People Magazine Investigates: Where is Joy Hibbs' killer Robert Atkins now?

People Magazine Investigates is ready to return this week with an episode that covers the murder of Joy Hibbs at the hands of Robert Atkins. The case, which lasted 31 years, saw numerous twists and turns before the killer was caught earlier this year. The killer, Robert Atkins, was Hibbs' neighbor and a long-time suspect in the case, but due to lack of evidence, Atkins was never apprehended.

On the afternoon of April 19, 1991, 12-year-old David Hibbs returned early from school to find his house on fire, with his mother, Joy, inside the house. Authorities found her burnt body in her son's bedroom and deemed it a tragic house fire.

However, as the investigation proceeded, the autopsy report suggested that Joy was stabbed, beaten and possibly strangled before the house was set on fire.

Nearly 31 years after the murder, Robert Atkins was charged with killing Joy after his ex-wife came forward. She revealed to the authorities that on the day of the murder, Robert had come home with blood on his clothes and also opened up to her about having stabbed someone that day.

Atkins is currently being held in a correctional facility in Pennsylvania.

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Who was Robert Atkins and what did he do?

Robert Atkins was a confidential informant for Bristol Township Police during the 1990s and lived a few doors from the victim's house. He was also allegedly selling marijuana to Charlie and Joy Hibbs at the time.

After Joy was found dead in her house, Robert became a person of interest. A neighbor claimed to have seen a dark Chevrolet Monte Carlo parked hastily outside Joy's house around the time of the murder. This led the police to believe that Robert might have been involved as he drove a dark blue Chevrolet Monte Carlo.

Additionally, Charlie admitted to having bought weed from Atkins, who was reportedly a methamphetamine addict as well.

When Atkins was questioned, he denied any involvement and claimed that he had left for the mountains on the day of the murder. After his alibi checked out, authorities had no choice but to trust him. However, Robert refused to take a polygraphy test, citing that he had nerve damage.

The case soon went cold but was reopened decades later. April Atkins, Robert's ex-wife, became a star witness in the case, but his arrest didn't come quickly.

When April was first questioned in 2014, she denied knowing anything. However, two years later, she allegedly had a change of heart and came forward on her own to reveal that Rober was indeed the killer.

April admitted that Robert had returned home that day covered in blood and he made his whole family pack their belongings and head of to the Poconos. She allegedly withheld the information in 2014 because she didn't want her adult children to find out what had happened.

In May 2022, Robert Atkins was finally charged with the first-degree murder of Joy Hibbs. Bucks County District Attorney Matt Weintraub said:

"Atkins, for the past 31 years, has been living free but on borrowed time. Today, we start to collect on that time from him, with interest."

Atkins was charged with first-degree murder, second-degree murder, seven counts of arson, and two counts of robbery. He is being held in Pennsylvania's Bucks County Correctional Facility and was recently denied bail.

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The upcoming episode of People Magazine Investigates will air on July 25, 2022, at 9.00 PM EST on Investigation Discovery.