True Crime Garage – Robin Abrams /// Part 2 /// 885

Release Date: November 12, 2025
Hosts: Nic & the Captain

Episode Overview

This episode continues the deep dive into the disappearance of Robin Abrams, a former Will County sheriff’s deputy from Beecher, Illinois, who vanished in 1990 amid open conflict with her ex-boyfriend — a connected auxiliary police officer, Tony Marquez. The hosts examine the investigative missteps, tangled relationships, court battles, and persisting family grief that have shrouded the case in mystery, suspicion, and apparent injustice.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Aftermath of Robin’s Disappearance and Dismissal of Her Lawsuit

• [03:14] Following Robin's disappearance, her wrongful termination lawsuit against the sheriff's department was dismissed — a situation the hosts label “fishy as hell.”
  • Jody Walsh (Robin’s sister), quoted:
    “Marquez was an auxiliary officer at the time, but he was best friends with Will County Sheriff John Johnson, who was also my sister's boss and he was running for reelection and she had a lawsuit against them at the time.”
• Investigation Hand-Off: The sheriff allegedly handed the case to the state police (ISP) due to conflict of interest, though he denied it.

2. Early Investigative Efforts & Frustration

• [04:00–06:40] State police and FBI quickly ran out of leads. Robin was last placed at a gas station near Marquez’s office. Despite releasing her photo, no credible sightings surfaced.
  • Captain Ed Wolf (ISP):
    “We simply have no good clues as to what happened to Robin... chances were slim that Robin was still alive, stranger things have happened.”
• The hosts agree the investigation was hampered by witness statements changing over time and a lack of concrete evidence.

3. Key Suspects: Tony Marquez and John Romo

• [09:09–11:11] The grand jury focused on Marquez (Robin’s ex) and his stepbrother John Romo as persons of interest. Main evidence revolved around witness reports of two men using a tow truck to dump Robin’s car the night she vanished.
• Captain:
  “Douchebag number one, douchebag number two.”
• Discussed their weak alibi — each other’s presence — and that neither was ever charged but remained central to police suspicion.

4. Legal Battles and Procedural Blockades

• [11:52–20:04] The grand jury tried to compel Marquez and Romo to submit to lineups, prints, and hair/blood samples, suggesting they must have something to compare against.
• Nick:
  “I actually think that it might be a whole lot of nothing...if we discover Robin's body, then maybe we'll find evidence there.” [14:36]
• Judge and later Illinois Supreme Court reject many of these subpoenas on privacy grounds, emphasizing constitutional hurdles even amid probable cause:
  • Nick:
    “If one of your colleagues, another judge says, I see that there's a threat to this woman's physical being from this individual... that, my friend, is your probable cause.” [19:13]

5. Stalled Momentum, Family Pain, and Lingering Suspicions

• [20:04 onward] The case repeatedly stalls; physical evidence disappears, eyewitness statements get ambiguous, and the prime suspects’ rights shield them.
• Licensing and power abuse:
  Captain: “...he probably wanted that position [auxiliary police] for simply the power. And that's scary when we put people like that into a position of law enforcement.” [43:59]
• Family grows more frustrated each year, feeling the system failed them.
  • Robin’s family:
    "The rights of the victim and her family were secondary to the rights of whoever committed the crime."

6. Witness Uncertainty and Issues with Eyewitness Testimony

• [28:00–33:40] Hosts dissect how the witness who saw the tow truck became less reliable over time — possibly influenced by media and public disclosures.
  • Nick:
    “I do not question that the witness saw the truck... what I wonder is... is the big hang up here kind of with this witness is when the person calls in at three in the morning... they know hide nor hair of what Tony Marquez looks like. Robin goes missing... now all of a sudden, I wonder... if the witness is starting to fill in the blanks.”
• Further dialogue on the unreliability of eyewitnesses, especially with evolving context and media attention.

7. Attempted Evidence Digs and Theories

• [38:34–42:45, 47:55–49:34] Police conducted two digs (in 1995 and 2017) at a basement poured by John Romo, but found nothing connecting Robin’s fate.
  • Nick:
    “John Romo was the person that poured that basement… Most people don't pour one basement in a lifetime and never live in the home itself.” [39:04]
  • In 2017, cadaver dogs and even the discovery of a thousand-year-old human bone offered no resolution. Family believes Robin may have been moved after being temporarily hidden.
• Hosts speculate on the logistics of the tow truck dump, Tony and John’s possible access to resources, and the chilling possibility that Robin’s body is hidden elsewhere.

8. Family’s Ongoing Struggle and Theory of ‘Cone of Silence’

• [40:27, 50:36–51:58] Robin’s family continues to campaign for answers, expressing deep frustration over the lack of progress and perceived brotherhood among law enforcement shielding suspects:

  “It's a brotherhood. The good old boys, they run deep and they cross the boundaries. You wash my back, I wash yours... their dirty little secrets will be revealed one day.”
• Family echoes certainty that more than one person knows what happened, and that fear likely prevents witnesses from coming forward.
• Nick: “The Robin Abrams case... is one of those frustrating cases in which everyone knows who is responsible for what happened. But a cone of silence maintained by the persons of interest has worked very effectively to put a halt to the investigation.” [52:50]

9. Recent Developments (2014-2024) and Hopes for Justice

• [43:59–54:00] CBS News Chicago coverage revealed that even Tony Marquez’s wife appeared noncommittal (“I don’t know. Of course not.” when asked if he was involved).
• A threatening letter referencing a missing deputy (Robin) sent in 2015 reinvigorated the case and spurred another fruitless dig.
• As of 2024, ten unidentified bodies have been ruled out as Robin; her family continues pleas for information and closure.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On the System’s Failures and Investigation

• Nick [19:13]: “...another judge says, I see that there's a threat to this woman's physical being from this individual, and I'm signing off on an order of protection. That, my friend, is your probable cause.”
• Captain [43:59]: “[Tony] probably wanted that position for simply the power. And that's scary when we put people like that into a position of law enforcement.”

On Eyewitness Limitations

• Nick [33:40]: “Eyewitness accounts are not that accurate unless I saw it with my own two eyes, in my own three eyes.”
• Captain [09:09]: “Well, let's also point out he was an auxiliary cop. So he was essentially a wannabe full time cop that was making full time cops look like shitpags.”

On The Ongoing Grief and Stalled Justice

• Robin’s sister (quoted by Nick) [50:36]:
  “It's a brotherhood. The good old boys, they run deep and they cross the boundaries. You wash my back, I wash yours. They're like kissing cousins of the south, but their dirty little secrets will be revealed one day.”
• Nick [54:00]: "Her life was important to us. I'll never give up. Never.”

Important Timestamps & Segments

• [03:14] – Lawsuit dismissed after Robin’s disappearance; the Marquez-Johnson connection
• [06:40] – Lack of leads after initial push (FBI, ISP); witness accounts discussed
• [09:09] – Grand jury names Marquez and Romo as persons of interest
• [11:52-20:04] – Legal fights over evidence collection, privacy rights, and failed subpoenas
• [28:00–33:40] – Scrutiny of eyewitness reliability and account evolution
• [38:34, 47:55] – Police digs at property linked to John Romo; no evidence found
• [40:27, 50:36] – Family commentary on injustice and law enforcement “brotherhood”
• [54:00] – Case remains open; family vows not to give up

Tone and Style

The hosts balance sharp, sometimes irreverent banter (“douchebag number one...”), empathy for victims, and clear-eyed skepticism toward official narratives. They champion the family’s perspective, repeatedly call out systems that protect perpetrators, and invite listeners to think critically about witness testimony, police procedure, and the barriers to justice.

Summary

This episode spotlights the unresolved injustice of Robin Abrams’ disappearance — bearing witness to her family's suffering and the frustrating machinations of the legal and law enforcement systems. Nic and the Captain expose how a combination of local politics, questionable law enforcement practices, unreliable eyewitness testimony, and perhaps a “cone of silence” among the involved have allowed a likely perpetrator to evade accountability for decades. Despite procedural dead ends and two fruitless property digs, the hosts keep the spotlight on the case, encouraging ongoing public attention and hoping, along with Robin’s family, for long-delayed answers and justice.

For further reading:
Hosts recommend “25 Frozen, 1 Thawed: Murder and Mayhem in the Midwest” by Bob Ciphers
Catch previous related cases (including Lisa Stebik, episodes 271/272).

If you have any information on the disappearance of Robin Abrams, contact your local authorities or the Will County Sheriff's Office. Her family deserves answers.