CA - Robert Hollis, 75, blind, decapitated, Inglewood, 18 June 2015

[dancinunderthemoon]

I believe that but not according to reports Blue, autorities and SS say its RARE

Durst, of Florida? Real Estate Mogul? I didnt realize he decapitated anyone maybe I missed that but only saw the movie

Interesting you bring him up, I was going over Hollis case and Dermonds wondering of cryptic similarities...........but Robert (Durst/Hollis) and Durst (Dermond) is creepy comparisons, he's surely too old now

There are many family members dismembering and decapitating these days, its getting crazy, not a lot but it does happen

And on the meth, I just cant go there, with the attempted cleanup at the D's, hauling her off, too much work if high and too thoughtful and I'd think they would have stolen something, I can however, see a Ted Bundy type

At one time there was a man in Greene or Putnam counties imitating an officer, I dont know if they ever found him, just thougth of this,it was before the D's were killed, I can see this being the case in Hollis case as well, he was finicky answering door to strangers so a cop would be ok....so yeah a Ted bundy type in both of these, nothing stolen but maybe a momento, like most and BTK

Dont seem to be that many like this and the D's happening, there was that rich couple up north but not decapitated, who were rich and murdered, but the wealth isnt a commonality in the Hollis and Dermonds case,

the religious is a commonality though in these 2, not sure about the northern couple, i can recall their names

Unfortunately there have been many murder victims who were decapitated.

I remember one case where the murderer was a stranger to the victims, even killing their dog, iirc, and he took the decapitated head, and dismembered bodies, and put them way up into a tall tree.

Then of course there is the infamous case of Robert Durst who decapitated his victims head. The jury found RD not guilty. So he has been getting away with murder for a long time imo. Lady Justice may be blind, but she can still smell old money. Imo

There was another case I mentioned in the Dermond forum where a serial killer always decapitated the head of his victims, and put them on his window sill.

I sure wish this case could be solved. It's horrible to live to his age, and then be horribly murdered.

Rarely do family members do decapitations so this one may be another one that is hard to solve for LE.

I'm a true crime junkie, who watches ID or OWN everyday, and it's so disheartening to realize just how many cases remain unsolved.

Imo, it's because more, and more strangers are doing brutal overkills, and abuse of the corpse afterwards, and LE can't find a familiar link between the victims and the murderers.

At one time overkills meant the victims most likely knew the suspect, but LE cant rely on that being the case any longer.

This man may have been murdered by someone high on drugs like meth. They are prone to extreme violence at the drop of a hat over the slightest things becoming raging sadistic monsters.

Jmo

 

[dancinunderthemoon]

Are there any updates on this horrible murder?

Just our inputs, thanks for getting this started again

 

[digitective]

This is awful. I agree that it has to be someone he knew because a) he let them in and b) nothing was stolen, so robbery couldn’t have been the motive... I don’t understand the point of the decapitation, though. It’s not like the body was dumped somewhere and they were trying to hide the body’s identity. I feel like it would have had to be someone out of their mind with drugs or mental illness?

 

[digitective]

They just arrested Robert's killer last month, according to this article! No information about motive, though.

YOUNGSTOWN — William J. Fowler, 42, of Youngstown, is in the Mahoning County jail awaiting extradition to Inglewood, Calif., where he is charged with murder in the June 18, 2015, killing of James [should say Robert] Hollis, 75, in Hollis’ Inglewood, California home.

The Inglewood Police Department last month thanked the Youngstown Police Department and the Mahoning Valley Violent Crimes Task Force for their help in the cold-case investigation and in helping to arrest Fowler in Youngstown....

Youngstown police officer Marc Gillette, who is assigned to the FBI Violent Crime Task Force, said he was contacted Jan. 27 by Inglewood, California, police investigator David Garrido, who said he was working on the Hollis 2015 cold case homicide.

Gillette said the Inglewood police department and the FBI Violent Crime Task Force worked together. And later a warrant was issued for Fowler’s arrest, Gillette said.

Online records from the Superior Court of California County of Los Angeles show that Fowler was charged March 3 with murder and a “deadly weapon” specification. It lists no pending court hearings.

Gillette said the warrant was “served without incident on Feb. 27,” and Fowler was taken into custody at a home on South Bruce Avenue on Youngstown’s East Side, Gillette said. Mahoning County jail records indicate that Fowler has been in the jail since Feb. 27.

Gillette said he cannot discuss many details of the investigation but he can say that local officers assisted with search warrants and other matters and assisted with Fowler’s arrest, Gillette said. “We worked together for about a month,” Gillette said. “We were able to form a relationship with Inglewood, Calif., P.D. and their (FBI) task force out there,” he said.

Fowler is originally from Youngstown but went to California for a while and returned to Youngstown, Gillette said. Youngstown Municipal Court records indicate that Fowler was in Youngstown in June of 2017 and lived on Pearl Street in Youngstown when he was convicted of a minor misdemeanor traffic offense in January of 2024 in Boardman. He did not appear to have a felony record in Mahoning County.

Mahoning County Common Pleas Court records did not indicate Friday when Fowler’s extradition hearing will be held or if it has already been held.

According to news reports, shortly after Hollis died, his mutilated body was found by his son in an Inglewood apartment complex.

The ABC7.com website reported in June of 2015 that Hollis touched many through his gospel singing.

“He was a kind and generous spirit who was a husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather,” the website reported, quoting from a statement released by his family. “Robert lived his life as a sign artist and gospel singer. His voice touched many and his spirit motivated more.”

Family members said they had no idea who would want to hurt him. Nothing was stolen from his apartment.

A vigil was held at Faithful Central Bible Church in Inglewood to celebrate the life of Robert “Mr. Bojangles” Hollis, according to the Los Angeles Sentinel.

“Poignantly weaved throughout the vigil were recordings of the melodic singing voice of Robert Hollis, each song helping to tell the story of how he lived,” the Sentinel reported June 25, 2015.

Hollis was a four-year member of the Men of Faith Choir. He was 80% blind, the Sentinel reported.

The City of Inglewood took the “unusual step of offering $50,000 for tips that would lead to an arrest,” a CBSnews.com article from January of 2016 stated.

 

[Vedder]

They just arrested Robert's killer last month, according to this article! No information about motive, though.

Great!