The Mother I Wish I Knew

Summary

48 Hours – The Mother I Wish I Knew

Podcast: 48 Hours
Date: January 26, 2026
Host: CBS News, Narrator/Investigator Slater
Case: The 1988 murder of Deborah (“Debbie”) Aatrops—an Oregon cold case finally solved nearly 37 years later—and its profound impact on Debbie’s daughter, Rhianna Stevens.

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Episode Overview

This episode delves into the decades-old murder of Deborah Aatrops, who disappeared in November 1988 and was found murdered days later. Through new forensic evidence, dogged cold case investigation, and emotional family testimony, “48 Hours” chronicles the quest for justice, the trial and conviction of Debbie’s estranged husband Robert (“Bob”) Aatrops, and the devastating long-term effects on their daughter, Rhianna.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Disappearance and Discovery of Debbie Aatrops

• The Night Debbie Disappeared

  • Debbie, separated from husband Bob, was last seen driving a rural road after a hair appointment (02:16).
  • Bob reported her missing that night after she failed to pick up their infant daughter, Rhianna (“Riri”) (06:43).
  • Her car was found two days later at a construction site; Debbie was in the trunk, strangled, with mud on her clothing and vehicle (09:00–09:16).

• Immediate Investigation & Early Suspects

  • Focus initially on Bob Aatrops, but other romantic partners are investigated: ex-boyfriend Jeff Freeberg and new boyfriend John Pearson (10:50–11:11; 14:48–15:52).
  • Bob’s behavior (“very calm”; “not consistent with a grieving, estranged husband”) immediately strikes investigators as odd (09:47–10:02).

2. Life, Relationships, and Secrets

• Debbie’s Romantic Life and Personality

  • Debbie described as having “good taste” but “terrible judge of men” (11:11).
  • Quick marriage to Bob; separation followed months after adopting their daughter (13:53–14:27).
  • She maintained connections not only with Bob, but with Freeberg and Pearson, leading to a web of complications (15:09–16:14).

• Rhianna’s Upbringing and Loss

  • Rhianna, a baby at the time, grew up with only stories about her mother (13:31).
  • She learned of her mother’s murder as a child, now left wrestling with the trial and conviction of her father decades later (39:18–43:16).

3. Evidence, Forensics, and Cold Case Breakthroughs

• Renewed Investigation in 2022

  • Cold Case team re-examines physical evidence with advanced forensics (soil, DNA) unavailable in 1988 (20:31, 22:01).
  • Soil from Debbie’s car matches Bob’s property, not the dump site; DNA mixture on Debbie’s coat can’t exclude Bob, but isn’t conclusive (23:02–23:31, 22:27–22:35).
  • “It’s moderate support that it’s more likely Mr. Aatrops than an unknown individual.” – Rhianna Stevens, reporting on prosecutors’ stance (22:27).

• Phone Call Inconsistencies

  • Bob claimed to have made calls from home the night of the murder, but phone bills did not show them (18:10–18:33).
  • Decades later, Bob changes his story to say he used an “MCI calling card,” but prosecutors say he did not have one in 1988; the process seemed suspicious for someone “frantically” searching for his wife (24:11; 24:46).

4. Trial and Key Testimonies

• Domestic Violence Allegations

  • Friends testify Debbie feared Bob; she allegedly told friends, “If anything happens to me, Bob did it.” (32:21–32:39)
  • Another friend recalled Debbie said she was afraid Bob would kill her if he found out about her new relationship (32:39).
  • Defense counters with suggestions that Debbie told “questionable stories” and was sometimes untruthful (33:01).

• Conflicting DNA and Defense Strategies

  • DNA from semen found at autopsy matched John Pearson, not Bob, despite Pearson’s denial of contact within 72 hours prior to the murder (36:11–37:06).
  • Defense argues mud/soil evidence is circumstantial (“as common as dirt”) and that DNA transfer can occur in shared custody situations, making results non-incriminating (35:01; 35:45).
  • Defense further points to missing phone records as possible equipment failure, supporting Bob’s alibi (34:00).

5. John Pearson’s Suicide and Impact on the Case

• John Pearson found dead days before he was to testify at Bob’s trial, having apparently committed suicide in Arizona (27:17–27:53).
• Defense tries to imply Pearson’s guilt or at least reasonable doubt; prosecution maintains his death was unrelated to guilt (26:23–27:50; 40:26–40:48).

6. The Verdict and Aftermath

• Jury Deliberation & Decision

  • Jury finds Robert Aatrops guilty of second-degree murder after a two-week trial and six hours of deliberation, 37 years after Debbie’s death (38:00–38:45).
  • Emotional reaction from family: “It was like the room went dead silent and everything was still. In that moment, we all crumbled. We are grieving someone that is still alive.” – Rhianna Stevens (38:55).

• Sentencing and Family Appeals

  • Rhianna and Bob’s current wife plead for leniency; Bob receives life with parole possible after 25 years (42:17–43:10).
  • Rhianna, who lost her mother as an infant, now grieves her father who will likely die in prison (43:16–43:30).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

“She was found in her trunk. There was just so much unknown. Who did this? Why did this happen?”
— Rhianna Stevens (02:16)

“You being the husband, we need permission. We'd like to search the car… A few minutes later, police found Debbie's body face down in the trunk.”
— Detective O'Connell via Rhianna Stevens (08:51, 09:00)

“He was very calm, much more calm than I would expect.”
— Cold case witness recalling Bob’s demeanor (10:02)

“I miss her every day, still.”
— Darlene Lufkin, Debbie’s friend (20:19)

“He calls law enforcement within, you know, probably 20 minutes... To us, that seemed a little quick.”
— Prosecutors on Bob’s behavior (20:50)

“They swapped that area of her coat, because if you're strangled, that would be the area you'd have contact with… Bob Atrops could not be excluded as a contributor to that DNA mixture.”
— Forensic finding (22:01–22:27)

“This murder was connected to mud... the mud on Debbie's car tire did not match the mud where her car was found. However, that mud… was indistinguishable from the mud from Bob's lawn…”
— Prosecution theory (22:55–23:02)

“My opinion is you've told yourself a story for the last 34 years, and you've told yourself the story over and over and over again to the point that it's become the truth for you… No, I did not.”
— Investigators confronting Bob after his arrest (25:47–26:23)

“She was concerned that he'd kill her... I turned around and... I saw that she was genuinely scared.”
— Tammy Nelson, testifying about Debbie’s fears (32:07–32:19)

“Everything is telling us that that was most likely deposited on the day that she was murdered.”
— Attorney Janice Puracell on Pearson’s DNA found at autopsy (37:08)

“To the charge of murder in the second degree, the jury has found the defendant guilty.”
— Verdict read (38:45)

“When I was eight months old, someone robbed me of getting to have a life with my mom… 36 years later, I'm being robbed of my father.”
— Rhianna Stevens at sentencing (42:17)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Debbie’s Disappearance & Early Investigation: 01:26–10:02
• Debbie’s Relationships & Family: 13:18–16:53
• Forensics and New Investigation: 20:31–24:46
• Alibis, Phone Records, and Inconsistencies: 17:25–18:45, 24:03–25:02
• Cold Case Breakthroughs: 23:02–23:35
• Trial Testimonies (Friends, Violence, Alibis): 29:44–33:28
• DNA Evidence & Counterarguments: 35:25–37:08
• Pearson’s Death & Defense’s Theories: 27:17–27:53, 40:26–40:48
• Jury Verdict and Emotional Impact: 38:00–39:18
• Sentencing & Family Appeals: 42:17–43:10

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Episode Tone & Final Reflections

The tone is emotional, investigative, and at times, heartbreaking. The search for justice—comes at significant personal cost to the Aatrops/Stevens family. The episode raises questions about memory, evidence, and justice, and gives voice to a daughter who lost her mother to murder and, decades later, her father to a murder conviction.

Final words from Rhianna encapsulate the tragedy:

“I can't make sense of what's happening. I just have to live through it and keep fighting. She truly loved Rihanna. … She was alive. That should still be here.” (43:16, 43:33)

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For Listeners

This episode presents a complex, decades-spanning investigation that finally comes to a jury’s decision—while leaving the surviving family mired in pain and uncertainty. The “mother I wish I knew” is both a crime story and a profound family tragedy.

Transcript

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

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[Rhianna Stevens]

Deborah Aatrobs was 30 years old. She was a young mother. I didn't get to have my mom growing up. It was this mystery that has never been solved. Me, Deanna, My name is Rhianna and I am referred to in the story as the baby Riri, the eight month.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Old baby who lost her mom.

[Rhianna Stevens]

Yeah.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

So you believe on November 29, 1988, this was the last known location where she probably came.

[Rhianna Stevens]

We believe that she drove alone on this very rural road and that was the last drive that she took alive. The car is found on December 1. I knew she was strangled and she was found in her trunk. There was just so much unknown. Who did this? Why did this happen? We focused pretty early on on Robert Handsome like me. Bob Aatrops was married to Debbie Aatrop. They've been married for a year or so and they were struggling, having issues in their relationship which caused them to separate. We continued to conduct additional interviews, follow up on various leads and then it went dead. It was a tragedy. There were times when I wondered if we would ever make an arrest.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Finally getting answers near nearly 35 years later, as prosecutors say, now 68 year old Robert Elmer Aatrops is the person responsible for the November 1988 murder of his estranged wife Deborah Lee Aatrops.

[Rhianna Stevens]

I was just in shock. I couldn't believe it. They 1000% got it wrong. The motive evidence is very, very strong. Debbie Aatrops had a new romantic relationship with a man named John Pearson. They worked together. She was excited about it, but she was very concerned About Robert Aatrobs finding out about her relationship with John Pierson.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

The husband is often the obvious suspect. However, Debbie Atrops had a complicated life.

[Rhianna Stevens]

And kept a lot of secrets. We view this as a case of actual innocence.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

There is more evidence that suggests John Pearson was involved in Deborah A Trophes.

[Rhianna Stevens]

Murder than there is Bob A. Trophs. They thoroughly interviewed John Pearson. Things were good between him and Debbie Aatrops. He had no motive to commit this crime. John Pierson did have motive to kill Debbie A. Trops. He said that in hindsight, he thinks that Debbie A. Trops was only with him because she was looking for somebody to pay the bills for her. That's plenty motive. Hello, Rhianna Lynn. My dad did not do this. I know my dad. I know his heart. And I know that he'd never be able to live with himself doing that. Natalie Morales reports the mother. I wish I knew.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

It was Thursday, December 1, 1988, when Deborah Aatrobs, known as Debbie, was found murdered in her car next to a construction site here in Beaverton, Oregon. Debbie had been reported missing two days earlier by her estranged husband, Bob Aatrops, who lived about five miles away on this rural road. So where are we in relation to the Atrops case?

[Rhianna Stevens]

Right here is southwest Konzelman Road in Sherwood. And this is where Bob Aatrops was living at the time of Debbie's murder.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

On the night she went missing. Bob says Debbie, who was then 30 years old, never arrived to pick up their baby Rihanna, as expected.

[Rhianna Stevens]

I think that it's important for everyone to know that just because a case goes unsolved doesn't mean that it's forgotten.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Alison Brown is a senior deputy district attorney in Washington County, Oregon.

[Rhianna Stevens]

Here's our exhibit list.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Who, along with attorney Chris Luman, joined a team of investigators working on Debbie's unsolved murder. Brown says they hope talking to the original detectives, witnesses.

[Rhianna Stevens]

We've got videos. This is from the scene.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

And looking at the evidence again, phone calls from 1988 might give the old investigation new momentum.

[Rhianna Stevens]

There were opportunities for forensic analysis that were not available in 1988.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Debbie Aatrops was last seen alive on Tuesday, November 29, 1988. Bob Aatrops called the Tigard, Oregon police that night at 9:40pm Tiger Police, can I help you?

[Rhianna Stevens]

My wife was running about three hours overdue from a care appointment. I was getting a little concerned. She wasn't sure what. Okay. What's her name? Deborah Hbobs. Okay. And what kind of vehic you've been Driving, it'd be a black.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Bob told the dispatcher Debbie hadn't shown up after an appointment in Tigard, about eight miles from his house at a hair salon called Razzmatazz.

[Rhianna Stevens]

It would probably be easier for you to make a run down her path to how she would go than it would be for us.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Bob says he drove the route and said saw no sign of Debbie. He called Tigard police back at 10:25pm.

[Rhianna Stevens]

Why don't we give it about another hour and if you haven't heard anything, we call down.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Bob did call back a third time at 11:29pm this probably dropped again.

[Rhianna Stevens]

Have you heard anything? No. And the guys have gone out. It's real foggy out, but they have checked around the area. Did you go to Rasmataz and see if her car was there at all? There's no friends or anything she might have gotten to visit. All I don't want to think of.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

But the one call Bob did not make that night was to Debbie.

[Rhianna Stevens]

Okay, sir, we have checked around the Sherwood area and we can't find her car at all.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

The dispatcher suggested Bob call the Washington County Sheriff, which he did at 11:34pm and they opened a missing persons case the next morning. But Debbie Aatrops would not be a missing person for long.

[Rhianna Stevens]

Even though I've been retired for years, it still kind of hung over me.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Washington County Sheriff's Detective Michael o' Connell remembers responding to the scene when Debbie's car was found. The license plates had been taken off. The window was open and the keys were inside. Oconnells partner called Bob Atrops.

[Rhianna Stevens]

You being the husband, we need permission. We'd like to search the car and, like, know if that'd be all right with you.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

A few minutes later, police found Debbie's body face down in the trunk.

[Rhianna Stevens]

She was nicely dressed, still had her coat on. Looked like she'd been placed somewhat carefully in the trunk.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Police say Debbie had been strangled and there were no signs of sexual assault. There was mud on her coat and shoes, the front passenger tire and the steering wheel of the car. Law enforcement scoured her vehicle for evidence.

[Rhianna Stevens]

It looked like someone may have tried to wipe down the hood. There were, like, broad clothing swipes, like someone maybe was trying to destroy fingerprints.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

O' Connell and his partner went to Bob's house to tell him they had found his wife's body. A witness who saw Bob later that day told the cold case team, he was very calm, much more calm than I would expect.

[Rhianna Stevens]

It wasn't consistent with a Grieving, estranged husband.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Debbie's stepfather, Ed Holland, says her mother, Gloria, who was close to Debbie, was overwhelmed with grief.

[Rhianna Stevens]

She broke down and I held her and that's all I could do. She just laid there sobbing.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Police searched outside Bob's home for any further clues.

[Rhianna Stevens]

And the driveway was a mix of mud, dirt and gravel, and it looked like her car may have driven through some of the mud.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Bob had said Debbie was last there about a week before her murder. Police took photos at the tire tracks outside his house and collected soil from his driveway and lawn just to make.

[Rhianna Stevens]

Sure we weren't missing anything.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Police never found any tire tracks that matched Debbie's car on Bob's property. Yet Bob Aatrobs was an obvious suspect, but he wasn't the only man in Debbie's life. Since she had moved out five months before, Debbie had been dating, and those relationships were complicated.

[Rhianna Stevens]

Debbie had very good taste and was a good judge of people, but a terrible judge of men. Every man that she seemed to hook up with was a problem. Foreign.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

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[Rhianna Stevens]

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[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

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[Rhianna Stevens]

Always. Yeah. It was great growing up with my dad. He was an amazing dad. From your little girl. Did you get this?

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Do you have memories of him being hands on?

[Rhianna Stevens]

Yeah, my dad was very hands on. I knew that I was his number one. Thank you for being the nicest daddy there could ever be. I remember being at my grandpa's house with my cousin, going through old photo albums and finding a picture of this woman. And I was like, who's that? And she just kind of was like, that's your mom. From that point on, I always remember knowing the story.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Debbie Atrop's daughter, Rhianna Stevens, says she learned about her mother's murder when she was 6 or 7 years old. She says growing up, her dad only shared fond memories of her mom.

[Rhianna Stevens]

I didn't know that they had separated. Anything that I had ever heard about her was always good from him.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

But things were not always good in Bob and Debbie's marriage. Debbie's stepfather, Ed Holland, remembers meeting Bob, a construction product salesman, and talking to Debbie's mother about how quickly Bob and Debbie walked down the aisle.

[Rhianna Stevens]

They were still in a courtship when they got married. I said to Gloria, I said, this is way too fast. She says, well, if they're in love, why not?

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Debbie's friend Darlene Lufkin says like Ed, she was not confident the relationship had a strong foundation. How long did they know each other?

[Rhianna Stevens]

Just a few months. It seems like it takes time to get to know someone, and I don't think she really knew Bob yet.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Bob and Debbie got married in June 1987 and adopted Rihanna the following March.

[Rhianna Stevens]

Hello, Rhianna Lynn.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Because of conflicts in their marriage, just a few months after bringing Brianna home, Debbie moved into her own apartment in Salem, 30 miles away from Bob. Investigators say Debbie had soon reconnected with an old boyfriend, Jeff Freeberg. You said he was the one for her.

[Rhianna Stevens]

Perhaps that's the one she kept wanting to go back to. She really, really liked him, and I don't think he was just ready for that kind of relationship yet.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

By September 1988, Debbie had a new boyfriend, a man she met at work named John Pearson. John was separated from his wife and had two young boys.

[Rhianna Stevens]

But I remember she was on the phone at my house once with him. She handed me the phone and he said how much she was looking forward to meeting me and the girls. When Debbie was seeing people, for some reason, she wanted them to meet me and my girls.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Darlene says she and Debbie had grown close in their 20s, when Darlene was a single mom.

[Rhianna Stevens]

She's really the only friend I had that enjoyed spending time with my daughters, and I treasured that.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

In that autumn of 1988, although Debbie was dating John, she stayed in touch with Jeff Freeberg, and He loaned Debbie $8,000. He had lent her money to buy a car. Could there have been motive in that he was Wealthy.

[Rhianna Stevens]

So I think he was happy to help Debbie.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Back in 1988, detectives had asked Freeberg for his alibi on the night Debbie was last seen alive, and he said he was home except for going out briefly to get some dinner.

[Rhianna Stevens]

He seemed very straightforward. Didn't hesitate to answer our questions. Didn't seem to be hiding anything.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Police had also questioned John Pearson, who said he was with his children and his estranged wife that night. Pearson knew about Debbie's hair appointment and gave detectives a detailed description of many items inside her car. John Pearson told police back then that there was a Burger King bag as well as a box with cranberries and a child car seat. Seems like a lot of details about the car. Pierson also said there wasn't enough room in the trunk for a body and that stuff would have to be taken out. But Detective O' Connell says Pierson had seemed truthful back in 1988.

[Rhianna Stevens]

It was mostly accessible. Didn't appear to be trying to throw us off or anything.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

And prosecutors Chris Lumen and Alison Brown say there is an innocent reason John Pierson knew so much about Debbie's car.

[Rhianna Stevens]

They were seeing each other every day. I mean, something to look into for sure, which is why they did multiple interviews of John Pearson in a polygraph in 1988. And did he pass the polygraph? He did. And he was willing to do it and basically do everything that they asked him to do.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Bob Aatrobs hired a lawyer a week after Debbie's body was found and declined to take a polygraph. Detective o' Connell says Bob did not seem very worried about finding out who killed his wife.

[Rhianna Stevens]

He was kind of removed, just kind of distant.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

O' Connell and his partner looked into the calls Bob said he made the night Debbie went missing.

[Rhianna Stevens]

There was no friends or anything she might have gone to.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Bob told detectives he called the babysitter, Debbie's boss, and her parents while he was home waiting for her. They all confirmed he did call them that night. But there was a hitch. Those three calls were long distance and should have shown up on his phone bill.

[Rhianna Stevens]

That was a problem. Those phone calls were not there.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

By now, detectives suspected Bob had killed Debbie. They thought there was no record of those three phone calls because Bob was out of the house that evening, disposing of Debbie's car and her body. Police began looking for evidence. Bob made those calls from somewhere else.

[Rhianna Stevens]

It involved checking payphones. We looked at every angle. We struck out.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

They did not find proof that Bob was lying or evidence connecting him to Debbie's murder.

[Rhianna Stevens]

I Didn't like the thought of it just remaining unsolved.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

O' Connell and his partner had a final meeting with Bob in 1990, asking him to account for those missing calls or to admit he had killed his wife. But Bob maintained his innocence, and then.

[Rhianna Stevens]

It kind of went dead.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

When the cold case team next interviewed Bob in 2022, they asked again about those phone calls and heard a very different story.

[Rhianna Stevens]

I'll be honest with you, Bob. Your story that you're telling us today is significantly different than what you told investigators back in the day. And so my question is, what really did happen? We spent a lot of time together. We took the girls to the beach, went to music in the park with picnic dinners.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

It's been more than 30 years since Darlene Lufkin last saw her friend Debbie Aatrops, but she says she still feels the loss. It sounds like you have really fond memories of Debbie. Oh, yeah.

[Rhianna Stevens]

I miss her every day still.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Darlene, like many in Debbie's life, longed for answers. And in 2022, she got one step closer. When the cold case team sent Debbie's coat and those soil samples for testing.

[Rhianna Stevens]

The soil was sent to the FBI lab. The DNA was sent.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

While they waited, the cold case team continued to examine Bob's behavior back in 1988, which prosecutors say was suspicious from that first call.

[Rhianna Stevens]

He calls law enforcement within, you know, probably 20 minutes of calling the friends and family. And to us, that seemed a little quick. So we believe he was attempting to get his story out there and to portray himself as a concerned husband and try to develop that narrative that he wanted to.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Early on, Detective o' Connell says he had the same feeling. Remember, Bob had called police four times that night.

[Rhianna Stevens]

What's the Shakespeare quote? He protests too much. It was interesting to us that he was calling so frequently and so soon. It didn't seem normal.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

The cold case team also turned their attention to the road where Debbie's car was found. Next to that construction site. Bob's former boss at Allied Building Products told them he believed Bob had a connection there.

[Rhianna Stevens]

He was selling roofing products. We knew. I knew that he was selling products in that area.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

In 2022, the results from those DNA tests came back. The lab said they found a mixture of DNA on the collar and shoulder of Debbie's coat.

[Rhianna Stevens]

They swapped that area of her coat, because if you're strangled, that would be the area you'd have contact with.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

The lab compared that sample from Debbie's coat to her boyfriend at the time, John Pearson. It's not present and neither was her ex boyfriend, Jeff Reberg.

[Rhianna Stevens]

Jeff Freeberg not present.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

But the lab said Bob Atrops could not be excluded as a contributor to that DNA mixture.

[Rhianna Stevens]

We can't say it's a match. It's just, it's moderate support that it's more likely Mr. Atrops than an unknown individual.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Prosecutors admit while the DNA from Debbie's coat excludes Freeberg and Pierson, it does not make a complete case against Bob a trust.

[Rhianna Stevens]

I think it's another piece. There are many, many different pieces. It was a very fact intensive case.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Another one of those pieces, they say, is the mud.

[Rhianna Stevens]

This murder was connected to mud. Her body was covered in mud. There was mud on the outside of the car, on the inside of the car.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

The FBI lab, which examined this evidence, concluded that the mud on Debbie's car tire did not match the mud where her car was found. However, that mud on the tire, they said was indistinguishable from the mud from Bob's lawn in color, composition and texture. This is evidence, prosecutors say, that Bob was lying when he said Debbie did not come to his house the night she went missing.

[Rhianna Stevens]

According to the defendant's interview, she had not been to his house for about 10 days.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Bob a Trops hadn't spoken to police about the case and since that final conversation with detectives in 1990. But in 2022, he agreed to talk to the cold case team.

[Rhianna Stevens]

It is October 19, 2022, here with Bob Akros.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Investigators asked Bob about those calls to friends and family that didn't appear on his phone Bill Back in 1988, you.

[Rhianna Stevens]

Made those phone calls from your house. Yes. Using your home phone with an MCI card? No. Yes. No.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Bob now said he had used an MCI calling card to make those missing long distance calls from home.

[Rhianna Stevens]

MCI card from Allied Building Products. That is not what you told investigators. You said, I made those calls from my home phone using my home long distance. But you dial Anna, you, you punch in the code and then you can complete a long distance.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Prosecutors say Bob didn't have that MCI calling card in 1988. And what's more, prosecutor Chris Lumen says this story doesn't make sense.

[Rhianna Stevens]

In 1988, to make a calling card, you had to input about a 16 digit calling card number and then another six or eight digit code. And if you're frantically looking for your wife, why take the time to do that and enter all those numbers?

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

In 2023, prosecutors brought the case to a grand jury who voted to indict.

[Rhianna Stevens]

I got a phone call on March 2nd of 2023 at 5 o' clock in the morning that my dad had just been arrested. I was just in shock.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Rhianna says Bob is a loving dad and doting grandfather to her three children. What was it like seeing your dad front page story?

[Rhianna Stevens]

It was awful to see the news making him out to be this terrible person that he just isn't. He didn't do this.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Cold Case detectives spoke to Bob Aatrox again after his arrest.

[Rhianna Stevens]

My opinion is you've told yourself a story for the last 34 years, and you've told yourself the story over and over and over again to the point that it's become the truth for you. It doesn't make it true, but it makes it easier for you to tell that story. I don't believe that, but. Okay, what part don't you believe? A story that I created. I guess you don't believe that you created a story. No. Okay. You just are not in a position to acknowledge that you played a role in her death. No, I did not.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Bob Aatrobs pleaded not guilty to Debbie's murder. Attorney April Yates argues it's more likely Debbie's killer was her boyfriend at the time, John Pearson, than Bob.

[Rhianna Stevens]

John Pearson not only had motive, he had opportunity. He knew where Debbie Aatrobs was going to be. He knew about her hair appointment, and also he knew an incredible amount of detail about her car.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

But prosecutors say Pierson had nothing to do with Debbie's murder. Back in 1988, he told police that about a week before the murder, Bob confronted Debbie because he was suspicious she was in a new relationship. Pierson said Debbie was afraid if Bob found out it was true, he would kill her. The prosecution planned to call Pierson as a witness in Bob Atrop's upcoming trial.

[Rhianna Stevens]

We wanted to have him testify because.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

We found him credible, but that would never happen. Pearson, who had been ill and had an outstanding warrant for a DUI in Oregon, stopped responding to detectives when authorities located him in Arizona. Five days before opening arguments were to begin. John Pearson killed himself. John Pearson fled the state.

[Rhianna Stevens]

He was on the run.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Attorney Janice Puracell was part of the defense team.

[Rhianna Stevens]

Police find him in a trailer in the desert in Arizona. When police surround that trailer, he in his life rather than coming back to Oregon to answer questions about Debbie Atrop's murder. Those are the facts. Prosecution can spin it all they want, but those are the facts. Well, the holidays have come and gone once again, but if you've forgotten to get that special someone in your life a gift. Well, Mint Mobile is extending their holiday offer of half off unlimited wireless. So here's the idea. You get it now. You call it an early present for next year. What do you have to lose? Give it a [e-mail] Switch limited time.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

50% off regular price for new customers.

[Rhianna Stevens]

Upfront payment required $45 for three months, $90 for six month or $180 for 12 month plan taxes and fees. Extra speeds may slow after 50 gigabytes per month when network is busy. See Terms what's up little psychos?

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

I'm Investigator Slater, host of the Psychopedia Podcast. Cyclopedia is a true crime podcast delivering raw, real and absolutely gripping episodes every single week. I dig deep to uncover fascinating details.

[Rhianna Stevens]

Of heinous true crime cases while exploring criminology and psychology theories.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

I take you into the absolute darkest.

[Rhianna Stevens]

Corners of the human psyche.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

My favorite territory and present cases like you've never heard them before.

[Rhianna Stevens]

Follow and listen to Psychopedia everywhere.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

You get your podcasts.

[Rhianna Stevens]

I'm trying to be strong for my dad.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

In spring 2025, Robert Ay Trop's murder trial began here at the Washington County Courthouse. Prosecutors worried the jury might get stuck on details they could not explain.

[Rhianna Stevens]

In a case where we need to prove it beyond a reasonable doubt, we're not going to be able to answer every single detail of what happened that night. Remember, the appointment was supposed to end around 7:15. By 9:40pm he's calling 911.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

At the trial, which allowed audio but not video recording of witnesses, attorney Alison Brown argues that Bob Aatrops intentionally misled the police, starting with those four calls he made to them the night Debbie was last seen alive.

[Rhianna Stevens]

He didn't tell the law enforcement officials that they were separated, that they lived separately, so he didn't actually give them the information that they would need to find her.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Bob didn't tell police Debbie lived in Salem until the next day. Even more incriminating, prosecutors say, is the fact that Bob Aatrobs did not call Debbie the night she went missing, or ever.

[Rhianna Stevens]

He never called her apartment. That would have been the first phone call, right? Someone hasn't showed up. You're expecting them, you call them. Not only was that not the first phone call, but he never made that phone call at all. When they asked about his route at.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Trial, prosecutors played Bob's interview with investigators in 2022, where he explained why he didn't ever make that call.

[Rhianna Stevens]

Did you ever call Debbie's place? Her house? No, I Didn't even consider that as an option.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

So let me rephrase and correct me if I'm right, you never considered calling the place she lives?

[Rhianna Stevens]

Not when she was supposed to be in our vicinity, no.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Prosecutors also want the jury to hear more about the troubles in Bob and Debbie's marriage. Debbie's friend Christy Knapp testified to an encounter with Bob at his house soon after Debbie moved out.

[Rhianna Stevens]

We went there to get some serving dishes. We walked into the entry, and he just started freaking out and screaming.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

He seemed really, really tall and really scary.

[Rhianna Stevens]

It was terrifying.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Another friend, Tammy Nelson, told police in 1988 Debbie had confided in her that Bob Aatrops had choked her in a violent confrontation shortly before she moved out. Tammy told the jury Debbie was still worried about Bob after their separation.

[Rhianna Stevens]

What did she say she was concerned about? Well, she was concerned that he'd kill her. I thought she was teasing to begin with. You know, she was being dramatic. And so I turned around and I.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Looked at her, and I saw that.

[Rhianna Stevens]

She was genuinely scared.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Tammy had also told police in 1988 that a few months before her murder, J. Debbie was worried about Bob finding out about her relationship with John Pearson. Tammy later told the Cold Case team, Debbie had said, if anything happens to me, Bob did it.

[Rhianna Stevens]

Debbie is predicting her own murder. She is telling friends and family, if he finds out about this, he will kill me. And she was right.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

But in their cross examinations, the defense suggests these stories Debbie told are not reliable. And they say Debbie had a history of making up false tales.

[Rhianna Stevens]

She had told different stories to different people, and these things were verifiably not true.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Some of Debbie's friends say she did tell questionable stories, often about her health. Darlene says she thought Debbie might have done it for attention.

[Rhianna Stevens]

One time she said that she went to work out, her stomach flipped or something, and she had to go get emergency help with it. It didn't seem real to me, and there's a very simple.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Attorney April Yates says there is a simple explanation for why Bob Aatrobs didn't call Debbie that night. He had spoken to her stepfather, Ed Holland.

[Rhianna Stevens]

Ed told Bob that he had been by Debbie's apartment and she wasn't home. There was no reason for Bob to call. And the next morning, Debbie's parents went to her apartment again, as did law enforcement. So there was no reason for Bob to call or go there. The fact that the state is trying to make something out of that, it's a red herring.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

During trial, the babysitter and Debbie's stepfather testified that Bob had called them the night Debbie went missing, which supports Bob's story. Attorney Stephanie Poland says the best explanation for why those so called missing calls weren't on his phone bill is that the billing equipment was faulty. We found the engineer and he testified that this equipment failed all the time. But the cold case team believes Bob made those calls while he was out of the house, getting rid of evidence to help him create a false alibi. And they say it was impossible to check every payphone in the area back in 1988.

[Rhianna Stevens]

What was significant is he's not where he said he was. He's not at home. Why would he lie about where he was at night?

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

While the state emphasized the link between the mud on Debbie's tire and the soil from Bob Atrop's front yard, the defense says that this soil is everywhere in the region and is as common as dirt.

[Rhianna Stevens]

The soil is everywhere. My yard, her yard, the DA's yard. It doesn't make us suspects in a murder.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Back in 1988, police didn't collect mud from Jeff Frank Freeberg's property or John Pearson's. They only took samples from where Debbie's car was found and from Bob Atrop's driveway and lawn. Then there is the matter of the DNA from Debbie's coat.

[Rhianna Stevens]

The DNA in this case doesn't tell the jury anything about who killed Debbie Atrops.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Attorney Yates points out that the amount of DNA on Debbie's coat that the lab had said could be consistent with Bob Atrops was minuscule. The equivalent of about six skin cells.

[Rhianna Stevens]

And this very low level of DNA is consistent with something called transfer DNA. People who have babies in shared custody transfer DNA all the time.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

So in your opinion, this DNA was not strong evidence?

[Rhianna Stevens]

This DNA was not only not strong evidence, it doesn't mean anything.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

The defense argues there is a much more important DNA result from Debbie's autopsy.

[Rhianna Stevens]

One of the very first items that the lab tested for DNA were vaginal.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Swabs taken from the autopsy. Attorney Janice Puracell specializes in evidence that can lead to wrongful convictions. She says the DNA from Debbie's autopsy does not point to Bob Atrops. The semen came from John Pearson, and the likelihood ratio is not 94.6 sextillion. It's an enormous number. And she points out Pierson's DNA at autopsy contradicts his statement to police from 2022.

[Rhianna Stevens]

John Pearson told law enforcement that he did not have sexual contact with Debbie aatrops in the 72 hours before she.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Was murdered and definitely not on the.

[Rhianna Stevens]

Day that she was murdered.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

But they found that semen two days later at the autopsy.

[Rhianna Stevens]

Everything is telling us that that was.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Most likely deposited on the day that she was murdered. And the defense reminds the jury John Pearson was avoiding the cold case team in the months leading up to his suicide. In its closing statement, the defense says the state just doesn't have enough to make its case against Bob Atrops. But prosecutors argue all of the pieces point in one direction to Bob Aatrobs.

[Rhianna Stevens]

Like you hear motive, means, an opportunity. He had it all.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Now, after two weeks of testimony, it is time for the jury to decide.

[Rhianna Stevens]

We didn't know if that would be enough or not. It's incredibly nerve wracking.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

What did you think before the jury left to go deliberate?

[Rhianna Stevens]

Did you feel confident? I didn't feel confident just because of the fear of the unknown. I don't feel like any evidence was actually given that proves my dad did this, because he didn't. There is no evidence that he did this.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

On April 17, 2025, the jury reached a decision. It was six hours that they were deliberating. We thought that that was a quick.

[Rhianna Stevens]

Verdict and that could be a good thing. My understanding, the jury has a verdict in this case. Is that correct? Correct. To the charge of murder in the second degree, the jury has found the defendant guilty.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Guilty. 37 years after her death, Robert Aatrobs was found guilty of murdering Debbie at.

[Rhianna Stevens]

It was like the room went dead silent and everything was still. In that moment, we all crumbled. We are grieving someone that is still alive. Were you able to say anything to your father in that moment right after? No, I hug him.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Nothing.

[Rhianna Stevens]

I haven't been able to hug my dad in over two years. We had so many family and friends of Bob behind us. It was really hard for them, especially to see this happen to their loved one.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

I could see it's hard for you too.

[Rhianna Stevens]

It is hard. It's hard to have an innocent client get convicted.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Prosecutors say they're glad that justice was served. This case took 37 years to finally be resolved. Are you satisfied that we know the truth about what happened to Debbie Aatrobs?

[Rhianna Stevens]

Yeah, absolutely. There's no other people, no other suspects, no one else with the motive. We feel absolutely 100% sure that he's the one who committed this crime.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Prosecutors are confident the investigation proved the other men in Debbie's life, including Jeff Freeberg, were not involved in her murder. Freeberg declined our request to comment on the case.

[Rhianna Stevens]

There just really Wasn't any information that pointed in the direction of Jeff Freeberg. He gave his DNA freely. There really just wasn't any motive, evidence, or anything else that caused him to be a significant suspect.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

And they say John Pearson's suicide was an unrelated tragedy.

[Rhianna Stevens]

He had an open criminal case. I believe he thought they were there to arrest him for this misdemeanor warrant and took his life. There was quite a bit of investigation that was done by our detective after he committed suicide to show it had nothing to do with a guilt for Debbie's murder.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

When 48 Hours reached out in 2025, Pierson's lawyer declined to comment on the case. Prosecutors say Pierson's family told them he had wanted to testify at Bob's trial.

[Rhianna Stevens]

I thought that it would be important for him to relay all the things he knew, including those statements that Debbie made back in 1988, that Bob's gonna kill me if he finds out about us.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

As for the defense's argument that Debbie had a history of making up stories, prosecutors say this is unfortunately consistent with life inside an abusive relationship.

[Rhianna Stevens]

When someone's going through a domestic violence situation, they are, in a way, living a lie.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Bob's side of the courtroom was full. Did that strike you as interesting?

[Rhianna Stevens]

It depends on the case. Yeah. I mean, I think he had a large support system, and it's not uncommon for people in a domestic abuse situation to kind of go unknown as a DV abuser. And I think Bob was good at that. I mean, he was a salesman.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

After all these years. Darlene Lufkin says she. She thinks the jury got it right.

[Rhianna Stevens]

I had my suspicions all along, you.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Believed that that was the right verdict.

[Rhianna Stevens]

I do. I just feel that the question's been answered now.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

At her father's sentencing in July 2025, Rhianna Stephens made an emotional appeal for leniency.

[Rhianna Stevens]

When I was eight months old, someone robbed me of getting to have a life with my mom there to support my every milestone. 36 years later, I'm being robbed of my father, the man that was there for all of those milestones. I need him and my wife.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Attorney Pollin read a letter from Bob Aatrob's current one wife, who has been married to him since 2011.

[Rhianna Stevens]

My husband has always been a devoted and loving father to his daughter.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Despite these appeals, the judge sentenced Robert Aatrobs to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years. When you lost your mom at a young age and you said, now you grieve your dad, who is still a How do you make sense of what's happening?

[Rhianna Stevens]

I can't make sense of what's happening. I just have to live through it and keep fighting. She truly loved Rihanna.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

What do you want people to know about your friend Debbie?

[Rhianna Stevens]

That she didn't deserve this. She was alive. That should still be here.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Do you think about your mother now?

[Rhianna Stevens]

What do you think about her? I wonder what life would have been like had I gotten to live my whole life. Grew up having my mom. Robert A. Trops will be eligible for parole in 2048. He will be 93 years old.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

It is my great honor to welcome you all to Starfleet Academy.

[Rhianna Stevens]

There's never been a better time to enroll in Star Trek.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

It's our job to prepare you for the unimaginable.

[Rhianna Stevens]

To the net cadet.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

In high pressure situations, positive reinforcement is crucial to one's success. You're doing a great job.

[Rhianna Stevens]

This is what we train for. These friends of mine, they all live for something bigger than themselves.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Starfleet Academy New series Now streaming on Paramount plus I'm like a lion.

[Rhianna Stevens]

You're the prey. I can sense it.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Wade Wilson killed two women.

[Rhianna Stevens]

Now streaming on Paramount plus I use my charm. Use my good looks. The gripping new documentary of how a murderer's killer charm.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

Women were absolutely enthralled with him.

[Rhianna Stevens]

He's got an army of wives. He's the ultimate bad boy. Became a social media frenzy.

[Narrator/Investigator Slater]

A rage overcomes me.

[Rhianna Stevens]

When I get that way, I become the devil. Handsome devil. Charming killer. Now streaming on Paramount plus.