ROBIN POPE - 51 yo - Stevensville, MD

Mystery continues in Robin Pope case

A Monday night at Ram's Head in Stevensville was a typical night for Robin and Wayne Pope to grab dinner. In fact, bartender Candace Brush has seen the couple together in recent weeks after they reportedly separated.

"I did not know that they had separated. They always seemed loving toward each other. They were always happy," said Brush.

Maryland State Police say Robin moved out of the Stevensville home in December, but she was living with a friend on Kent Island. Brush says the Popes came in several times a week, and most recently another woman was with them.

She says they ate healthy and were into working out.

"They never really fought in here, so I wouldn't assume that he had anything to do with it," said Pope.
(Posters note: the article reads this way but the following paragraph is relative to her dog who was found dead -this knowledge makes the paragraph more understandable.)
Police originally thought it suffered some kind of trauma which many thought fit some kind of violent narrative, but a vet later determined the dog was older and what was thought to be a deadly injury were just numerous tumors; no water was found in the dog's lungs.

A weird coincidence or connected to pope's disappearance, either way, it has left the small community guessing.

The search for Robin Pope


"People may not know her but if you mention the Great Dane and her and showed the picture they remember her walking."


Wayne Pope reported Robin missing early Saturday morning. Hours before, police say she came to the house to pick up some belongings, and Wayne told police he left.

But when he returned her car, purse, keys, and cash were still there. Neighbors are conducting their own search.

"What if she's out here. What if she's in these woods. What if she needs us and nobody's finding her. What if something happened to her. What if she's sick," said Debbie Shaw.

Shaw thinks police should be doing more. But MSP had six divers in the water on Sunday, along with search and rescue dogs on the ground and crews looking from the air.

One big piece of information has changed, Robin's Great Dane was found dead on the beach, original reports said from obvious trauma.

"There was no external trauma that caused the death of the dog. The death of the dog remains undetermined, could have been from exposure," said MSP spokesman Greg Shipley.

The update adds to the mystery, one that Kent Island can't get over.

"All day today that's pretty much all we've heard is do you know anything about Robin," said Brush.

The couple has one daughter together, who is 17. Robin has an older daughter who lives in California.

Her friends and neighbors are hoping to gather about 100 people on Sunday morning to search the land and water around her home.

http://www.abc2news.com/dpp/news/crime_checker/eastern_shore_crime/the-search-for-robin-pope-continues

A no-brainer on this one for me IMHO.

The dog has obvious trauma and then suddenly doesn't? "There was no external trauma (emphasis by underlining mine) that caused the death of the dog." Trauma is qualified by saying there was no external trauma that caused the death of the dog. What about internal trauma? They don't tell us that trauma was completely absent, so we can't say it for them. Huge difference in my mind between trauma and tumors. How could they mistake one for the other?

Hundreds Join Search For Missing Stevensville Woman
March 10, 2013 7:00 PM

STEVENSVILLE, Md. (WJZ) — One week after the disappearance of an Eastern Shore woman, hundreds now join in a massive search.

Adam May reports–they’re looking for Robin Pope, a mother who seemingly vanished without a trace.

More than 200 volunteers gather in Stevensville to search for clues in the disappearance of 51-year-old Robin Pope.

“You find clothing that kind of looks interesting. Obviously weapons, knives, guns, any shell casings.”

The mother of two was last seen by her soon-to-be ex-husband. Wayne Pope did not join the search, but it drew many other family members, friends and total strangers.

“We’re hoping that we’re going to find some clues, or just help this family out and help them get some closure,” said Siarra Noone.

“I feel like it’s the right thing to do. If it was my family I’d want somebody out helping me too,” said Lauren Jones.

Volunteers combed the shorelines of Queen Anne’s County and knocked on hundreds of doors.

“Just to make sure that they’ve searched their property, that they’re aware of what’s going on and that they’re looking for any signs for anything out of the ordinary,” said Becky Eismann.

“I know the family from a long time ago, so I decided to come down and lend a hand,” said Pat Fletcher.

Pat Fletcher and his dog Casey are trained in search and rescue.

“I hope for the best, I hope that she left on her own, but eight days is not a good sign,” he said.

But everyone still expresses hope for Pope, especially her two daughters.

“We’re just hoping we find her safe and sound. And we want her to know if she is watching this, we will not stop, because we know that she never would. We’re not giving up, it’s not going to happen,” said Rachael Pope.

Volunteers tell WJZ they did find a few articles of clothing and some disturbed ground.

Police are now following up with those potential leads.

http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2013/03/10/hundreds-join-search-for-missing-stevensville-woman/

They found a shirt, believed to be Robin's, near where her dog mysteriously died.

Posted: 03/14/2013
Last Updated: 3 hours and 54 minutes ago

"Stevensville, Md. - Robin Pope has been missing for two weeks. She mysteriously disappeared March first and the case has shaken her small community. But no one is feeling the impact more than Pope's two daughters, who sat down with us today at Hemingway's to talk about new evidence in the case and a potential reward they hope will stir up tips.

Rachael Pope and Priscilla Hastings live on opposite coasts, more than 2,000 miles, but it took just one phone call to bring them together in Maryland. Hastings says, “I immediately knew something was wrong."

The girl's mother, 51-year-old Robin Pope, had gone missing from Kent Island. She was last seen days ago after vanishing, leaving behind her beloved dog, Bella, and her belongings. Rachael Pope knew the items left behind were troubling, saying, "As soon as we realized she left her cellphone, her ID, her purse, all of her money and some of her medication, that's when we knew she wouldn't just leave and go on vacation and come back because those are things she needs on a daily basis."

And now as the days pass, the concern grows for Robin's children. Her daughters say they’re trying to keep Rob’s face fresh in peoples' minds as they keep the worst thoughts from theirs. Hastings says she is struggling, "You wake up every morning realizing all over again that it is real."

It is a real nightmare this family is living as they wait for answers. So far investigators don't have many to provide. State Police spokesman Greg Shipley says crews hit the water again Wednesday in a boat provided by the Queen Anne’s County Office of the Sheriff. But Shipley says they still have no idea what happened to Pope or where she is.

Rachael Pope says a search on Sunday turned up a shirt they believe is Robin's. She says it was found next to where her dog was found. For this family, it is the latest clue in a mystery they are desperate to solve. Hastings says, “As the days go on and other people start to forget about this, it's getting heavier and heavier for us."

The girls say they’re working on a reward with the Pope family, hoping the addition of money will stir tips and jog peoples’ memories. They expect to release details about the reward in the next few days, indicating the money is being provided by Wayne Pope’s family. Pope, Robin’s estranged husband, is the one who reported her missing.

Rachael and Priscilla say they can’t just wait by the phone for a call. That’s why they’ve been so active, telling anyone they can about Robin, assisting with searches and putting her picture out there. Hastings hopes someone or something will provide the answer they’re seeking, "We're not going to stop. Nobody's going to stop, not her best friends, us. We're just not going to stop, no matter what it takes."

Read more: http://www.abc2news.com/dpp/news/local_news/investigations/robin-popes-daughters-talk-about-new-evidence-reward-in-missing-womans-case#ixzz2NZU5GOtj

ladibug wrote:They found a shirt, believed to be Robin's, near where her dog mysteriously died.

Posted: 03/14/2013
Last Updated: 3 hours and 54 minutes ago

"Stevensville, Md. - Robin Pope has been missing for two weeks. She mysteriously disappeared March first and the case has shaken her small community. But no one is feeling the impact more than Pope's two daughters, who sat down with us today at Hemingway's to talk about new evidence in the case and a potential reward they hope will stir up tips.

Rachael Pope and Priscilla Hastings live on opposite coasts, more than 2,000 miles, but it took just one phone call to bring them together in Maryland. Hastings says, “I immediately knew something was wrong."

The girl's mother, 51-year-old Robin Pope, had gone missing from Kent Island. She was last seen days ago after vanishing, leaving behind her beloved dog, Bella, and her belongings. Rachael Pope knew the items left behind were troubling, saying, "As soon as we realized she left her cellphone, her ID, her purse, all of her money and some of her medication, that's when we knew she wouldn't just leave and go on vacation and come back because those are things she needs on a daily basis."

And now as the days pass, the concern grows for Robin's children. Her daughters say they’re trying to keep Rob’s face fresh in peoples' minds as they keep the worst thoughts from theirs. Hastings says she is struggling, "You wake up every morning realizing all over again that it is real."

It is a real nightmare this family is living as they wait for answers. So far investigators don't have many to provide. State Police spokesman Greg Shipley says crews hit the water again Wednesday in a boat provided by the Queen Anne’s County Office of the Sheriff. But Shipley says they still have no idea what happened to Pope or where she is.

Rachael Pope says a search on Sunday turned up a shirt they believe is Robin's. She says it was found next to where her dog was found. For this family, it is the latest clue in a mystery they are desperate to solve. Hastings says, “As the days go on and other people start to forget about this, it's getting heavier and heavier for us."

The girls say they’re working on a reward with the Pope family, hoping the addition of money will stir tips and jog peoples’ memories. They expect to release details about the reward in the next few days, indicating the money is being provided by Wayne Pope’s family. Pope, Robin’s estranged husband, is the one who reported her missing.

Rachael and Priscilla say they can’t just wait by the phone for a call. That’s why they’ve been so active, telling anyone they can about Robin, assisting with searches and putting her picture out there. Hastings hopes someone or something will provide the answer they’re seeking, "We're not going to stop. Nobody's going to stop, not her best friends, us. We're just not going to stop, no matter what it takes."

Read more: http://www.abc2news.com/dpp/news/local_news/investigations/robin-popes-daughters-talk-about-new-evidence-reward-in-missing-womans-case#ixzz2NZU5GOtj

I didn't think that dog died all coink-a-dinkly like that.... Let's see. What's the chance that the dog died naturally, but suspiciously close, to its beloved missing owners shirt? IMHO, yeah, right. How come I have a feeling that this isn't going to turn out well?

Police recover woman's body on Kent Island, may be Robin Pope

Posted: Sunday, March 24, 2013 12:00 am | Updated: 12:05 am, Sun Mar 24, 2013.

A woman’s body was found on the Kent Island shoreline on Saturday, police said, not far from where Stevensville resident Robin Pope was reported missing three weeks ago.

In a release Saturday, Maryland State Police said they “will await the results of forensic examinations to determine if the body of a woman found along the Kent Island shoreline this afternoon” is in fact Pope, who was reported missing on

March 2. (Posters note: I question this date)

State police say that at about 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, the Queen Anne’s County’s 911 dispatcher received a call for help from a fisherman who said he’d spotted a body in the water near a pier.

He was calling from a house on the 500 block of Bay Drive in Stevensville, less than a half-mile from the last place Pope was seen, her former house on Beach Road.

Queen Anne’s County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded and contacted state police investigators who were looking into the disappearance of Pope, 51.

State police investigators notified both Pope’s husband Wayne, who originally reported her missing, and her daughters about the finding of the body and the lack of a positive identification.

State police crime scene technicians “conducted evidence collection procedures” on the body, police said.

The body was sent to the chief medical examiner in Baltimore for an autopsy and to verify the identity, based on dental and other records.

Since Pope disappeared emergency crews have looked for her on land and water, and hundreds of people joined in the search on Kent Island.

Missing posters were hung in businesses on both sides of the Bay Bridge.

Wayne and Robin lived at the home on Beach Road until the couple separated in December. Since then, she had stayed with a female friend on Kent Island, state police said.

Wayne told investigators Robin returned to the home late on the night of March 1 to pick up some belongings.

Wayne said he left when Robin arrived, and that he called police after returning and finding her black 2011 Infiniti still in the home’s driveway, with Robin nowhere to be found.

Her keys, purse and cash were still inside her car.

After the report that Pope was missing, the body of her 11-year-old Great Dane was found along the shoreline near a neighbor’s pier. A veterinarian said the dog neither drowned nor suffered any external trauma, state police said.

The investigation by the Maryland State Police Homicide Unit is continuing. Anyone with information about Robin Pope is urged to contact Maryland State Police at the Centreville Barrack at 410-758-1101.

Callers may remain confidential.

http://www.capitalgazette.com/news/for_the_record/police-recover-woman-s-body-on-kent-island-may-be/article_0e892acf-ccb6-53d4-ad4d-a522d6abdb91.html

My heart and prayers go out for her daughters.

Body found on Kent Island identified as Robin Pope

Posted: 03/24/2013
Last Updated: 1 hour and 11 minutes ago

STEVENSVILLE, Md. (WMAR) - A body found along the Kent Island shoreline Saturday afternoon has been identified as Robin Pope, the Queen Anne’s County woman who has been missing for three weeks.

Maryland State Police say the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner was able to identify her body through dental records.

Doctors continue working to identify the cause and manner of death.

Sources first told ABC2 that the body appeared to be Robin Pope Saturday afternoon.

Pope's body was found three tenths of a mile away from her husband's Stevensville home. She was first reported missing the morning of March 2, 2013.

Read more: http://www.abc2news.com/dpp/news/region/eastern_shore/body-found-identified-as-robin-pope#ixzz2OVS1Uhiw

Investigation into Robin Pope's death includes high profile expert


(Posters note: - This "high profile expert" is the forensics expert KC's defense used so I'm not hanging high hopes on what he finds.)

Posted: 03/25/2013
Last Updated: 15 hours and 18 minutes ago

Stevensville, MD. - They spent weeks searching for her body, but now that Robin Pope has been found, the focus shifts to finding out how she died.

Maryland State Police are investigating the case involving 51-year-old Robin Pope. Her body, found this weekend in the water off Kent Island, has been transferred to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Maryland. 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.

Robin Pope’s body was found Saturday by a fisherman who spotted remains in the water. Sources tell ABC2 Pope had no visible signs of intentional trauma, but Shipley indicates her body was partially decomposed so it could be tough for investigators to tell. That’s why he says investigators are waiting for the medical examiner’s office to weigh in on the cause of death. Shipley says they have no timeline for how long the examination will take, although it’s possible a finding of undetermined could be the final result.

As the case unfolds, friends and family of Pope are joining together. They were brought together first to find a friend and mother. Now a Facebook page dedicated to the search serves another purpose. It has become a memorial, with people in the community posting to share their grief and their desire for justice.

Read more: http://www.abc2news.com/dpp/news/local_news/investigations/investigation-into-robin-popes-death-includes-high-profile-expert#ixzz2Oehs9ksd