Mary Robin Walter Wiki – Mary Robin Walter Biography
A Kansas man was charged with fatally shooting a 23-year-old neighbor in 1980 after investigators re-examining her death found new evidence, authorities said. Kansas Bureau of Investigation officers arrested 68-year-old Steven Hanks of Burden on Thursday on one count of second-degree murder in the death of Mary Robin Walter, who was a wife, mother and nursing student when she was murdered.
Barton County Sheriff Brian Bellendir said at a news conference Friday. He is being jailed on $500,000 bail and does not have an attorney, according to court records. “At 42 years and 10 months, we believe this is the oldest homicide arrest in the state of Kansas,” Bellendir said. Bellendir said Detective Sgt. Adam Hales decided in April to reopen the investigation into the January 24, 1980 slaying, which occurred in a trailer park near the airport in Great Bend, a city of about 15,000 in central Kansas. Walter had been shot several times.
Mary Robin Walter Age
Mary Robin Walter’s Age is Unkown.
Mary Robin Walter Cause of Death
“After reviewing the case with fresh eyes, it became apparent that some information had been initially overlooked and other information had been added at a later date,” the sheriff said. “This was unknown to the original researchers.”
Bellendir ordered two additional officers to join the investigation. In October, new evidence was discovered, although the authorities refused to disclose it. Bellendir said Hanks was investigated as a suspect immediately after the shooting, “but the case remained unsolved.” He did not reveal a possible motive for the murder.
Hanks spent time in prison for another crime. He was arrested in 1981 and charged with rape, assault, robbery, and burglary. He was sentenced in 1983 and released in 1993, according to online records from the Kansas Department of Corrections.
In response to the breaking of the case, Mary Robin Walter’s niece, Leslie Schrag, released a statement on behalf of the family, saying in part: “We are grateful for the efforts of the detectives to bring Robin’s killer to justice.” .
“Robin was really beautiful inside and out,” Schrag said. “This world was robbed of her presence, and we will never know how that has shaped our lives. The news [Friday] is bittersweet. Many who knew Robin are gone. Her parents, husband and one sister will not be able to share in our collective relief that Robin’s case will have a conclusion.”
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