Robin Lee Row
| Robin Lee Row | |
|---|---|
| Born | 12 September 1957 |
| Residence | Women's Correctional Facility, Pocatello, Idaho |
| Occupation | YWCA employee |
| Criminal penalty | Death |
| Criminal status | On appeal |
| Spouse(s) | Randy Row (deceased) |
| Children | Joshua, Tabitha, Keith, and Christina (all deceased) |
| Motive | Financial gain |
| Conviction(s) | Murder (3 counts) |
Robin Lee Row (born 12 September 1957) is a death row inmate in Idaho, having been convicted of the murders of her husband and two children. The murders took place on February 10, 1992, when a fire broke out on the first floor of the apartment in which Row's husband, from whom she was separated, and her two children were living. When fire crews reached the scene of the burning structure, they found three bodies that were subsequently identified as her husband Randy and children Joshua, 10, and Tabitha, 8. All three had died due to carbon monoxide poisoning.[1][2]
Investigation
Fire investigators concluded that a liquid accelerant was used to start the fire and upon further investigation that the smoke alarm had been turned off. Row had been living with friends and investigators had placed her as the main suspect. Current Ada County Sheriff Gary Raney was the chief investigator on the case. As he delved into the case, he saw many red flags that indicated that Robin Row was the main suspect. Further investigation concluded that in 1980, she and her son were living a cabin in California, and her son died in a fire that was caused by a portable heater that ignited his blankets. The boy died and Row collected $28,000 from life insurance policy.
Arrest and conviction
As the investigation progressed, Row was embezzling money from the YMCA where she was working. Detectives had found that Row had taken out life insurance policies on her husband and children that totaled over a quarter of a million dollars. She was then arrested and charged with three counts of murder. Her trial began in 1993, and on December 16, she was found guilty on each count.
Appeals
In 2011, her appeal was dismissed by Judge B. Lynn Winmill.[3][4] She is the sole death row inmate in Pocatello Women's Correctional Center (PWCC) in Pocatello, Idaho.[5]