Robin Abrams /// Part 1 /// 884

Summary

True Crime Garage: Robin Abrams /// Part 1 /// 884

Episode Date: November 12, 2025
Hosts: Nic and the Captain

---

Overview:

This episode dives into the 1990 disappearance of Robin Abrams, a former Will County, Illinois sheriff’s deputy. The case is tangled with allegations of sexual harassment, wrongful termination, abuse of power, and suspected foul play—potentially implicating members of the local law enforcement community. Nic and the Captain dissect Robin’s story, from her last known movements to the deep and painful feud with her married ex-lover and colleagues in the police department, and the inflammatory series of lawsuits and protection orders that preceded her disappearance.

---

Case Summary & Timeline

The Disappearance:

• October 4, 1990:

  • Robin Abrams, 28, last seen by her father Don Abrams on Goodenow Road near Beecher, IL (~4:00 PM). He saw Robin's car, a red Dodge Daytona hatchback, as they drove past one another.
  • Police would later establish Robin was seen at a Joliet gas station that afternoon (Jefferson & Larkin) (08:00).
  • That night around 10:00 PM, a resident in Harvey, IL witnesses a red tow truck drop off Robin’s car (08:00-09:17).
  • The resident calls police at 3:00 AM (Friday, October 5), reporting a possible break-in (04:33-07:36). Police find the car locked, with keys still in the ignition and a film-less camera inside.
  • No sign of Robin, no ID or bank cards located.
  • "Her car was her pride and joy, and she would never, ever have abandoned it." – Nic (07:41)

• October 7, 1990 (Sunday):

  • Don Abrams receives a call from a local woman: her father found a clutch near 151st & Wood Streets (Harvey), three blocks from where the car was left (09:31).
  • The purse is Robin's; checkbook inside, but ID and credit cards missing.

Family's Perspective:

• Robin had no ties to Harvey, believed both the car and purse were planted to mislead police (09:17-12:09).

Victim Background

• Robin Abrams: youngest daughter; high academic achiever, first in her working-class family to attend college (13:55).
• Dreamed of a career in law or law enforcement; became a Will County sheriff's deputy in January 1988.

Complications with Law Enforcement

• Fired from the department in December 1988 before completing probation, despite good evaluations.
• Robin filed a federal lawsuit late 1989 against Will County, citing wrongful termination, sexual harassment, and civil rights violations.
• Lawsuit named several male deputies—including ex-boyfriend Tony Marquez, an auxiliary police commander, and the sheriff himself.

"Not something that we're hearing typically when we cover these kinds of cases." – Nic (16:23)

---

Key Personalities, Lawsuits & Interpersonal Feuds

The Ex-Boyfriend: Tony Marquez

• 47 years old, married, Robin’s superior in the auxiliary police (18:28).
• Their relationship began after working together and ended around the time Robin was fired.
• Robin’s family claim she was unaware of Tony's marriage early on.

Alleged Harassment & Retaliation

• Post-breakup and firing, Robin alleges she was targeted by the department and Marquez with bogus criminal complaints, false arrests, and physical abuse (29:12-32:14).
• Multiple arrests; charges always dropped or left unfiled.
• “Robin’s mother, Barbara, later tells the South Town Star that, quote, ‘they...were bouncing her head off of the car.’” (31:05)

Protection Orders

• Despite a criminal charge (tire slashing) against Marquez being dropped, Robin and her mother received protection orders against him (47:10).

Ongoing Lawsuits & Counter-Claims

• Besides Robin's lawsuit against the department and Marquez, Tony Marquez responded with extensive harassment allegations against Robin (103 reported instances; all fell apart or were dropped).
• As Robin’s lawyer summarized: None of Marquez’s allegations held; Robin acquitted or claims dropped every time (39:00–39:55).
• Suggests a clear campaign of intimidation and legal harassment.

“All of these allegations by Tony Marquez...Whenever they reached the next level...the charges are always dropped or the person says there’s nothing here.” – Nic (39:00)

---

Systemic Issues, Police Involvement & Theories of Cover-Up

Were Police Complicit?

• Investigation transferred from the Will County Sheriff’s Department to Illinois State Police due to conflicts of interest (14:36-17:04).

• Hosts debate the motives—ethical necessity vs. political survival (33:17–35:59):

  "I'm not so quick to commend them for handing over the investigation...It may have been pointed and suggested to the sheriff that we can take this case from you at some point." – Nic (33:36)

Foul Play and Community Consensus

• Local media, family, and the hosts all accept that Robin’s disappearance is a case of murder, not simply a missing person.
• “It sounds like collectively, this area, these people that know this case agree that her disappearance is only because someone killed her.” – Nic (36:58)

---

Notable Quotes & Moments

• (07:41, Nic): “Her car was her pride and joy, and she would never, ever have abandoned it.”
• (09:17, Nic): "There was some kind of name or company name or logo on the side of the tow truck...could not give a great description...that could have been an incredible lead..."
• (12:16, Captain): “If you’re law enforcement, you don’t want the family to get too involved at first, because at this point, everybody’s a suspect.”
• (31:05, Nic): “Robin’s mother, Barbara, later tells the South Town Star that, quote, ‘they...were bouncing her head off of the car.’”
• (36:58, Nic): “It sounds like collectively, this area, people that know this case, agree that her disappearance is only because someone killed her.”
• (48:52, Captain): "And whoever that order of protection was against, that’s your number one suspect."
• (46:00, Nic): "Any police officer, any good police officer would tell you that they don’t want to work with these kinds of, of ass hats."

---

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Episode Opening/Main Theme Introduction | 02:56
• Case Timeline—Don Abrams last sees Robin | 04:33
• Discovery of Robin’s car & purse | 07:36–09:31
• Victim background and law enforcement career | 13:55–16:23
• Robin’s firing and lawsuit details | 16:23–17:04
• Relationship origins with Tony Marquez | 18:28–20:47
• Alleged harassment and retaliation details, strip searches | 29:12–32:14
• Family awarded protection orders | 47:10
• Call for tips & known case details | 48:57

---

Conclusion:

Part 1 of the Robin Abrams case establishes a chilling framework: a young woman in a male-dominated law enforcement world, subjected to escalating harassment, physical intimidation, and institutional obstruction after daring to challenge her ex-boyfriend and the system. The hosts lay out the key facts and timelines, the web of legal disputes, and begin to expose the climate of fear and retaliation that surrounded Robin before her disappearance. With the state police handling the case and deep suspicion focused on her ex-lover and former colleagues, this case remains an open wound—one the local community sees as clear murder, still unsolved.

Look forward to Part 2 for further developments, theories, and investigation into potential suspects and departmental failures.

---

If you have any information about Robin Abrams or her disappearance, contact the Illinois State Police: 815-726-6291 or submit a tip at isp.crimetipsillinois.gov.

---

“Until then, be good, be kind and don’t litter.” – Nic (50:42)

Transcript

[Nick]

Coming at you live from Autotrader. Here's new Car Energy.

[Captain]

They're searching inventory.

[Nick]

You can make a budget for your wallet. It's smarter car shopping. Just find your next [e-mail] powered by Auto Intelligence. Hey neighbor. Celebrate the holidays with Birch Lane. Our timeless furniture and decor are delivered for free in days, not weeks. It's classic style for joyful living. Shop Birch Lane, a Wayfair specialty [e-mail].

[Captain]

SA.

[Nick]

Foreign welcome to True Crime Garage wherever you are, whatever you are doing. Thanks for listening. I'm your host, Nick and with me as always is a man who believes that Billy Milligan's haircut had a personality of its own. Here is the captain.

[Captain]

It's good to be seen and good to see you. Thanks for listening. Thanks for telling a friend.

[Nick]

This week we are very happy to be featuring dish liquors by the hard working brewers and staff down at Tactical Brewing company. Dish Liquors is a triple New England IPA dry hopped using three hop varieties. Now I can't remember if we have featured this one before but I know for certain that we have featured several beers from Tactical as they are one of the very best in the business. Garage grade four and a half bottle caps out of five. Now let's give some thanks and praise to some of the very best in the garage. First up we have Bob Pabst from Seabus to Humboldt. Cheers me.

[Captain]

And a big we like your jib goes out to Carrie from Los Angeles.

[Nick]

Next up, here's a cheers to Ellen in Statesville, North Carolina and a big.

[Captain]

Tall cans in there to Cyrus from Linwood, Washington.

[Nick]

And last but certainly not least we have another from the great state of North Carolina. It's Brittan Neff and Holly Ridge who says love you guys. Well thank you Britney. We love all of you too, especially the folks that we just mentioned as they put a little beer in the old garage fridge. And for that we thank you.

[Captain]

Yeah, BWR you in beer run. Check out truecrimegarage.com for recommendations. Check out the store page, check out the blog and while you're there, sign up on the mailing list and colonel, that's enough of the business.

[Nick]

All right everybody gather round, grab a chair, grab a beer. Let's talk some true crime. This week's true crime story has it all. It starts with a missing young woman, then her connection to a married older lover which leads to protection orders, lawsuits, rage and vengeance, kidnapping and murder and a cover up or perhaps cover ups. Pointed references to Fatal Attraction punctuate this story, the difference is that was a movie. Today's story is real life and both the missing woman and the accused are police officers. This week we examine the mystery surrounding the question of where is former Will County, Illinois deputy Robin Abrams. This is true crime garage.

[Captain]

Foreign.

[Nick]

1990. Don Abrams is driving on Goodenow Road. This is in Washington Township near the city of Beecher, which is located in eastern Will County, Illinois. The time was just about 4pm in the afternoon. Don was heading home from work when he spotted a familiar and welcoming sight, his daughter's vehicle traveling in the opposite direction. His daughter's car is a red Dodge Daytona hatchback and it was heading out of the subdivision where the Abrams family lived. Don was very proud of his daughter. She was smart and hard working and stayed close with her folks. Don Abrams daughter is Robin Abrams, and on this day in 1990, she is 28 years old. She is living at home currently while she builds out her life. The two smiled and waved to each other as they passed on the roadway. Sadly, this would be the very last time that Don would see his daughter Robin. Robin didn't come home that evening, but her father didn't fret about it. She was, after all, a grown woman. He told the South Town Star that she was going out for the night. Everybody asked, did she say where she was going? His answer, she didn't have to tell us where she was going. But at 3am Don was contacted by police. This is in the nearby town of Harvey, Illinois, and they are calling to tell him that the car that Robin was driving, Robin's car, had been found. Robin's 1989 red Dodge Daytona hatchback was found abandoned near the intersection of 152nd street and Winchester Avenue. Harvey police were alerted to the car when a town resident called in during the early morning hours of Friday and reported that someone was trying to break into this car. Officers responded and interviewed the caller. The caller said that the car had been in that spot, parked in that spot since it was dropped off around 10pm this was Thursday night, and the caller said that it was dropped off by a red tow truck that was being operated by two unidentified men. The car was locked, but police opened it up and found the keys were still inside the car. In fact, they were in the ignition. Police also noted that a camera was found in the vehicle as well. And I've seen some reports here, Captain, that they checked that camera later to see if maybe photographs that might have been taken with that camera could provide any kind of clues, leads in this case. But the film. There was no film in this camera when it was recovered from the abandoned vehicle.

[Captain]

Were they able to find any ID or bank cards?

[Nick]

No. So this car was registered to Robin Renee Abrams, but there was no sign of her. Police called the phone number associated with the vehicle. Robin's father was the one who picked up the phone at the Abrams household. He knew then and there that something terrible likely had happened to his daughter. Don Abrams reported Robin missing as of that very moment. Robin's sisters Donna and Jody said she did not typically stay out all night, and her car was her pride and joy, and she would never, ever have abandoned it. I've seen some. A couple sources that say two items of interest regarding the placement or the location of where Robin's car was found. One, Harvey at the time, might not have been the greatest of areas back then. And with her car being her prized possession, she would not have left it there. Two, her family says Robin had no ties to Harvey. In fact, they believe strongly that it's very likely that she had never, ever been there before. Plus, of course, we have the eyewitness who says the vehicle was dropped off by a tow truck with two dudes operating the truck. One item of note here on the tow truck, Captain, was I found this quite interesting. The. The caller said that there was some kind of name or company name or logo on the side of the tow truck, as we are used to seeing.

[Captain]

Right.

[Nick]

However, they could not give a great description of it, couldn't remember the name that was on the side of this truck, which. That could have been an incredible lead for police in this case.

[Captain]

So law enforcement wasn't able to talk to either one of these drivers.

[Nick]

Correct. These men are unidentified, and then obviously.

[Captain]

They never came forward.

[Nick]

As far as Robin's movements that evening after her father, Don, saw her, passed her on the roadway. We did find some local media reports that police were able to place Robin at a Joliet gas station near the corner of Jefferson street and Larkin Avenue on the afternoon of the 4th. So she was purchasing gas at this gas station, and this would be after 4pm Then, as our friend Robin Gardner would say, the trail went cold. Then go to Sunday. Okay, so remember here, Captain, we got Thursday. Robin is last seen by her father. Then she's getting gas, per the police information, then vanishes. Her car is delivered via two strange men in a tow truck at 10pm on that Thursday, and then Friday at 3am cops call about the abandoned vehicle, and she is reported missing. So we are now two days later from that marker and we are at Sunday on our timeline. And this is when Don says that he received a phone call from a woman who said that her dad had been out for a walk earlier that day and found a woman's purse on the ground. This is near the corner of 151st and Wood Streets. This was about three blocks from where the car had been dropped off in Harvey. The beige clutch that was found by this man was, in fact, Robin's. Her checkbook was located still inside of the clutch purse, although her wallet and credit cards were missing and her identification was missing as well. Dawn later said that he caught hell from the police because he went and recovered the purse from this man and from this woman who had called him. All of this was very, very odd. Of course. Dodd Abrams told the Chicago Tribune that Robin had no connection to the town of Harvey and had never been there. He believed that the car and the purse were, in fact, planted in those locations on purpose, possibly to throw police off of the trail of the person or persons who were responsible for Robin's disappearance.

[Captain]

Well, if you're law enforcement, you don't want the family to get too involved at first, because at this point, everybody's a suspect.

[Nick]

So as Don believed this was an abduction and then a cover up, someone trying to throw the cops off, someone creating a false narrative that would generate incorrect theories. So what? Why would Don come up with this? What is Don talking about? Why would someone take Robin, and why would someone try to cover it up? Well, hold on, folks, and I hope you brought your raincoats, because there's going to be some.

[Captain]

Yep.

[Nick]

But before we get knee deep in some poop soup, let's learn some more about the victim here in this case. Robin Abrams was the fourth and youngest daughter of Barbara and Don Abrams. She grew up in Orland park and then Beecher in a working class family. Her father was a police officer for 10 years, and then he became a bricklayer. Robin graduated from Sandberg High School and received an associate's degree from Moraine Valley Community College. She then received a bachelor's degree from Governor State University. She was the first in her family to go to college, and her sister said she aspired to become a lawyer. Robin put herself through school by working at several fast food restaurants, including a McDonald's where she worked her way up to manager. This was the branch in Frankfurt. Now, it's unknown where Robin was headed on that afternoon when she left the house. And she's spotted by her her father driving out of the subdivision. When Robin vanished, she Was wearing a white long sleeve shirt, black slacks, black patent leather shoes and a black leather jacket. And she also had on a gold pinky ring as well. On Monday, the Will county sheriff, his name is John Johnson, issued a press release stating that he was turning the case over to the Illinois State Police. He had to recuse his agency, the Will County Sheriff's Department, because some deputies were being questioned about the situation about the disappearance. Lt. Larry Broke of the Illinois State Police later said that the case was handed over to ISP because they weren't sure if there was a connection with some people at the Will County Sheriff's office. End quote. This is not something that we're hearing typically when we cover these kinds of cases. So what is this all about? Well, quickly and easily explained. Robin was at one time a sheriff's deputy in Will County. This was from January 11, 1988 until she was fired in December of that same year. So she's given her pink slip just three weeks before the expiration of her one year probationary period as a new deputy. Even though she had graduated in the top half of her class from the Illinois Local Government law enforcement officers 400 hour basic training course. So her dream of being in law enforcement shattered. She had to return to working as a manager at the local McDonald's. Despite Robin's academic performance at the police academy and notoriously strong work ethic, Sheriff Johnson claimed that Robin was not unique. Quote, many people were let go before the conclusion of their year long probationary period. People who weren't cutting it as deputies in training. But it sounds to me, captain, like a lot of people were just not buying that story. But regardless if you are buying, believing or otherwise, this story is much, much bigger, I promise you. Because In December of 1989, before she vanished, Robin filed a civil lawsuit in federal court in Chicago for wrongful termination, sexual harassment and violations of her civil rights. The defendants of this lawsuit, well, some were male members of the Will County Sheriff's department. So makes sense that the Will County Sheriff's Department should not be the investigating agency in the disappearance of this young woman. And it looks like Robin wasn't just the typical woman in a male dominated workplace who was subjected to crude remarks, gestures and so on.

[Captain]

Right?

[Nick]

According to her lawsuit, it went far deeper than that. She had dated a fellow deputy from May to October of 1988. Her lawsuit alleged that she was harassed by Will county and Joliet officers because of this romantic involvement with a co worker. It sounds like she believed that the harassment and the violation of her rights came about because she refused to keep quiet about this relationship. She was to keep quiet about this relationship for a couple reasons. One, this man was married. Two, it's a co worker. And that's often not only frowned upon but also can be grounds for dismissal with many outfits. So for five months from May to October 1988, Robin had been seeing the head of the Will County Sheriff's Auxiliary Police. This man was 47 year old Anthony Marquez, who went by the name of Tony. He was one, of course, very closely affiliated with the Sheriff's Department. Two 18 years Robin Senior and three, a married man.

[Captain]

Yeah. So do we know how their relationship started?

[Nick]

I believe that their relationship didn't start until they started working together. But he, from my understanding, frequented the McDonald's where Robin was once a manager and then later again a manager after her time with the sheriff's department. And it sounds like he, through chit chatting with her there at the McDonald's, he sorted out that she was seeking a career as an attorney or in law enforcement and encouraged her to sign up as an auxiliary deputy for the sheriff's department. So I don't want to get into this whole mess too much because I don't have a great understanding of how this department works and every department can be different and oftentimes is, but a lot of times you can be an auxiliary officer and in many locations that's not a paid position. It's. It's similar to being a volunteer firefighter who aspires to get on with the force. Right. At some point. And it gives you a leg up on the competition when you, when you are interviewing for an opening or want to be a part of that job and make it a career and collect a salary. Robin's sisters would later say that their younger sibling was naive, that Robin was naive and, and they believe that early in that relationship that she probably didn't realize that Tony was a married man. And they believe that she would not have dated him had she known that at the time Tony Marquez met Robin, as we said, she was still student at the time managing the Frankfurt McDonald's and it was he who encouraged her to become a law enforcement officer. This is per Robin's family. And as we know, Tony Marquez and Robin split up right before Robin was fired. And this again from Robin's family, from the Abrams family. Her lawsuit claimed that Tony Marquez got her fired because of her refusal to keep the relationship under wraps.

[Captain]

Right.

[Nick]

And after that they broke up a. Or sorry after they broke up a campaign of Harassment against Robin Abrams began. And when we say campaign, it looks like, look, she's not just suing Tony Marquez. She's suing several individuals, some of them who worked for the sheriff's department. Whether true or not, Robin certainly believed if she's bringing civil action against these guys and the sheriff's department, that several people were in cahoots and working together against her to harass her and bully her.

[Captain]

Well, this case becomes very complicated. And some people will say, well, this is a complete cover up and conspiracy by the whole department. I would say nay, because they did turn over the investigation, the missing person case, they turned that over. If they wanted to control the situation, the narrative, the evidence, you wouldn't want to turn this case over.

[Nick]

In regard to the lawsuit, again, I can't stress this enough. The. The complaint here is that the harassment went far beyond vulgar jokes and obscene gestures, that this was directed harassment that deeply impacted Robin's life.

[Captain]

Yeah, if I'm law enforcement and I'm looking into this, I would want to interview Tony's wife to find out what information she was privy to. Because it's very possible that Robin finds out that Tony's married. She possibly threatens to go to his wife, and if his wife has no knowledge of this, well, let's just harass her to get rid of her. So then I could possibly get away with this affair.

[Nick]

And you're absolutely right here, Captain, because if her disappearance is because of foul play or someone has abducted her or killed her, well, then obviously this relationship and the lawsuit opens the doors to many, many possible suspects. This message is sponsored by Greenlight. In every true crime case, money lurks in the background, whether it's the motive, the breaking point, or the COVID up. That's why giving kids the tools to understand money isn't just smart, its protection. With green Light, you can keep your family's financial future from turning into another cautionary tale. Greenlight is a debit card and a money app for families. Think of it as the ultimate safety net, teaching kids and teens about money before bad habits or costly mistakes can take hold. Parents can send money quickly, track every purchase with real time notifications, and assign chores for allowance so your home stays orderly instead of feeling like a crime scene. I love green light. Green light is great for families. Can you put a price on the value of teaching your kids to be financially smart and responsible? Maybe not, but you most certainly can put a price on what it's going to cost them if you don't. Greenlight is a wonderful tool to Teach your kids to teach your teens about being financially smart and responsible. Start your risk free Greenlight trial [e-mail] garage that's greenlight.com garage to get started greenlight.com garage Most holiday gifts end up in a drawer. Not this one. Mint Mobile is offering unlimited Premium Wireless for $15 a month. That's their best deal of the year, aka the only holiday gift you'll actually use every day. I love Mint Mobile. Why? It's simple. I hate paying more for things than necessary and I love getting great wireless service for less. Sometimes you have to lead a horse to water. Teach your friends and family how they can save money with Mint Mobile and get great wireless service. Don't get them socks, get them Premium Wireless for 15amonth. Shop Mint Mobile Unlimited [e-mail] TCG that's mintmobile.com TCG Unlimited time offer upfront payment of 45 for three months, $90 for six months or $180 for 12 months. Months plan required $15 per month equivalent taxes and fees Extra initial plan term Only greater than 35 gigabytes may slow when network is busy. Capable device required Availability, speed and coverage varies. See Mint mobile.com as the weather cools down, pets get just as excited as the rest of the family. Which means you need toys that last, treats they love, and all the essentials to keep them happy and healthy. Chewy always comes through with fast delivery, great deals and everything in one place. Food, treats, toys, even supplies for horses, farm animals, birds, fish, reptiles and other small pets. Chewy has it all, and it all shows up at your door in a day or two. I love Chewy. I've been a customer of Chewy since before True Crime Garage even started. That's because I have dogs that have specific needs and a specific diet, and sometimes that means that food is hard to find. Chewy has the selection that I need. They have the stuff that my dogs require, and I don't have to drive a million miles away to go and get the stuff that my dogs love in need. I just get it from chewy.com and it's so convenient it shows up right at my door. It could not be easier this season. Keep your pets happy, healthy and part of every celebration. Find everything you need at Chewy. Go to chupanions chewy.com tcgnic to get $20 off your first order. That's chupanions.chewy.com tcgnic to Get $20 off your first order chupanions.chewy dot com tcgnic cold mornings holiday plans. This is when you just want your wardrobe to be simple. Stuff that looks sharp, feels good and things you'll actually wear. That's where Quint's comes in. And the bonus quince pieces make great gifts too. This season's lineup is simple but smart and Easy with quints $50 Mongolian cashmere sweaters that feel like an everyday luxury and wool coats that are equal parts stylish and durable. I just recently purchased and received via their fast and friendly delivery from Quint. No hassles. The cotton pique knit overshirt. I absolutely love this piece. This item has become my favorite from the wardrobe. In fact, I should have picked up two. I'm actually hoping for cooler nights so I can shoulder this bad boy. Looks like it comes in three colors. I'll go to quince.com and pick up two more. Give and get timeless holiday staples that last this season with quints. Go to quince.comgarage for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. Now available in Canada too. That's Q-U-I-N c e.com garage free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.comgarage.

[Captain]

All right, we are back Talk. Hands in the air. Cheers to you, colonel.

[Nick]

Cheers to you, Captain. Cheers to all the great folks out there in listener land. According to Robin's legal filings, she says that she was arrested on December 16, 1988 by sheriff's deputies, that she was detained without any charges being filed. She was outside of a dry cleaner when she was arrested and she alleges three that Tony Marquez engineered orchestrated this arrest. She was arrested again in May of 1989 for disorderly conduct.

[Captain]

Right.

[Nick]

This was a criminal complaint that was never followed up on by prosecutors. So that is suggestive that it had no merit. Then on August 27, 1989, Robin was pulled over by a deputy and told that she had a warrant out for her arrest for reckless driving. Apparently, Tony Marquez had filed a complaint against her for supposedly trying to run his car off of the road. The deputy was driving an unmarked white minivan, pulled Robin from the car. Right? She's pulled over under the premise of we have a warrant for your arrest for reckless driving.

[Captain]

Right.

[Nick]

And that deputy that that pulls her over, he is in an unmarked white minivan at the time, pulls Robin from the vehicle, takes her to jail, takes her to the jail. She's strip searched, booked and printed. Gives her a jumpsuit, throws her into a cell with 10 other prisoners and later so Robin's mother is in the vehicle during this whole arrest incident.

[Captain]

Right.

[Nick]

Robin's mother, Barbara later tells the South Town Star that, quote, they, meaning law enforcement, they were bouncing her head off of the car, end quote.

[Captain]

I mean, this story seems so ridiculous.

[Nick]

It. Yes, it seems ridiculous, but it also seems very something out of a movie where you have. And forget that it's law enforcement. Right, right. Because if you're listening to the show for the first time, we're not a show that. That searches out these types of cases to bash law enforcement. We're not the kind of show that looks for misconduct or claims of misconduct so we can smear the sheriff's department or a police outfit. We're the kind of show that tells you. We look at. We research the case, take a hard look at it, and we kind of just call it like we see it. And we've said it a thousand times on this show. There are great men and women that work in law enforcement, and there's also some shitty men and women that work in law enforcement.

[Captain]

Absolutely.

[Nick]

And like I said, just like any career on this planet, there's good and there's bad here. A lot of this is allegations. A lot of this is unproven. However, this is the facts of the case. Right.

[Captain]

Well, I believe Robin's mother.

[Nick]

Yes. We have no reason not to.

[Captain]

I just want to be clear what I was saying. I think that's good by law enforcement to say we shouldn't be handling this missing person case because we. We had lawsuits filed against us, we had complaints, and she, meaning Robin, had a relationship with people within the department. And so that's great on law enforcement because then somebody else can look at this. And sometimes you need the good cops to investigate the bad cops, but that doesn't mean that there wasn't some kind of conspiracy by a few members in this department that were trying to help out their douchebag friend Tony.

[Nick]

Yeah, and usually I'm pretty quick to rush to defend members of law enforcement. I'm not so quick to commend them for handing over the investigation on this case because I don't know what conversations were had behind closed doors.

[Captain]

Right.

[Nick]

It. It may have been pointed and suggested to the sheriff that we can take this case from you at some point because this does cr. This case does span more than one jurisdiction. And then on top of that, you have to keep in mind the. The sheriff himself is an elected official and it might not look so good to the public who you are asking to vote for you next time around. That you are named in a lawsuit and the person who is disappeared that filed that lawsuit, you're investigating her case and making no headway on it. So I don't know. I kind of sit on the fence on this one regarding the sheriff and his decision, but I think, I think you're right. I think it's. I think it's interesting to explore that idea. I think it's hard to say that there was somebody that was definitely in the right and somebody that was definitely in the wrong regarding this without knowing more information about these individuals and what conversations were had. So one thing that seems obvious to me though with this lawsuit here, Captain, is when you have somebody being arrested multiple times and then there's no charges filed against them, that to me is a strong indicator of misconduct, a strong indicator of harassment, strong indicator of bullying.

[Captain]

Especially when you have individuals slamming Robin into cars and then also strip searching her. You can make an argument that it's not just harassment, but it's physical abuse and sexual abuse as well.

[Nick]

And yes, and in physical and sexual humiliation as well. To be strip searched for what is probably not a legit warrant at all. That aggravates me to no end. Now, Robin's family, of course, paid her $500 bail right at the earliest possible date. This would be the next day. Her sister Donna told this star, quote, she had bruises on her forehead and a purple, A big purple bruise on her wrist from the handcuffs. There was no evidence of reckless driving and Robin was acquitted. That's when she filed her lawsuit. Robin claimed that she had performed well on the job and that she was fired for, quote, no good reason, per her court documents. The Joliet Patch newspaper summed up the situation as such. At the time of her murder, Abrams had a pending federal civil rights lawsuit that accused several people at the Will County Sheriff's office of sexual harassment and for being. And for bringing phony criminal charges against her as a way to humiliate her and get her fired, end quote. Interesting there that the newspaper, the local newspaper. Right, Captain, chose to use the word murder when we are simply talking about a missing person case here. It sounds like collectively, this area, this people that know this case agree that her disappearance is only because someone killed her.

[Captain]

I want to put Robin's case into the missing person file. I'd put this into a. A murder investigation.

[Nick]

Yeah. Strong, strong suspicion of foul play here is absolutely why she is missing. So the lawsuit sought $50,000 in compensation and $500,000 in punitive damages for this harassment. I.

[Captain]

A Lot of money at the time.

[Nick]

A lot of money at the time. But frankly, I think it's a little lenient for considering that you were arrested, your head is bounced off of a car and your strip searched. You're arrested multiple times, pulled over. I mean, this is why she. So she. When the harassment began, Captain, she moved back in with her parents. She was afraid. I. I just wish, you know, you. We have this half a dozen times in every case that we look at, but you wish you could just go back and grab her and go, get the hell out of there. Get out of this county. Get away from these people. So I think it's a little light. The. The first of the seven defendants that was named in this lawsuit, of course, was the man she dated, Tony Marquez. Several others were Will County Sheriff's deputies. One was a former Will County Sheriff, and one was the sheriff himself, John Johnson, who handed over the case to ISP to the state police. According to the Joliet Patch, quote, other deputies named in the lawsuit included Marquez, Robert Brown, Charles Masika, Thomas, Carey Lawrence, Loafer Raymond Van Dyke, and Anthony Lucenti. Robin's suit was still pending in the US District Court in Chicago when she went missing. The first hearing with the US District Court in Chicago scheduled for 18 days after she vanished. So she would have testified in a deposition then, right?

[Captain]

There's your motive.

[Nick]

Apparently, though, Robin wasn't the only one who had filed a lawsuit. So in 1989, Tony Marquez, in retaliation, files a complaint, sorry, complaint after complaint against Robin for harassing him. He cited 103 incidents of harassment. According to Robin's family, Tony Marquez claimed Robin had followed him around, hidden in the building where the insurance agency he owned was based out of, so that she could spy on him. He also said that she crashed her car into his and harassed him via telephone. Tony Marquez also charged her with assault for an incident in January of 1990 when he. He says she, quote, raised her hand to me in a threatening manner. End quote. According to Robin's lawyer in the case, his name is Winston Block. None of these allegations were true. As we said, Robin was acquitted on the reckless driving situation and also later on the. These harassment charges. And the state's attorney wisely dropped that assault charge. All I want to point out here is right or wrong or otherwise, all of these allegations by Tony Marquez. Anytime they reached the next level, right? The next step just above Tony's head, right. The charges are always dropped or the person says, there's nothing here. So you don't have to take our Word for it. Just, I mean look at the, the evidence and look at the court documents.

[Captain]

A lot of this would become he said, she said.

[Nick]

All of the other harassment claims were not followed up on. A quote from the South Town Star. Information came out in the trial indicating that the man who initiated the charges against Robin Abrams allegedly had beat Robin about the face. On October 6, 1988, Robin said Tony Marquez hit her and that is why she ended the, the relationship. So according to her, she's the one that ended the relationship after it became abusive.

[Captain]

Yeah, but that also kind of coincides with she didn't know he was married. So is, was that confrontation, was that assault, did that take place when she confronted Tony about him being married? I, I don't think we're 100% clear on that information.

[Nick]

Yeah, we don't have a clear understanding of that. And the other thing too that we, we should keep in mind, how many of these stories do we hear where it's the male individual or the female individual, whoever's running around on their spouse and, and sparks up this new relationship with someone? It's the age old story of oh yeah, I'm married, but I'm. We're in the process of splitting up. We haven't been together for quite some time. We're separated, we're separated, we're. The divorce is going to happen. You hear that all the time. So while we don't know the particulars of their relationship early on, that's, that's where my mind goes. And a lot of these, a lot of these stories, when we hear persons close to one or both individuals saying we're pretty sure that he or she didn't know that the other person was, was married or didn't fully have a full understanding of their current relationship and their relationship with their, their spouse or marital spouse.

[Captain]

Well, a lot of these claims I think by Tony is also we don't know because I haven't been able to find this anywhere. What was his wife saying? What was she privy to know? And is it possible that Tony was making these claims against Robin to then go back to his wife and go, you can't believe anything she said. We didn't have a relationship. This lady is just crazy.

[Nick]

From my understanding, Tony and his wife stay together. I don't know for how long, but I believe for, for the extent of, of most of our story here. So a little more information onto what was going on and what Robin was experiencing. Her. The tires to her vehicle were slashed on several occasions. This was outside of her Apartment. And this, that fear of living alone in the apartment, her tires being slashed repeatedly, that led her at the age of 28, to move back in with her parents for her own safety.

[Captain]

Right. Which is sad.

[Nick]

Yeah. Her sister Jody told the South Town Star she moved back in for her own safety. Her tires were slashed four times at that apartment. And as we know, that's when Robin filed her own lawsuit. Much like Tom Petty said, she was determined not to back down. Robin was going to stand up for herself and not cower to Tony Marquez's bullying. The South Town Star reported a charge of criminal damage to property against Tony Marquez was dismissed in April of 1989. Prosecutors said they did not believe that they enough evidence to obtain a conviction.

[Captain]

Yeah, but see, when you're an evil bastard and you have other evil bastards that are going to help you out, you can be at the police department talking to your boss while your, your goon buddies are out slashing your ex girlfriend's tires. And what's sad is yes, there was money involved in this civil suit, but I think Robin was doing this because she knew I have to do something to protect myself. I have to do something that gets all this stuff on the record. And I'm assuming because she worked with these individuals that, that she thought, okay, well, some of them will side with Tony and some might even help him harass me and bully me. But what, what we normally see in police departments, the reason why it's hard to have a whole department covering something up is yes, there's douchebag cops, but there's good cops. And those good cops aren't going to always turn a blind eye or help cover something up for the douchebag cops.

[Nick]

Well, and the other thing too, forget about the reason why the money is part of the lawsuit is not because she's looking for a handout. It's because there needs to be some type of penalty, some type of punishment for this of behavior. And if she's, if she's able to prove that this kind of behavior was, was going on and that these individuals were the ones responsible for these actions and for behaving this way, then they. Look, they don't deserve to be police officers.

[Captain]

Right.

[Nick]

Any police officer, any good police officer would tell you that they don't want to work with these kinds of, of ass hats. And so what would happen here especially, I don't know who would have to pay this out. I'm getting the defendants would. But if many of those defendants are working for the Wilk County Sheriff's Department. One of them is the sheriff himself. It stands to reason that the sheriff's department might be the one paying out the $500,000. And believe you me, if police department or sheriff's department has to pay out $500,000, they're going to fire everybody that was named in that lawsuit. Right, that and, and, and that is the. That is set aside that Robin's missing here. I'm talking about as of the filing of this lawsuit, those individuals not being allowed to be a police officer makes all the sense in the world to me.

[Captain]

And that's my speculation on why the sheriff would hand over this case anyways. I think he knew there was a lot of Tom going around and. But if I turn over this case, maybe that saves myself.

[Nick]

I think this next bit of information is one of the key details in the story here because while we just said that the charge, a charge of criminal damage to property against Tony Marquez was dismissed in April of 1989, remember this is for the tire slashing. They didn't have enough evidence to convince anyone that he was directly responsible for that damage. So those charges are dismissed. That's if you're keeping score at home. That's one in the Tony column. But the result of this criminal charge, regardless of it being dismissed, they determined that there was in fact enough evidence for an order of protection. So Robin petitioned for this, stating in her petition that Tony Marquez falsely accused her of crashing her vehicle into his vehicle, as well as calling him and following him. Abrams and her mother were afraid of Tony Marquez and claimed that he carried a gun and abused his position as an auxiliary officer. The petition says Robin and her mother were both awarded. Both Robin and her mother awarded orders of protection against Tony Marquez on November 1, 1989, and Robin's was extended for a year until November 27th of 1990. Now, clearly this order of protection was not a deterrent because someone disappeared Robin while the order was still in place. Right.

[Captain]

And whoever that order of protection was against, that's your number one suspect.

[Nick]

Robin Renee Abrams has been missing from Beecher, Illinois since October 4, 1990. Robin was born August 13, 1962. She was just 28 years old when she vanished. Make no mistake about it, this is a foul play case. Robin was a former sheriff's deputy with Will county at the time of her disappearance. Robin was 5 foot 44 inches tall. She is a Caucasian female with brown hair and hazel eyes. There is a Facebook page dedicated to Robin's case. It's help find Robin Abrams Facebook page and her case is also profiled on the Charlie Project. At the time of her disappearance, it's believed that she was wearing a white long sleeve knit pullover, a black leather jacket, black slacks, black patent leather shoes and and a gold pinky ring carrying a light beige pattern clutch purse. Remember, Robin's purse and checkbook were recovered, but her driver's license was not. Anyone with information including the known whereabouts of the previously mentioned items, please call the Illinois State Police at 815-726-6291 or submit a tip and at isp.crimetipsillinois.gov stick.

[Captain]

Around for part two. So much more to get to.

[Nick]

Until then, be good, be kind and don't litter. Behold the Colonel's giant KFC Chicken Sandwich. A towering extra crispy monument.

[Captain]

The flavor?

[Nick]

Such a huge amount of juicy hand breaded KFC chicken at a pretty tiny 3.99 price for the Colonel's KFC chicken sandwich. I mean $3.99 isn't even worthy of the same epic soundtrack as the KFC Chicken sandwich for only $3.99. The Colonel lived so we could Chicken.

[Captain]

Prices and participation vary while supplies last. Taxes, tips and fees, extra.