Robert Lee Yates Jr.

Background

Robert Lee Yates Jr. (born May 27, 1952) was an American serial killer from Spokane, Washington. From 1996 to 1998, he murdered at least 13 women, all of whom were prostitutes working on Spokane's “Skid Row” on E. Sprague Avenue. He confessed to two murders committed in Walla Walla in 1975 and a 1988 murder committed in Skagit County. In 2002, he was convicted of killing two women in Pierce County and was on death row at the Washington State Penitentiary.

Yates grew up in Oak Harbor, Washington in a middle-class family that attended a local Seventh-day Adventist church. He graduated from Oak Harbor High School in 1970.

Yates was hired by the Washington State Department of Corrections to work as a prison guard at the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla in 1975. After working there for six months, he enlisted in the United States Army. He became certified to fly civilian transport airplanes and helicopters, and he was stationed outside the continental United States, including Germany and later Somalia during the United Nations peacekeeping mission of the early 1990s. He earned multiple military awards and medals during his 19-year military career, including three Army achievement medals, three Army commendation medals, two Armed Forces expeditionary medals, and three meritorious service medals.

Yates ended his career as a chief warrant officer-4. He amassed more than 5,000 hours of flight time in helicopters without a single mishap and was awarded the title of Master Army Aviator. After retiring from the Army in March 1996, he moved to Spokane without a job, rented a house with his wife and five children, and was unemployed for several months. He was later employed as a replacement worker at Kaiser Mead, where he was hired in December 1998 as a strikebreaker after workers at the plant walked off the job. While grounded and unable to fly, detectives worked to unravel a growing number of bodies being discovered across Washington State.

Yates was married from 1972 till 1974 with Shirley Nylander. He married again in 1974 with Linda Brewer. He and Linda Brewer had four daughters and one son. His friends and family called him Bobby. His age at arrest was given as 47 in one account. The record also describes him as the married father of five children.

The record includes allegations that Yates was “allegedly repeatedly sexually abused by an older neighbor boy when he was approximately six-years-old,” and it states that it was not clear whether he received psychiatric help or counseling.

The offence

The murders in Spokane between 1996 and 1998 involved prostitutes in Spokane's “Skid Row” area on E. Sprague Avenue. Yates initially solicited victims for prostitution, had sex with them (often in his 1979—run-on fragment), sometimes used drugs with them, then killed them and dumped their bodies in rural locations.

All of Yates’ known victims died of gunshot wounds to the head. Eight of the murders were committed with a Raven .25-caliber handgun, and one attempted murder was linked to the same model of handgun. A distinctive detail involved covering victims’ heads with several plastic grocery bags. Investigators described the bags as a “signature.” Semen was found on eight of the bodies.

Many bodies had been killed elsewhere and later transported to “dump sites” where they were found. Some scenes included vegetation and other materials matching debris from Yates’ backyard.

One case described the body of Melody Murfin as buried just outside the bedroom window of Yates’ family home.

The attempted murder and robbery described as Christine Smith’s incident on August 1, 1998 involved a shooting and a sexual assault attempt during oral sex, followed by an assault and robbery. The record states that Smith was grazed by the gunshot to her head but managed to escape and report the attack.

Investigation

Homicide task force formation and investigative focus

Authorities formed a Homicide Task Force on Dec. 22, 1997, to investigate the murders. Four days later, on the day after Christmas, two bodies were found partially concealed under brush along the 4800 block of East 14th Street on Spokane’s South Hill: Laurel Wason and Shawn McClenahan had both been killed elsewhere and dumped at the location.

Vehicle and evidence linkage

Detectives identified a white Corvette as the vehicle that a victim had last been seen in. They compiled a list of registered owners of white Corvettes in Eastern Washington and cross-referenced it with people stopped by police in areas frequented by prostitutes identified in field reports. Yates’ name came up. The record states that the connection was delayed when a patrol report mistakenly indicated “Camaro” rather than “Corvette.”

In November 1998, Yates was pulled over near the area where women were disappearing while driving a Honda Civic. He stated he was driving a friend’s daughter home, and the record states he was not cited.

Detectives questioned Yates. On September 19, 1998, he refused to provide a DNA sample to Spokane police after being stopped, saying that it was too extreme of a request for a “family man”.

The record describes encounters with Yates in relation to the Corvette, including:

• In September 1997 near the corner of Sprague and Ralph, he was stopped in a white Corvette.
• In Nov. 10, 1998, he was pulled over at the corner of First and Crestline while driving a late model Honda Civic.
• On Sept. 15, 1999, Yates met detectives in the lobby of the Public Safety Building for an interview, and the record states he was told his name had surfaced during the investigation, he was not considered a suspect at that time, and he could refuse to answer questions or leave at any time.

During the interview, detectives said they warned Yates that they thought he was lying. Yates said he had owned a white Corvette once but had sold it. When asked for a blood sample, Yates said he would have to think about it.

Forensic findings involving the Corvette and DNA

In January 2000, detectives tracked down the new owner of Yates’ Corvette and asked to collect fiber samples from the car. In April 2000, forensic scientist Kevin Jenkins told detectives that the fibers taken from the Corvette “quite closely matched” those retrieved during the investigation of Jennifer Joseph.

A search warrant was signed for the Corvette. Investigators described dried blood stains on seatbelt buckle, the driver’s seat, and passenger seat, and a small, white button under the passenger-side floorboard.

DNA comparisons were described as matching blood from a “common source,” with an extremely high likelihood that the bloodstains in the Corvette were from a child of Jennifer Joseph’s parents. The white button in the Corvette area was described as indistinguishable from a button on Joseph’s blouse.

Witness report and assault evidence

After Yates’ arrest, Christine Smith told detectives that she believed Yates might be the man who attacked her. During an interview on May 12, 2000, Smith described being treated at the University of Washington Medical Center for injuries sustained in an automobile accident, and she stated that x-rays determined she was carrying metal fragments within her head. The doctors’ reports concluded she had probably sustained an old gunshot wound to the left mastoid area, the same area where she thought her attacker struck her with an undetermined object. Smith stated she may have been shot instead of struck.

The record states that Smith did not positively identify Yates from a photo line up but said he looked like the man who had assaulted her. It also notes that Smith’s story conflicted regarding whether her father worked with him.

Arrest and charging

On April 18, 2000, police officers pulled over a car heading north on Market Street in Spokane. Yates was arrested in connection with the killings while on his way to work at Kaiser Aluminum. His home at 2220 E. 49th on Spokane’s South Hill was cordoned off while detectives searched for evidence.

The record includes a statement by Cpl. David Reagan, Spokane County Sheriff Public Information Officer: “We are very specifically not saying he is our serial killer. We have evidence that ties him to the homicide of one prostitute.”

By the end of the next day, Yates was charged in the death of Jennifer Joseph, and several days later Sheriff Mark Sterk announced that Yates was the suspect in eight other killings: Darla Scott, Shawn Johnson, Laurel Wason, Shawn McClenahan, Melinda Mercer, Sunny Oster, Linda Maybin, and Michelyn Derning. It states that eight victims were found in Spokane and two were found in Tacoma.

Confession and deal leading to a discovery

On October 16, 2000, the record states that Yates agreed to plead guilty to 13 counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder in exchange for receiving life in prison, and he would not plead guilty to charges facing him in Pierce County. It also states he would lead the cops to Melody Murfin’s body. After prosecutors agreed, detectives dug up portions of the yard of Yates’ former home and found Melody Murfin’s remains buried about eight inches below the surface in a bark-covered flowerbed near what used to be Yates’ bedroom window.

Two weeks later, the record states that Yates pleaded guilty to 13 of the murders that the task force had been investigating.

Arrest

Robert Lee Yates Jr. was arrested on April 18, 2000 for the murder of Jennifer Joseph. A search warrant executed at the time of his arrest enabled authorities to obtain blood samples from Yates, and subsequent DNA analysis was described as matching DNA profiles of sperm samples taken from multiple victims.

A latent fingerprint developed from a plastic bag found on Shawn McClenahan’s head was matched to Robert L. Yates Jr. The record also states that detectives found vegetation matching vegetation from the dump sites and physical materials such as broken concrete, wood with white paint peeling, peanut shells, rocks, and “packing peanuts” in his yard.

Yates was held without bond and initially pleaded not guilty to all charges. The record states that he was charged with 8 counts of first-degree murder in the shooting deaths of Spokane area prostitutes and was suspected in deaths of as many as 18 women, possibly even more. He was also charged with first-degree attempted murder and first-degree burglary in connection with the assault on Christine Smith. The record states that he was subsequently charged with two counts of first-degree murder in Pierce County for the slayings of Connie LaFontaine Ellis and Melinda Mercer, and he pleaded not guilty in those murders as well.

Trial

Spokane convictions and prison sentence

In 2000, the record states Yates was convicted of 13 counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder in Spokane County Superior Court. The judge sentenced him to 408 years in prison, essentially a life sentence. The record states that he avoided the death penalty by confessing to the Spokane County murders in exchange for the life sentence.

In one section, it also states that Yates was sentenced on Oct. 26 to 408 years in prison for 13 killings.

Pierce County capital case

In 2001, Yates was charged in Pierce County with the murders of two additional women. The prosecution sought the death penalty for the deaths of Melinda L. Mercer in 1997 and Connie Ellis in 1998.

In October 2002, the record states that Yates was convicted of those murders and sentenced to death by lethal injection. It states that a Pierce County court sentenced Yates on October 4, 2002 for the murders of Melinda Mercer, 24, in 1997 and Connie LaFontaine Ellis, 35, in 1998.

The record includes a quote from Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecutor Jerry Costello: “He richly deserved the death penalty,”

It also describes that Pierce County prosecutors refused to sign off on the Spokane plea deal and charged Yates with aggravated first-degree murder, described as the state's only capital crime.

After sentencing stay and death row status

On September 5, 2008, a judge signed Yates’ death warrant and gave September 19, 2008 as the execution date. On September 11, 2008, Washington Supreme Court Chief Justice Gerry L. Alexander issued a stay of execution to allow the defense time to file additional appeals. Yates remained on death row at the Washington State Penitentiary.

Sentencing

Spokane County

The record states that Yates was sentenced to 408 years in prison after his conviction for 13 counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder. It also states that this effectively operated as a life sentence.

Pierce County

The record states that Yates was sentenced to death by lethal injection for the murders of Melinda L. Mercer and Connie LaFontaine Ellis. It also states the status line as “Sentenced to death October 3, 2002.”

Outcome

Yates was convicted of killing two women in Pierce County and was sentenced to death by lethal injection. He was on death row at the Washington State Penitentiary.

Victims

Victim list with dates of discovery and basic details

• Patrick Oliver — July 13, 1975
• Susan Savage — July 13, 1975
• Stacy E. Hawn — December 28, 1988
• Patricia Barnes — August 25, 1996
• Shannon Zielinski — June 14, 1996
• Heather Hernandez — August 26, 1997
• Jennifer Joseph — August 26, 1997
• Darla Scott — November 5, 1997
• Melinda Mercer — December 7, 1997
• Shawn Johnson — December 18, 1997
• Laurie Wason — December 26, 1997
• Sunny Oster — February 8, 1998
• Linda Maybin — April 1, 1998
• Melody Murfin — May 12, 1998
• Michelyn Derning — July 7, 1998
• Connie LaFontaine Ellis — October 13, 1998

Additional victim-specific facts described for key murders

• Jennifer Joseph (16) was found on August 26, 1997 in a rural setting; the record states she died from a gunshot wound to the chest. It also states semen DNA matched Yates and that a fake pearl button from a shirt under the seat of a Corvette formerly owned by Yates led to his arrest.
• Darla Sue Scott (29) was found November 5, 1997; the record states two plastic bags were found in her shallow grave and she died from two gunshots to the head. It states DNA from Yates was matched to semen found in her body.
• Melinda L. Mercer (24) was found December 7, 1997 on S. 50th St. in Tacoma; the record states four plastic bags covered her head and she died from three gunshots to the head.
• Shawn L. Johnson (36) was found December 18, 1997 off Hangman Valley Road with two plastic bags covering her head and two gunshots to the head; the record states semen matched Yates’ DNA.
• Laurel Wason (31) was found December 26, 1997 in a gravel pit near Hangman Valley Road with three plastic bags over her head; the record states two gunshot wounds to the head, non-indigenous vegetation and debris matching Yates’ backyard, and semen genetically matched to Yates.
• Shawn A. McClenahan (39) was found December 26, 1997 next to Laurel Wason with three plastic bags covering her head; the record states two gunshots to the head, DNA from semen matched to Yates, and a fingerprint on one of the plastic bags.
• Sunny G. Oster (41) was found February 8, 1998 in Western Spokane County; the record states three plastic bags over her head and two gunshots to the head, and semen genetically matched to Yates.
• Linda Maybin (34) was found April 1, 1998; the record states two plastic bags over her head and one gunshot to the head, and semen matched to Yates’ DNA, along with plant trimmings matching vegetation in Yates’ backyard.
• Michelyn Derning (47) was found July 7, 1998 under a hot tub cover; the record states she died from a gunshot wound to the head, that she was seen alive a week before her body was discovered, and that her remains were the only case described as not raped and not transported away from the murder scene and dumped in the outskirts of the city.
• Connie LaFontaine Ellis (35) was found October 13, 1998 in Tacoma with three plastic bags over her head; the record states she died from one gunshot wound to the head.
• Melody Ann Murfin (43) was buried in a flower bed under the bedroom window of Yates’ home; the record states her body was found after Yates provided a man pinpointing its location.
• Christine L. Smith (32) was robbed and assaulted on August 1, 1998. The record states she was grazed by a gunshot to her head but escaped and reported the attack. It states she was treated for an abrasion at the time, and later x-rays revealed metal fragments.

Earlier murder victims described

• Patrick Oliver (shot three times in the head) and Susan Savage were picnicking on Mill Creek near Walla Walla in 1975 when Yates encountered them. The record states Yates buried their bodies under a pile of brush where they were found within days, and that it took 25 years before families learned they were his first known victims when Yates admitted responsibility. The record states he worked as a guard at the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla at that time.
• Stacy Elizabeth Hawn (23) was believed to be the first prostitute killed by Yates, last seen alive in Seattle on July 7, 1988, with skeletal remains found five months later in Skagit County. The record states the record lists Hawn as not identified as part of a plea bargain to save his life and that Yates told investigators he killed her as part of his plea bargain to avoid the death penalty.
• The record contains extended discussion of earlier Spokane serial-killing investigations including victims Yolanda Sapp, Nickie I. Lowe, Kathleen Brisbois, Sherry Anne Palmer, Patricia Barnes, and others, with details of their discovery circumstances and toxicology. It also describes a pattern of small-caliber gun use and the victims being engaged in prostitution and drug abuse.

Other details

Quotations by courtroom participants and statements attributed in the record

At Yates’ sentencing, Melody Murfin’s daughter, Anne, made the following courtroom statement to Yates: “My name is Anne, and I’m also the daughter of Melody Murfin. And I would just like to say that everybody says this is a closure and this is what’s going to make us feel better in the end. However, my mother made bad choices but that never made her a bad person. Yates makes bad choices and that makes him a terrible person. And the plea-bargain—I’m grateful that I now know that my mother is never coming back to me. As soon as she doesn’t get to be a part of me, I don’t think you should be able to get to be a part of, any part of your family. How could you do that to us? How could you take my mother and bury her in your yard? And your family walks around my mother for two and a half years. You stole her soul. I don’t think you ever deserve to ever see daylight. Ever see your family. You must be tormented in prison for the rest of your life. Tortured. You’re a sick monster. And you will be judged. That’s all I have to say.”

Before his sentence, the record states Yates claimed he felt remorse and stated: “I’ve taken away the love, the compassion and the tenderness of your loved ones, and left in that place grief and bitterness…In my struggle to overcome my guilt and shame, I have turned to God…I hope that God will replace your…sorrow with peace.”

Christine Smith interaction details

The record quotes Smith recalling her question about a “psycho killer” and Yates’ response: “psycho killer,” and that Yates responded: “he was not the killer because he had five kids and would not do that.”

Investigative narrative detail about the victim-solicitation method

The record states that many of the victims were white, with only one being Asian, and that they were involved in prostitution or drugs or both. It states investigators believed the firearm shots were delivered to the head after covering their heads with several plastic grocery bags, and that bodies were then dumped in remote locations near well-traveled roads.

Misconduct and other incidents described in the record

The record describes a misdemeanor assault charge after a complaint by Yates’ daughter that her father “hits me all the time.” It states he was charged with a misdemeanor assault and that he was told the misdemeanor charge would be dropped if he didn’t do anything similar for two years.

The record also states that Yates refused to provide a blood sample for a DNA test and was later arrested when police linked the Corvette evidence to Jennifer Joseph.