Robin Murphy Missing Person Case

Apr 15, 2010

Nov 29, 2023

Robin

Murphy

48

17

69 inches

140 lbs

White / Caucasian

Female

On the evening of April 9, 1995, 17-year-old Robin Murphy was getting ready to meet her boyfriend for dinner in their hometown of Carmel, New York. She borrowed her mother's red Oldsmobile for the short drive to the Shop-Rite Plaza on Route 52, a shopping center less than a mile from her home. Robin was last seen at approximately 7:30 p.m. walking in the shopping center's parking lot. She never made it to the restaurant to meet her boyfriend and was never heard from again. The car she had driven was found shortly after in the parking lot near the Burger King. A few days later, her keys, wallet, purse, and checkbook were discovered in a marshy area behind the shopping center. Robin was described as a creative and thoughtful young woman who enjoyed playing the guitar, writing songs and poetry, and listening to rock music. She had recently dropped out of high school and taken a job at the local Shop-Rite, but she had aspirations of returning to her studies, with plans to eventually enroll in college and pursue a career as a journalist. Those who knew her, including her mother, were adamant that she would not have run away. They pointed to the fact that just two weeks before her disappearance, she had purchased Easter gifts for her younger siblings, something she would not have done if she were planning to leave. Her boyfriend was questioned by police and was quickly cleared as a suspect in her disappearance. As the investigation continued, authorities began to focus on a man named Howard J. Gombert Jr. as a person of interest. Gombert, who had a criminal record, worked at a laundromat in the same shopping plaza where Robin was last seen and admitted to speaking with her on the day she vanished. In 2000, a significant development occurred when police, arresting Gombert on unrelated sexual assault charges, discovered a pair of Robin's underwear in a suitcase at his girlfriend's house. DNA testing confirmed the underwear belonged to Robin. Despite this discovery, Gombert has never been charged in connection with her disappearance. The case remains unsolved, and the Carmel Police Department continues to appeal to the public for any information that might lead to a resolution and bring closure to Robin's family. Over the years, there have been glimmers of hope, such as the discovery of unidentified remains in Putnam County, but these findings have not been a match to Robin. The investigation into what happened to Robin Murphy is ongoing, with law enforcement still actively pursuing leads.

Apr 09, 1995

Carmel

New York

Putnam County

10512

26813

Town of Carmel Police Department

Mahopac

New York

Putnam County

10541

Michael Nagel

Detective Sergeant

60 McAlpin Avenue, New York

8456281300

Local

Law Enforcement

https://www.ci.carmel.ny.us/police-department

KCAR00250

Town of Carmel Police Department

Black

Blue

Blue

No

08/29/2026