WI WI - Robert Christian, 18, Madison, 16 Sept 1977

[Quoththeraven]

Here is a 1960s plat map of Greenfield Township in Sauk County. Tower Road is along the bottom of the map with the area in question at the bottom right corner.

Thank you. Much appreciated. I believe I read somewhere that the tower below is the new relay tower. Does anyone know where the old one was located? TIA. Also, the retreat is located on McLeisch Road. If you follow it south it merges with Tower Road. I assume that where it merges would be the borderline between Greenfield Township and Town of Caledonia in Columbia County.

https://wisconsindot.gov/Documents/travel/road/hwy-maps/county-maps/sauk.pdf

Tower Rd · Greenfield, WI

Greenfield, WI

maps.app.goo.gl

 

[Keiri]

This is it, Quoth: 43°26'03.3"N 89°37'11.6"W
the old one

 

[Quoththeraven]

This is it, Quoth: 43°26'03.3"N 89°37'11.6"W
the old one

Thank you, Keiri. That narrows it down and puts the area where Robert Christian went missing in perspective. The N/S road off to the left is Bluff Road. Durward’s Glen Retreat & Conference Center is about 1.6 miles east of the old tower location where Robert's AMC Hornet was found. I assume somewhere in between the tower and the retreat is the nun's house where the witness from Mauston saw Robert and his vehicle which then went east away from the direction of the tower at 8/8:30 pm. I see (on Google maps) only one house on Tower Road between the tower and retreat down around the bend. We can assume that Lewis Christian ran across the road to one of the two houses circled in red to call the SCSD. The name of the land owner of the circled-in-red house on the 40 acre plot on the left doesn't appear on the partial plat map below. His name appears northeast of there on the link to the full plat map below. Hopefully all this new information provided by everyone on this thread might jog somebody's memory (or conscience) and provide new leads.

https://historicmapworks.com/Map/US/59962/Greenfield+Township+++Page+021/Sauk+County+1960/Wisconsin/

 

[Keiri]

Assuming those two still owned the land later. I doubt there’s a 1977 plat map but maybe there’s a Sauk county directory?

 

[TwinkieDefense]

Feb 18, 2025 article - investigating potential new suspect

Thursday on 27 News at 10: Sauk County Sheriff's Office investigating potential new suspect in 1977 cold case

SAUK COUNTY, Wis. (WKOW) — The Sauk County Sheriff's Office is investigating a potential new suspect in the disappearance of 18-year-old Robert Christian in 1977.

www.wkow.com

[…]

Thursday on 27 News at 10, who officials think it could be and how they would be able to confirm or disprove it.

[…]

 

[Sweetluv]

A notorious 70s serial killer as a potential suspect(?) Hmmm..
Interesting article TwinkieDefense.

 

[Quoththeraven]

Feb 18, 2025 article - investigating potential new suspect

Thursday on 27 News at 10: Sauk County Sheriff's Office investigating potential new suspect in 1977 cold case

SAUK COUNTY, Wis. (WKOW) — The Sauk County Sheriff's Office is investigating a potential new suspect in the disappearance of 18-year-old Robert Christian in 1977.

www.wkow.com

[…]

Thursday on 27 News at 10, who officials think it could be and how they would be able to confirm or disprove it.

[…]

Witnesses have since come forward about seeing the AMC Hornet before it was deserted and taken apart. One woman said she was called to her friends house to help after they noticed it was ransacked. When she got there, the car was parked in the driveway. The driver said he "was looking for his friend Bob."

Robert's family believe whoever ransacked that home has something to do with their brothers disappearance. In the meantime, authorities are now investigating a notorious serial killer in the 70s as a potential suspect.

Thursday on 27 News at 10, who officials think it could be and how they would be able to confirm or disprove it.

That is new news, the woman from Mauston was called to the home probably by the nun because the home itself was ransacked. Probably why the woman recalled a lot of the details about the license number, car description, etc. The authorities kept that news under wrap for a long time. That sure puts a new twist on the case.

 

[Keiri]

OMG from the above post:
"Witnesses have since come forward about seeing the AMC Hornet before it was deserted and taken apart. One woman said she was called to her friends house to help after they noticed it was ransacked. When she got there, the car was parked in the driveway. The driver said he "was looking for his friend Bob."

This changes that whole nun's friend situation. That couldn't have been Bob driving! That was probably the suspect! Looking for Bob? Maybe ransacking the house?

"Robert's family believe whoever ransacked that home has something to do with their brothers disappearance. In the meantime, authorities are now investigating a notorious serial killer in the 70s as a potential suspect."

The only one I can think of is Edward Edwards, serial killer, responsible for killing the sweethearts near Delafield. Kentucky man charged in 1980 double slaying Anyone know where he was at this time?

 

[Quoththeraven]

OMG from the above post:
"Witnesses have since come forward about seeing the AMC Hornet before it was deserted and taken apart. One woman said she was called to her friends house to help after they noticed it was ransacked. When she got there, the car was parked in the driveway. The driver said he "was looking for his friend Bob."

This changes that whole nun's friend situation. That couldn't have been Bob driving! That was probably the suspect! Looking for Bob? Maybe ransacking the house?

"Robert's family believe whoever ransacked that home has something to do with their brothers disappearance. In the meantime, authorities are now investigating a notorious serial killer in the 70s as a potential suspect."

The only one I can think of is Edward Edwards, serial killer, responsible for killing the sweethearts near Delafield. Kentucky man charged in 1980 double slaying Anyone know where he was at this time?

Maybe the person driving the car had already abducted/killed Robert, had just burglarizing the house and gave Robert's name to the lady as an explanation as to why he was there. His vehicle was probably still at the relay tower and when he left the ransacked home he was on his way to dispose of Robert's body. Or maybe he disposed of Robert's body somewhere on that property and decided to burglarize the house while there. Maybe the suspect owned a Hornet, too, and was the one who stripped Robert's car. Maybe he was already driving his car with the stripped parts from Robert's car and was using Robert's license plate on his vehicle to commit more crimes. He then went back to the relay tower, took off Robert's license plate, threw it in the brush and put his license plate back on his vehicle. Lot's of scenarios.

 

[Keiri]

Maybe the person driving the car had already abducted/killed Robert, had just burglarizing the house and gave Robert's name to the lady as an explanation as to why he was there. His vehicle was probably still at the relay tower and when he left the ransacked home he was on his way to dispose of Robert's body. Or maybe he disposed of Robert's body somewhere on that property and decided to burglarize the house while there. Maybe the suspect owned a Hornet, too, and was the one who stripped Robert's car. Maybe he was already driving his car with the stripped parts from Robert's car and was using Robert's license plate on his vehicle to commit more crimes. He then went back to the relay tower, took off Robert's license plate, threw it in the brush and put his license plate back on his vehicle. Lot's of scenarios.

That's exactly what I thought about the license plate, whoever was driving was NOT Bob, not in the hornet, but had the plate covering their own, might have ransacked the house in Bob's car (Just that house? Were others burgled?) , said "looking for Bob" as an excuse, went to the tower and tossed the plate.

As for Edwards, this was EXACTLY when he was killing. Ohio, August 8, 1977 or thereabouts (bodies found August 8) Convicted Killer Pleads Guilty to Slaying a Norton Couple in 1977

Bob missing Sept 17, 1977.

Then the sweethearts here, 1980. So sometime between 1977 and 1980 he was in Wisconsin for sure, since he's been confirmed to be the killer of the sweethearts near the concord house in delafield.

Bob, if murdered by him, would have been right after the first killing and before the 1980 killing. 0.0
I don't usually buy serial killer narratives, but this one looks pretty accurate for timing, anyway.

 

[Quoththeraven]

That's exactly what I thought about the license plate, whoever was driving was NOT Bob, not in the hornet, but had the plate covering their own, might have ransacked the house in Bob's car (Just that house? Were others burgled?) , said "looking for Bob" as an excuse, went to the tower and tossed the plate.

As for Edwards, this was EXACTLY when he was killing. Ohio, August 8, 1977 or thereabouts (bodies found August 8) Convicted Killer Pleads Guilty to Slaying a Norton Couple in 1977

Bob missing Sept 17, 1977.

Then the sweethearts here, 1980. So sometime between 1977 and 1980 he was in Wisconsin for sure, since he's been confirmed to be the killer of the sweethearts near the concord house in delafield.

Bob, if murdered by him, would have been right after the first killing and before the 1980 killing. 0.0

We'll have to wait until Thursday's news story to see if Edwards was driving a Hornet while in Wisconsin. I would think authorities have that figured out.

 

[Keiri]

We'll have to wait until Thursday's news story to see if Edwards was driving a Hornet while in Wisconsin. I would think authorities have that figured out.

I dont know about you, but I never thought serial killer. That's usually the not realistic answer. When I contacted law enforcement and asked about Bob's case and whether they still had the evidence they could re-run for DNA, I never thought this could happen. I figured they didn't even have the stuff anymore. But they did have it, and they ran that case summary for everyone. I sure thought it was going to be a dead end. I hope it isn't.

 

[Quoththeraven]

I dont know about you, but I never thought serial killer. That's usually the not realistic answer. When I contacted law enforcement and asked about Bob's case and whether they still had the evidence they could re-run for DNA, I never thought this could happen. I figured they didn't even have the stuff anymore. But they did have it, and they ran that case summary for everyone. I sure thought it was going to be a dead end. I hope it isn't.

1977, a young couple by the names William Lavaco (21 years old) and Judy Straub (18 years old) went missing in Ohio. In 1980, Edwards moved to Jefferson County, Wisconsin working as a handyman. On August the same year, another young couple went missing; they were Timothy Hack and Kelly Drew, both aged 19.

So, unless Edwards was in Wisconsin right before the Ohio killings in 1977, and then came back to Wisconsin in 1980, it may be another serial killer authorities are referring to.

 

[Valiant]

The thing is the killer would not have to be driving their own Hornet.
Robert's car could have been used after Robert was killed.
Even the tires and wheels being stolen would not mean that theft (connected to the disappearance or not) had a Hornet. The Hornet's wheels would fit other AMC products, many Dodge and Chrysler cars, and some Fords and Mercurys. They all had the same 5 lug 4.5" bolt circle. Because they discarded the Hornet wheel covers, they probably had a different make of car.

I don't recall ever seeing if they looked for a manufacturer's part number or logo on the recovered wheels.

 

[Keiri]

The thing is the killer would not have to be driving their own Hornet.
Robert's car could have been used after Robert was killed.
Even the tires and wheels being stolen would not mean that theft (connected to the disappearance or not) had a Hornet. The Hornet's wheels would fit other AMC products, many Dodge and Chrysler cars, and some Fords and Mercurys. They all had the same 5 lug 4.5" bolt circle. Because they discarded the Hornet wheel covers, they probably had a different make of car.

I don't recall ever seeing if they looked for a manufacturer's part number or logo on the recovered wheels.

I had brought up before that since the plate matched, and it was dark, it was possible the witness didn't really see a hornet, but I think Quoth said it was a pretty destinctive car. But I know I sure wouldn't have recognized it.

 

[Keiri]

1977, a young couple by the names William Lavaco (21 years old) and Judy Straub (18 years old) went missing in Ohio. In 1980, Edwards moved to Jefferson County, Wisconsin working as a handyman. On August the same year, another young couple went missing; they were Timothy Hack and Kelly Drew, both aged 19.

So, unless Edwards was in Wisconsin right before the Ohio killings in 1977, and then came back to Wisconsin in 1980, it may be another serial killer authorities are referring to.

You could be right, but according to his daughter he was all over the Midwest (If the wiki I read is right) during that time. It could be possible he came and went. Personally I don’t know of any other Wisconsin serial killers active during that time.

 

[Sweetluv]

Why doesn't LE just come out and say who the serial killer is that they suspect and why?
Maybe Robert picked him up as a hitchiker or seen suspicious activity at the house and went to see what was going on?

 

[Keiri]

Why doesn't LE just come out and say who the serial killer is that they suspect and why?
Maybe Robert picked him up as a hitchiker or seen suspicious activity at the house and went to see what was going on?

They might do that tomorrow

 

[Kitty7766]

Our local news station WKOW is doing a 'Digging Deeper' story on Bob's disappearance tonight. Apparently, there is a new lead, but I haven't been able to find out anything yet; there were several stories in the Wisconsin media last month stating that authorities were going to take a fresh look at his case. It will be interesting to hear what they have to say about the matter.

 

[Kitty7766]

Our local news station WKOW is doing a 'Digging Deeper' story on Bob's disappearance tonight. Apparently, there is a new lead, but I haven't been able to find out anything yet; there were several stories in the Wisconsin media last month stating that authorities were going to take a fresh look at his case. It will be interesting to hear what they have to say about the matter.