People Magazine Investigates: Who was Joy Hibbs and how did she die?

People Magazine Investigate's upcoming episode will dive into the haunting case of Joy Hibbs's murder, which remained unsolved for over thirty years. On the quiet and ordinary afternoon of April 19, 1991, 12-year-old David Hibbs returned from school to find his house on fire. What unfolded over the next few hours was straight out of a horror film.

Little David had no idea that the morning of the incident would be the last time he saw his mother alive. When he noticed the thick fumes coming from the house, he figured his mother was inside. By the time proper help arrived, 36-year-old Joy Hibbs was long dead. Retired Bristol Township Detective Lt. Richard Bilson described the scene, saying,

"Her body was black -- completely burnt beyond recognition. She looked like a mummy, and the entire room was charred."

The events that unfolded over the years were even more shocking. Joy was beaten, stabbed, and likely asphyxiated to death. The case took over thirty years to fully come to light. Read on to find out what happened to Joy Hibbs.

---

Joy Hibbs Murder: Who is she and what happened to her?

According to friends and relatives, Joy Hibbs was a "charming country girl" who grew up in Northern Florida. She met Charlie Hibbs there and the two got married. They settled down in Pennsylvania and had two sweet children, Angie and David. Her son, David, told HuffPost,

"She had a really good spirit...She was graceful, polite, and easygoing."

Joy had a relatively normal day, according to investigators, before the house fire was reported. She allegedly went to the bank, went grocery shopping, and met with Rev. Furie Orlando, a minister at Bensalem Baptist Church, at her home. This was some time before David returned from school and found his mother dead and the house on fire.

After authorities found the burnt remains of Joy at the house in Spencer Drive in Croydon, they performed an autopsy, which revealed that Joy was dead before the house caught on fire. She was allegedly beaten, strangled, and stabbed. The investigators reportedly assumed that the perpetrator had set the house on fire to cover their tracks. The housefire did destroy many pieces of evidence, including fingerprints and DNA.

With no leads or suspects, the authorities clung to the only few anomalies in the otherwise normal day. One of the neighbors reportedly saw a dark blue Chevrolet Monte Carlo hastily parked outside the Hibbs' home. Another neighbor allegedly saw a garbage man walk towards the back of the house.

The car's model was traced to a nearby neighbor, Robert Atkins, who also allegedly sold marijuana to Charlie and Joy. This was the only viable suspect. However, the witness insisted that the Monte Carlo outside Hibbs' residence was a different one. Atkins also reportedly refused to take a polygraph test due to his nerve damage. His alibi also matched, and no other suspect was found for years after the case.

Joy and Charlie also allegedly had an argument with Atkins about marijuana. However, Atkins was let go due to his tight alibi and lack of identification.

Nearly 30 years later, after some ground-breaking testimony from Atkin's ex-wife, the authorities charged Atkins with the murder of Joy Hibbs. He was arrested in May 2022 and is currently being held without the possibility of bail.

Monday's episode of People Magazine Investigates will delve into the detail of the case when it airs at 9.00 PM EST on Investigation Discovery.