Murder Case of Joy Hibbs: Where is Robert Atkins Now?

The true crime series “People Magazine Investigates” on Investigation Discovery focuses on the horrifyingly complex situations where there always seem to be more questions than there are solutions. This means that episode 8 of season 6 of the show, aptly titled “American Nightmare,” which details the tragic 1991 murder of Joy Hibbs inside her own suburban house, is unquestionably no different. We now have everything you need to know about her case, including information about the investigation that followed, the potential offender, their current situation, and the ongoing fallout.

How Did Joy Hibbs Pass Away?

Joy Hibbs was a working mother of two living in the lovely neighborhood of Spencer Drive in Croydon, Bristol Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, at the age of 36. Despite having to marry young due to an unforeseen pregnancy, she was a lovely, caring, and outdoorsy woman who was sincerely devoted to her family, according to the episode. The murder of her on April 19, 1991, not only upended the lives of their two children (Angie and David), but also her husband Charlie Hibbs, who was said to be the same.

On that fatal day, David, then 12, had a half-day from school, thus he was regrettably the one to discover smoke pouring out of his family’s home at around one in the afternoon. He saw his mother’s car in the driveway and thought she probably was inside, so he cried for help as soon as he realized it was from a burning fire, prompting a neighbor to immediately call 911.

The nearby fire department arrived in no time, but it was already too late because the fires were deliberately ignited to hide the fact that Joy had died and to destroy any evidence. Her autopsy revealed that she had been killed previously because she had broken ribs, had been stabbed at least five times (perhaps in her son’s bedroom), and had been strangled with an electrical cord.

Who was Joy Hibbs’ killer?

Apart from Joy’s horribly burnt remains from David’s bed, which were swiftly extinguished by the firefighters, some important evidence could also be found. The kitchen and David’s bedroom were the two primary places of the many origin arson that had collected in the tremendous smoke storm, the authorities quickly concluded.

Unfortunately, it did ensure there was no DNA evidence that could be used to convict the Hibbs, whether it came from the body of Joy or the thick computer wire that was used as a murder weapon or even from the stove burner. Consequently, during their initial investigation, the investigators heavily relied on the testimony of the neighbors. It was then that they discovered a Blue Monte Carlo had been hurriedly parked outside the house directly in the murder window. When Charlie Hibbs was questioned about it, he stated that his neighbor Robert Atkins owned one. David later revealed that he believed the Chevrolet owner surely intended to hurt his loving mother.

In the ID episode, Joy’s son claimed that a few weeks prior to the incident, she had complained to the Atkins couple about the marijuana she had purchased from them, which had enraged Robert. Since Robert had a partial alibi and there were no other solid leads, the investigation finally remained cold despite David’s claims that their neighbor had threatened to blow up their house after she was killed. Although the records match, he claimed to the authorities that he had driven his family to a cabin in the Poconos that day for a brief vacation. However, the timings allegedly didn’t totally exonerate him.

Therefore, it took more than 31 years for Robert to be detained in connection with the case until his now-ex-wife appeared to testify against him before a grand jury in May 2022. She testified to the court that he had come home that foreboding day covered in blood, only to hastily wash himself, confess to stabbing someone, and tell her to pack the family up because they had to leave for a few days. She further said that, out of fear of him, he “took money from [his victim] and purposefully set the family house on fire in an attempt to cover up the murder.”

What has become of Robert Atkins?

In relation to the death of Joy in 1991, 56-year-old Robert Francis Atkins was charged on May 25, 2022, with first-degree murder, second-degree murder, arson, and robbery. As a result, as far as we can ascertain, he is currently incarcerated at the Bucks County Jail in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, awaiting trial after being denied bail. We must be clear that Robert is presumed innocent until and unless and until found guilty at his first preliminary hearing planned to commence in September 2022.