to wipe it out .. some of the worst people always seem to be blessed smh

 

[Richard]

The FBI has had their "Most Wanted" list for over 70 years, and in that time they have featured hundreds of individuals.

When a capture is made (usually by another agency) there is a lot of fanfare and whoopla. But on a number of occasions, someone is quietly removed from the list for some unstated reason.

It seems that the total lack of clues or information was the reason behind Fisher's removal from the list.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

True Crime Arizona Podcast: Finding Robert Fisher coming June 13

It’s one of the biggest true crime cases in United States history, and so much mystery still surrounds notorious fugitive Robert Fisher.

www.azfamily.com

 

[saccharinetrust1981]

I think people in this thread are highly underestimating how easily you could get opioids, valium, benzo, et cetera from the street or the internet. If BF wanted to get drugs for his back pain or if BF had a habit, he could get it very easily by asking the homeless where to find a seller or by illegally buying cryptocurrency and getting it from the internet. It's that easy, and I've done it myself multiple times when I was younger and curious.

 

[citizen_sleuth]

I've read through the entire 500-page police report (available here) are found some useful information.

Fisher was a prolific gun owner. A property invoice lists all of the guns and items found inside the gun safe on the property (BBM):

1. Browning .270-caliber rifle, found in the gun safe
2. Browning .243-caliber rifle, found in the gun safe
3. Remington 870 Magnum 12-gauge shotgun, found in gun safe
4. Remington 700 .270-caliber bolt action rifle, with scope, found in gun safe
5. Remington 700 .270-caliber bolt action rifle, with scope, found in gun safe
6. Green metal ammo box with U.S. flag containing an unknown miscellaneous 9mm round, found in gun safe
7. Green metal ammo box with "Mikey Likes It" containing miscellaneous boxes of Winchester 9mm pistol rounds, found in gun safe
8. Green metal ammo box with Dean Markley sticker containing miscellaneous boxes of 9mm pistol rounds, found in gun safe
9. Green metal ammo box with yellow "10" on top, containing miscellaneous boxes of 9mm pistol rounds, found in gun safe
10. 19 boxes of .243-caliber rifle rounds, found in gun safe
11. 50 boxes of Winchester .270-caliber rifle rounds, found in gun safe
12. Beretta 920 9mm semi-automatic pistol with case and 2 magazines, found in gun safe
13. Gerber 925-model knife with 4" blade and sheath, found in gun safe
14. Gerber 600-model knife with 3" blade and sheath, camo handle, found in gun safe
15. 45 boxes of .223-caliber rifle rounds, found in gun safe
16. Miscellaneous Quanbly 12-gauge shotgun shells, found in gun safe
17. Boker 2" black folding black knife in box, found in gun safe
18. Miscellaneous rifle/gun rounds, found in gun safe
19. Browning gun lock, found in gun safe
20. 2 9-mm pistol magazines, found in gun safe
21. Black Bianchi holster, found in gun safe
22. .243-caliber magazine, found in gun safe
23. .223-caliber magazine, found in gun safe
24. .30-06-caliber magazine, found in gun safe
25. Gal Co. [?] Model SOB32 holster, found in gun safe
26. VHS video tape titled "Bobby's Birthday 09/21/90," found in gun safe
27. VHS video tape titled "Bobby's 1st Birthday 09/21/91," found in gun safe
28. VHS video tape titled "Brittany's tape 1 year through 3 year," found in gun safe
29. VHS video tape titled "Brittany 4-5," found in gun safe
30. Sealed box of Designer Checks with Robert W. Fisher on label, found in gun safe
31. Box of miscellaneous Artistic Brand checks, found in gun safe
32. Box of miscellaneous Designer Checks labeled "Bank One," found in gun safe
33. Sealed packet containing ATV license plate, found in gun safe
34. U.S. Navy folder with training documents, found in gun safe
35. Miscellaneous documents, found in gun safe
36. Envelope containing U.S. Navy documents with the Dept. of Navy seal on it, found in gun safe
37. Miscellaneous documents, found in gun safe
38. Smith & Wesson Ti-model AirLine gun case with gun lock inside, revolver case empty, found in gun safe
39. Bank of America ATM card under the name Robert W. Fisher, found in gun safe
40. Box with 6 key rings, found in gun safe
41. 2 Bank of America safety deposit box keys, found in gun safe
42. Hunter education card under the name Robert W. Fisher, found in gun safe
43. Yellow metal ring, found in gun safe
44. Yellow metal ring with design, found in gun safe
45. Birth certificate for Robert W. Fisher, found in gun safe
46. Plastic bag with miscellaneous items including gun cleaning equipment and oil, found in gun safe

A technical investigation report of the 2001 Dodge Ram 2500 pick-up truck (found on page 53) states that "on the rear seat on the drivers side, the burnt remains of a bible was found. Inside the pages were several 35mm pictures and a program from a church." Police also found a "hand drawn floor plan" on a sheet of paper inside the vehicle.

A female co-worker of Robert stated that although he was a very reliable employee, he did have a bit of a temper. She said "you could just see the fire in his eyes, you know. He never got pissed at me but you know I've seen him get mad at other people, you know, not that he would hit them, he would just you know, look at them like he was really pissed and say you know, 'don't you do that again' or you know" (pg. 321). Another male co-worker said Robert appeared "kind of aloof" and would "sit in that chair against the corner [of the locker room] and read the bible" (pg. 373). Another friend described him as an "***hole" and said that ever since he flunked the Navy SEAL test he would go out into the woods with his buddies and play "war games" (pgs. 403-4).

A man Robert was friends with through church told authorities that he would go hunting with Robert after the pastor and another parishioner refused to hunt with Robert because "they were afraid that he would kill him" because "he was reckless" (pg. 409). He said that "you'd just be sitting there and he'd pull his 9 millimeter and just start shooting at a rabbit right by your ear" (pg. 410) and would "shoot at inappropriate times" (pg. 411). He also said that he "always got the feeling that [Robert] wanted to shoot that deer because he wanted to see the deer die" (pg. 425).

Police interviewed a cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic where Robert worked as a cardiologist technician who said that "Fisher was not one to tell other people his family problems but did know that he had been having Marriage problems. Fisher never told [the cardiologist] exactly what the problems were but did tell [the cardiologist] about being kicked out of the house approximately two years ago. Fisher had told [the cardiologist] that he had an affair and his wife was very upset. Fisher did move back into the house after a period of time" (pg. 70). A friend who hunted with Robert and had known him for 7 or 8 years said that Robert "was out of his mind at the time, suicidal" and had gone up to the "Rim" for a few days (pg. 207). Another family friend, who knew the Fishers from church, said that after the affair with the masseuse, Robert left Mary a note that insinuated that he would commit suicide if she didn't take him back. The family friend further stated that after Robert left the note, he "disappeared into the mountains for a while." The note also told Mary to meet him by Hawley Lake by September 16th if he didn't come back, but Robert returned before the 16th (pg. 92).

One of Robert's friends who has known him since just after high school said that Mary called him and his wife and told them that 2-3 days after Mary kicked Robert out of the house, he called her from a cabin he had rented at Hawley Lake and asked her to come up and talk through their problems, but the man and his wife advised Mary not to go, out of fear for her safety (pgs. 241-2). After he returned, Robert and Mary sought counseling from a pastor. The pastor said that after Robert returned from the mountains, he reconciled with Mary and began attending Tuesday night men's groups at the church (pg. 181).

A co-worker of Fisher's told police that he had gone to a reserve drill in February 2001 and gave Fisher 2-3 weeks worth of MRE's (field rations) upon returning. The co-worker also related that Fisher had shown him pictures of hunting trips he had taken and said that in some of the photos Fisher was wearing camouflage makeup (pgs. 80-1). He said in the hunting photos Robert showed him he looked "professionally camo'd up" and always appeared to be taken "out in the middle of nowhere" (pg. 367).

A friend who had known Robert for at least 6 1/2 years said that Robert had recently acquired a concealed carry permit and purchased a concealable Titanium .38 (pg. 100). An interview with the owner of Bear Arms in Scottsdale revealed a pawn check that showed Robert had pawned a .9mm Beretta and bought a .38 snub nose on January 27, 2001 (pg. 116). One of Robert's hunting buddies, who was the husband of one of Robert's co-workers, stated that Robert showed him the titanium snub nosed .38-caliber revolver about 2 months prior to the murders (pg. 124). One of Robert's hunting buddies described him as "a safety oriented guy" who started carrying a .38-caliber gun "within the last three months" prior to the murders (pg. 208).

Robert was familiar with the following areas:

• The mountains in Arizona, Unit 10 (hunting area), according to a family friend who had known Robert for 7 to 8 years. (pg. 95)
• Unit 18B, hunting area near Grand Canyon, according to a family friend who had known Robert for 7 to 8 years. (pg. 95)
• Alpine, AZ, according to a family friend who had known Robert for 7 to 8 years. (pg. 95). Alpine, AZ was "their last family activity, they went up to a cabin up there," said the friend (pg. 206). A husband of one of Robert's co-workers, who Robert went hunting with, also said that they most often went to his family's cabin in Alpine to hunt (pg. 123). A hunting buddy said Robert liked to hunt up in the Alpine area "because they have more bear tags, state bear tags in Unit 27 than they do anywhere else" (pg. 444).
• The Greenbacks behind the Tonto River, where Robert had been camping with a friend who had known Robert for at least 6 1/2 years. (pg. 99)
• Punkin Center, where Robert had been camping with a friend who had known Robert for at least 6 1/2 years. (pg. 99)
• The area north of Young, where Robert had been camping with a friend who had known Robert for at least 6 1/2 years. (pg. 99)
• The area near A Plus Road behind Roosevelt Lake, where Robert was known to hunt, according to a friend who had known Robert for at least 6 1/2 years. (pg. 99)
• The Fort Huachuca area, where Robert was known to hunt, according to a friend who had known Robert for at least 6 1/2 years. (pg. 99)
• According to a friend who had known Robert for at least 6 1/2 years, Robert's "favorite place" was a lake called Soldier Annex, located approximately 40 miles north of Blue Ridge Reservoir. (pg. 99)
• Robert also liked to spend time in the White Mountains, according to a friend who had known Robert for at least 6 1/2 years (pg. 99)
• A husband of one of Robert's co-workers, who Robert went hunting with, said Robert would also frequent an area near Payson, AZ and the "Rim," called "Jacob's Corner" (pg. 124)
• A neighbor said one of Robert's favorite places to camp and hunt is the Clinton Wells area in northern AZ, which is located approximately 23 miles northeast of Strawberry on Highway 87 (pg. 128).
• Another interviewee stated that Fisher frequented the Four Peaks area beyond Saguaro Lake (pgs. 128-9).
• A friend who has known Robert for at least 6 1/2 years said he and Robert would also go to the Galiuros along the Aravaipa Drainage near Mount Graham to hunt (pg. 227)
• Robert also enjoyed visiting Holly Lake on the Apache Reservation, which had cabins that the Native Americans rent out (pg. 228)
• One of Robert's friends from his youth stated that when he knew Robert they "spent a lot of time hiking um, around you know, Southern Arizona, went on a lot of backpack trips" (pg. 286). He says they didn't camp at campgrounds and they were very much "cross-country kinds of backpackers" who would camp off-trail (pg. 289).

There was a possible sighting of Robert of April 25, 2001 at AAA Pawn in Phoenix. The manager of the store said he was "80-90% certain" that Robert was in the store at around 12:25 p.m. that day. The manager said Fisher was wearing a green camouflage pants, a striped t-shirt, and military-style boots that were scuffed but not dirty. He said Fisher walked into the store and went to the gun section, but left without saying anything after seeing a sign posted on the counter that stated photo ID was required to purchase firearms. Fisher walked out of the store and drove away in a Toyota pick-up (pgs. 139-40).

 

[citizen_sleuth]

I made a map of all of the areas RF was known to frequent, which are scattered all over the state of Arizona: Robert W. Fisher - Google My Maps

 

[mothwings]

It is sad he was removed from the 10 Most Wanted list.

 

[citizen_sleuth]

I wonder if Robert Fisher could be this UID who was found in the desert outside of Lake Havasu City, AZ. The UID is believed to be an experienced hiker based on the high-end gear found with the body. The only thing that gives me pause is the fact that his teeth were in poor condition, but if Robert was living in the wilderness for over 10 years, I guess his dental health could deteriorate.

Unidentified Person / NamUs #UP13029
Sex: Male
Race: White / Caucasian
Estimated Age Group: Adult - Pre 50
Estimated Age Range: 35-50
Estimated Year of Death: 2013
Estimated PMI: 2 months
Height: 6' 0"(72 inches) , Estimated
Weight: 150 lbs, Estimated

Circumstances of Recovery: Caucasian male found hanging from a tree in the desert area of Lake Havasu City. Wearing "The North Face" brand mountaineering pants. Also with the body, a "The North Face" large mountaineering style backpack was found. He appears to have been homeless, as his hair appeared long and unkempt. His teeth were in poor condition with decay noted to the front top teeth.

Circumstance Notes: Decedent was wearing multiple layers of clothing. Possibly an experienced hiker with higher end clothing equipment. Carried a small stuffed animal (moose) in the left front pocket of his jacket.

Hair Color: Sandy
Head Hair Description: Probable blonde/dirty blond; long.
Left Eye Color: Unknown
Right Eye Color: Unknown

Accessories: 1 yellow boxcutter knife found in jacket pocket. 1 small brown stuffed animal (moose) found in left pocket of fleece jacket. (Near the Body)

Clothing: "The North Face" black mountaineering style pants, blue parka, black gloves, blue gloves, green lycra shorts, black and red beanie cap, brown fleece pullover jacket, black long sleeve thermal undershirt, black long underwear, ("Starter" brand), green utility belt (On the Body)