Human Wreckage True Crime

Murdered in a busy store with no witnesses? The Murder of Janette Roberson

• Thomas W

Share episode
Speaker 1:

You're listening to Human Wreckage, the show that walks you through the coldest of cases, the quietest of crimes and the questions that still echo decades later. I'm your host, thomas. So January 19th 1983. A small town in Michigan is wrapped in a bitter winter, the kind of day where the snow feels heavier, the streets quieter and time seems to move a little slower. In Reed City population just over 2,000, the world was going about its usual business kids at school, neighbors chatting over fences and at the local department store on Upton Avenue, a young mother named Jeanette Roberson had just returned from her lunch break. What happened in the basement of that store in the early afternoon hours would go on to haunt the town, her family and investigators for decades.

Speaker 1:

Jeanette Robertson was just 27 years old, a mother of two, a wife, an artist and someone who had recently moved to the area in search of a quieter, simpler life. She worked in the pet department of the Gamble Store, a locally owned franchise that sold everything from tools to toys to tropical fish. At some point that afternoon, someone followed her, or perhaps waited for her, in the dimly lit basement, and there, in a room surrounded by aquariums, cages and supplies, jeanette was brutally attacked and murdered. Her body was discovered just before 5 pm, bya co worker. What followed was confusion, shock and, eventually, an investigation that would grow colder with each passing year. No arrests were made, no suspects officially named and, despite DNA evidence, witness interviews and years of digging by both police and amateur sleuths, jeanette's case remains unsolved. But why? Was it a random act of violence, a crime of passion or something even darker hiding beneath the surface of this quiet northern Michigan town? And how, in a store full of people in the middle of the day, did no one hear her scream? In this episode, we're going to look at the known facts of Jeanette Roberson's case. We'll explore the crime scene, the people in her life, the rumors that spread in the aftermath and the details that never quite added up. We'll talk to those who knew her, those who still fight for answers, and we'll confront the uncomfortable truth that sometimes justice never comes. Nearly 43 years later, jeanette's name still appears on flyers, message boards and cold case files. Her children are now grown, still seeking the truth about what happened to their mother in that quiet basement room, and today we're going to open that file back up. This is the story of Jeanette Roberson, a woman full of life silenced far too soon and a mystery that refuses to rest Stay with us. The brutal, unsolved murder of 27-year-old Jeanette Roberson still haunts the city town of Reed City, michigan, to this very day.

Speaker 1:

Jeanette, her husband Alvin and their two children moved to the quaint city in 1983. Those who knew Jeanette described her as being remarkably kind to everybody she met. She was patient, gentle and one of the sweetest people ever recalled family friend Carrie Hudson. As well as being a caring mother to two young children, she also had a profound compassion for animals. One friend recollected how she nursed a small bird back to health after she found it injured. She was the quintessential homemaker. She did the kids, she did the house, her sister fondly recalled. Jeanette wasn't just a housewife either. She worked in the pet department of a local store called Gamble's, now Reed City Hardware. Her department was located in the store's basement.

Speaker 1:

Unfortunately, on the 19th of January 1983, somebody cut Jeanette's life tragically short. At some point between 2 pm and 4 pm Jeanette was murdered in broad daylight as she carried out her work duties in the small 10 by 10 room filled with pet supplies. She had been raped violently, bludgeoned with a blunt object and then stabbed multiple times, with multiple objects found in store. Jeanette died alone on the cold basement floor of Gamble's as shoppers perused without a care in the world. On the floor above she was found by another store employee. The store had been relatively busy that afternoon, yet nobody heard a thing. Almost all of the people who were shopping above were identified. She was found by another store employee. The store had been relatively busy that afternoon, yet nobody heard a thing. Almost all of the people who were shopping above were identified and questioned, except for one man. Composite sketches of this anonymous man were drawn up. He was described as a white man with sandy blonde hair and a blue jacket. He stood around five feet nine inches and weighed approximately 170 pounds. The brutal murder rocked the small city where there hadn't been a murder since eight years prior, when Frank Kronski murdered his estranged wife. Around 200 mourners congregated to pay their last respects to Jeanette at the McDowell Funeral Home. Afterwards she was buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in Reed City.

Speaker 1:

As is the case with all murders, the first suspect was Jeanette's husband, alvin. An investigation uncovered that he had been having an affair behind his wife's back. In fact, alvin later went on to marry this same woman and move to Georgia with her and the children. Nevertheless, investigators soon ruled him out as a suspect. While their marriage had been on the rocks, he still deeply loved his wife and would never wish harm on her. He was devastated. He couldn't have had anything to do with it, said Jeanette's sister Lana. Another suspect came to light when police tracked down a man who had left town on a bus that same afternoon. He was questioned and later released. One line of inquiry early on in the investigation was the bizarre phone calls Jeanette had received. On the 18th of January she received two separate phone calls at home. However, when she picked up the phone, nobody spoke and then hung up. After this became public knowledge, a friend of Jeanette came forward and told police that Jeanette had been receiving obscene calls Since the brutal murder.

Speaker 1:

There have been a number of theories as to why Jeanette was targeted. One widely believed theory was that Jeanette was killed in a fit of rage by somebody she knew. The murder was an exceptionally frenzied and brutal one. She was murdered with objects that were discovered in the shop, indicating it wasn't a premeditated murder but more likely a crime of passion. Her family have long believed that maybe Jeanette's killer had a crush on her and when she turned down their advances, they were left seething. Investigators also looked into the theory that Jeanette's killer had potentially been hiding in the basement and waited for the perfect moment to ambush her. Eventually, the tips dwindled to a halt. No other suspects were ever publicly named and the case was put back on the shelf.

Speaker 1:

In 2014, michigan State Police Debt Sergeant Mike Stevens took over the Roberson murder case from Debt George Pratt, who had retired after serving the department for longer than Stevens had even been alive. The two have continued to communicate when any tips or leads surface. When the investigation began in 1983, dna collection and analysis wasn't standard procedure. However, dna from the crime scene was retrieved but hasn't yet been matched to anybody. This indicates that the perpetrator has avoided being charged with any other crimes. If he were to commit another crime and be apprehended for said crime, his DNA profile would have been entered into the national database and linked back to the Robertson crime scene. This person could have committed this crime and not committed another crime ever, but because of the violence, that's not likely, said Det Pratt.

Speaker 1:

Eventually the case went cold, but over the forthcoming years Jeanette's family held an annual Justice for Jeanette walk to keep Jeanette's name and face in the public eye. During the 2018 walk, jeanette's sister, jv, addressed the theory that Jeanette's husband killed her. He didn't. She said there is a murderer walking around free. Somebody has to know something, had to have seen something that day. Maybe it is something small, something they think is irrelevant. It's not. If you have any information in regards to the murder of Jeanette Roberson, please call 231-832-3743.

Speaker 1:

The cold case still remains unsolved. Jeanette Roberson was just 27 years old when her life was stolen in the most brutal, senseless way. Robertson was just 27 years old when her life was stolen in the most brutal, senseless way A young mother working a quiet job in a small town store and somehow in the middle of the day, surrounded by people. Someone murdered her and got away with it. More than four decades have passed, but the pain still lingers for her family. Her children grew up without their mother. Her husband buried a wife he had just started building a life with, and Reed City, whether it chooses to remember or forget, still carries the weight of what happened that winter afternoon in 1983.

Speaker 1:

There are people out there who know something. Maybe it's a memory they buried, a rumor they heard or a detail they once thought was too small to matter, but in cases like this, even the smallest truth can open a locked door. If you know anything, no matter how insignificant it may seem, please reach out to the Michigan State Police or submit a tip anonymously through Crime Stoppers. Jeanette's story deserves an ending and her family deserves peace. Thank you for listening to this episode of Human Wreckage. If you found this story important, share it, talk about it. Keep Jeanette's name alive Until next time. I'm Thomas, stay safe, stay aware and never stop asking questions. Outro Music.