On June 14, 1996, Shannon Zielinski, 38, was found shot in the head in Mead. Victims whose names are followed by an asterisk ( # ) have been linked to Robert Yates, through DNA and other evidence, according to the Spokane County sheriff. He received a sentence of 408 years behind bars. Once, he decided to go for a run and ended up in Coupeville, 10 miles down the road. The couple had faced multiple problems in their marriage and even separated for some time. Authorities believe the Spokane Killer waited 13 years before killing his third victim Stacy Hawn. Sound Transit had the facility built as part of construction for light rail, which wont begin service until next year. Yates' father last week revealed his son was sexually assaulted as a child by a neighbor. [42][43][20], Yates was arrested on April 18, 2000, for the murder of Jennifer Joseph. When the family's church burned down, Robert and his father worked together to help rebuild it. He says the prostitute is a friend's daughter he's driving home. "I don't believe I ever heard him use a profanity," says Gordon Kidder, his boss of 25 years. She was killed just a month after arriving in Spokane. Image Credits: Baffling Documentaries, Youtube. 1965 - Anna Mae Yates and Robert Lee Yates Sr. are baptized into Seventh-day Adventist Church in Oak Harbor. Robert Lee Yates is a member of. The same month, he picked up a prostitute, detectives say. Acquaintances say Yates grew tired of the Army. He also confessed to two murders committed in Walla Walla in 1975 and a 1988 murder committed in Skagit County. The children's birth years range from 1974 to 1989. . "He always had answers to everything," she said. Anna Mae Yates did the hair of neighborhood ladies and worked as a housekeeping supervisor at the local hospital. All 18 women used drugs, worked as prostitutes or lived on the streets. The couple went on to have four daughters and one son. "He never used any profanity. Following his sentencing hearing, Yates made a statement apologizing to the families of all the victims he had killed. He earned several commendation and service medals during his military career, including the US Army Master Aviator Badge. The truth was that Yates carried out horrific murders between 1975 and 1998. She says she never exchanged more than 10 words with Linda Yates, who stayed at home with the children. On December 26, 1997, the bodies of Shawn McClenahan, 39, and Laurie Wason, 31, were found in a gully in Spokane. Between 1996 and 1998, Robert Lee "Bob" Yates hired, then killed, 13 female sex workers in Spokane, Washington. February 22 - Body of Yolanda Sapp (African American, 26) prostitute. August 1972 - Marries Nylander in Fall City at the Seventh-day Adventist Church. October 1976 - Anna Mae Yates dies after a long bout with cancer. October 1981 to February 1984 - Yates is a helicopter pilot in the 503rd Aviation Unit in Europe. A family guy. He is currently serving life in prison at the Washington State Penitentiary. Bob Yates/Living or Deceased. They were shot and dumped like yesterday's yard clippings. He also confessed to two murders committed in Walla Walla in 1975 and a 1988 murder committed in Skagit County . They also expect to move the case to Spokane County Superior Court, at which time Yates will enter a formal plea. Someone spilled coffee in his hard hat, and Yates shouted, jokingly at first, and then seriously. While he was already incarcerated, Yates was also charged with two more crimes the murders of Melinda L. Mercer (in 1997) and Connie Ellis (in 1998). For the appalling killing spree, Yates was charged with 13 counts of first-degree murders and one count of attempted murder at Spokane County Superior Court. It seems like Linda and her children continue to live a quiet life in the state of Washington. The next year, Robert Lee Yates signed up with the Army. Robert Lee Yates threw fast pitches in high school, but didn't have much of a curve. Interesting update on Robert Lee Yates, the 48 year old Army veteran/torture victim in Washington, who is shaping up to be the MOST prolific newly discovered year 2000 serial killer in. Spokane authorities now say Yates is a serial killer. She went straight to the police and gave them a description of her assaulter. There was even the body of Melody Murfin which had been buried in his own front yard. Robert Lee Yates Jr. (born May 27, 1952) is an American serial killer from Spokane, Washington. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. March 1999 - Yates picks up a prostitute in his Honda Civic for oral sex, according to court documents. Youderian said if he had ever had children he would want them to "come up as good" as Robert. He has to rush back to New York to go to Haiti. December 1974 - Linda Yates gives birth to a daughter. The prosecution sought the death penalty for the deaths of Melinda L. Mercer in 1997, and Connie Ellis in 1998, which were thought to be linked to the killings in Spokane County. The couple filed under Chapter 7 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, which allows individuals to keep certain belongings while selling off other property to repay creditors. (2013) Investigation Discovery: A serial killer plagues Spokane, Washington, claiming the lives of more than a dozen victims. They celebrate the Sabbath on Saturday. We have lots of information about Kyle: religious views are listed as unknown, ethnicity is unknown, and political affiliation is none. Robert Lee Yates, Jr. | Wikipedia Robert Yates: Son, husband, athlete, father . July 1976 - Robert and Linda Yates have another wedding ceremony, in Oak Harbor, with her parents as the witnesses. "I don't believe it. In Somalia, Yates shot the wild pig while flying a Kiowa. The next was when Yates was on duty in Alabama in the mid-80s. Coincidentally, Yates had been pulled over in this vehicle while the task force was searching for it, but the field interview report was misread as saying "Camaro", not "Corvette," thus the incident was not realized until after Yates had been arrested. He denied the cheating allegations and said that he went there to use their hot tub after his 12-hour shifts at the aluminum plant. Six months after moving to Spokane, Yates found a job at Pantrol, a tiny company that makes circuit boards. The First Bodies of Robert Lee Yates Jr. When the Oak Harbor Seventh-day Adventist Church burned to the ground, Robert Yates Sr. took it personally, co-workers say. What kind of pickleball paddle does Kyle Yates use? Linda Yates said everyone asks her how she could "not see the signs" that her husband was a serial killer. TACOMA A jury today sentenced serial killer Robert Lee Yates Jr. to death by lethal injection for the aggravated murders of two women. Most of his victims were prostitutes who wereinvolved with drugs. It's not clear who in his family came with him. She had been missing since December 18. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Once, Yates told Gatti that what ticked him off about his religion was he couldn't eat the pork spare ribs at a local buffet. For that, he was almost court-martialed. Outside the Army, Yates had a tough time holding jobs. This was clearly not an ordinary situation, and if the Army was not downsizing, Yates would have had to serve another year and a half before being eligible for full retirement with benefits. The top 10 pickleball players in the world are Benjamin Johns, Kyle Yates, Matt Wright, Tyson McGuffin, Steve Deakin, Adam Stone, Collin Johns, Riley Newman, Wesley Gabrielsen, and Jose Farias according to global rankings for Mens Doubles. He was 25, considered old to be enlisting. Robert Lee Yates: With Robert Lee Yates Jr., Elizabeth Yardley, Geoffrey Wansell, Bill Morlin. Christine Smith, who was Yates' only surviving victim, was listed as a creditor in the bankruptcy. Patience like you wouldn't believe.". He is a convicted murderer and it is unknown exactly but estimated that Yates has killed over 18 women. Zodiac Sign Gemini . Yates is an Army veteran and National Guard helicopter pilot who served tours in Germany and at several U.S. bases. Law enforcement officers in many of those places are studying unsolved crimes to see if Yates might be involved. Yates, born in Anacortes, sits now on the other side of the state, in jail on a $1.5 million bond. Another thought he planned to be a pilot in Spokane. May 1988 to May 1991 - Yates teaches soldiers to fly helicopters and serves in the 1st Infantry Division, Goeppingen, Germany. Born on May 27. They got divorced two years later, and he then worked at the Washington State Penitentiary as a corrections officer in 1975 for a few months. She moved back to her home town, Walla Walla. SeattlePi reports Linda also noticed Robert was making an unusual number of withdrawals from their bank account and as a result, they were "running out of money." Yates was plucked from the enlisted ranks in 1980 to go through a warrant-officer basic course at Fort Rucker, Ala., the Army's aviation center, which has more flights every day than anywhere in the country. Given the publicity surrounding the arrest, Fasy is likely to seek a change of venue to move the case out of Spokane County but wonders whether his client will be able to get a fair trial anywhere in Washington state. On October 13, 1998, the body of Connie Ellis-LaFontaine, 35, was found in a ditch in Tacoma. Your IP: He brought the family to company picnics. "If he did do these things, the way I feel about it is, my friend Bob Yates died a long time ago. Linda Yates also said she confronted her husband when she found evidence that indicated he was having extramarital affairs. He didn't dispute it - in July 1974, a month before his divorce was final, Yates married Linda Brewer. Records show that for one year, his oldest daughter was in the sixth grade in Walla Walla. February 1984 to October 1984 - Yates is a support aviator in the Brigade Support Company, Aviation Training Brigade, Fort Rucker, Ala., the Army's flight training center. Anna Mae and her first husband had two daughters. As reported by The Seattle Times, Yates, who may have killed as many as 18 people, was ultimately sentenced to death. A white Corvette had been identified as the vehicle in which one of the victims had last been seen. He was later convicted of two additional murders. But in retrospect, she said there were some clues. The Spokane Serial Killer: An American Monster by Investigation Discovery explores gruesome crimes committed by Robert Lee Yates. [53], Yates had killed the following individuals:[5][1], Washington State Department of Corrections, List of serial killers in the United States, List of serial killers by number of victims, "Robert Yates: Son, husband, athlete, father, pilot, teacher, murder suspect", "One killer, two standards Experts say some inconsistency is expected", "Robert Lee Yates was the Spokane serial killer", "Police Looking for Worldwide Trail of Death", "Yates tells authorities about trail of killings", "Skagit skeleton not that of missing woman", "Few clues in death of young female transient", "Spokane shooting victim was Tacoma girl", "Authorities identify body of slain women", "Spokane seeking link in prostitute slayings", "Photos let mother reach the memories that daughter's killer could not erase (1/2)", "Photos let mother reach the memories that daughter's killer could not erase (2/2)", "3 Women sought for help in Spokane slayings", "Spokane task force looks for possible serial killer", "Two more women found dead in Spokane; task force at work", "Police prove mother's worst fears true (1/2)", "Police prove mother's worst fears true (2/2)", "Sixth victim tied to serial killings (1/2)", "Sixth victim tied to serial killings (2/2)", "Woman considered ninth serial victim (1/2)", "Woman considered ninth serial victim (2/2)", "Yates judge won't instruct jury on mercy, sympathy", "Spokane woman believed to be eighth serial killing victim", "Woman's death tied to serial killer (1/2)", "Woman's death tied to serial killer (2/2)", "Wash. 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