D. Robinoff, a 78-year-old woman, was tragically murdered in her home on April 20, 1984. She was raped and beaten to death in her residence on South Hayworth Avenue in Los Angeles, California. Her murder was part of a series of violent crimes committed by Kevin Bernard Haley and his older brother, Reginald Haley, who terrorized the Los Angeles area between 1982 and 1984. The Haley brothers were responsible for multiple murders, burglaries, and sexual assaults, primarily targeting elderly women in their homes.
Investigators determined that the Haley brothers had engaged in a crime spree fueled by their addiction to crack cocaine. Their crimes included approximately 500 burglaries, 60 rapes, and at least eight murders. On the same day as Robinoff's murder, the brothers also killed 90-year-old Isabel Buxton, robbing and beating her to death in her home. Their violent acts continued in the following months, culminating in the murder of several other victims.
Kevin Haley was arrested on September 28, 1984, initially on a burglary charge. However, his fingerprints were later matched to the crime scene of another murder, leading to his re-arrest on October 9, 1984. During interrogations, both brothers admitted to numerous burglaries and assaults but denied being murderers. Despite their denials, investigators gathered substantial evidence linking them to multiple homicides, including Robinoff's.
By November 9, 1984, Kevin Haley had confessed to committing six rapes and 53 burglaries. The brothers were charged with numerous crimes, including murder, rape, robbery, and burglary. In separate trials, Kevin Haley was convicted of two counts of murder and sentenced to death, while Reginald Haley received a life sentence plus additional years for his crimes. Their convictions ensured that they would never be able to harm anyone again.
The brutal murder of D. Robinoff was one of many heinous crimes committed by the Haley brothers, whose reign of terror left a lasting impact on the Los Angeles community. Their arrests and convictions brought justice to their victims and ended a violent chapter in the city's history.
