Robert B. Abbott

📍 Location

📝 Description

Robert B. Abbott, a 62-year-old man from Spokane County, WA, disappeared from his Hatch Road residence (12325 S Hatch Rd, Spokane, WA) around early April 2024 after his home was found abandoned and his 2018 BMW was missing. The case was reclassified from a missing-person inquiry to a homicide investigation. On August 28, 2024, three suspects were arrested: Richard L. Trower (51), his wife Teri L. Christenson (52), and Heather L. Lewis (43). They faced charges including second-degree murder, residential burglary, taking a motor vehicle without permission, theft, and trafficking in stolen property; Christenson had previously pleaded guilty to attempted trafficking in stolen property related to Abbott’s vehicle. Abbott’s remains have not been located. As of March 16, 2025, prosecutors indicated that Richard Trower and Heather Lewis would be tried in April 2025 for first-degree murder, while Christenson’s involvement in the vehicle theft had already resulted in a guilty plea for attempted trafficking in stolen property. The investigation remains active and Abbott’s body has not yet been recovered.

🔍 Circumstances

Abbott was last seen at or near his Hatch Road home. His wife reported him missing on April 5, 2024 after discovering the residence abandoned and the BMW missing. Investigators found blood at the shop on the property and recovered two shell casings. The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office seized the BMW for evidence and linked movements included Abbott’s vehicle being driven to a cemetery trailhead and to a casino, with communications indicating attempts to dispose of items. On August 28, 2024, three suspects were arrested in connection with the case, and the investigation was classified as homicide.

👤 Physical Description

Publicly available information lists Abbott as a White male, 62 years old; no additional publicly released physical descriptors were provided.

ℹ️ Additional Details

Abbott’s 2018 BMW was stolen; blood found in the trunk and on the shop floor; forensic testing linked Abbott’s DNA to blood in the BMW and in the shop. Suspects were arrested near the Northern Quest Casino and later at different locations; Kalispel Tribal Authorities and Airway Heights Police assisted in arrests. As of March 2025, plans indicated for trials in April 2025 for two suspects on murder charges, with a prior guilty plea by Christenson related to the vehicle theft.

🔗 Sources (4)

👥 Community Contributions

Help improve this case by adding notes, observations, theories, or tags. Your contributions help the community understand patterns and connections.