Christopher Michael Finney, a 6-year-old boy, disappeared on June 15, 1980, in Isla Vista, California. Witnesses reported seeing the young boy in the company of a man with blond hair, wearing shorts, and riding a red motorcycle. His skeletal remains were discovered three months later in a lagoon near the University of California, Santa Barbara. A coroner determined that Christopher had died from a broken cervical vertebra.
Authorities later identified Malcolm Joseph Robbins as a suspect
in Christopher's murder. Robbins, a convicted serial killer and sex offender, had been linked to multiple crimes involving young boys across several states. He was arrested in November 1980 in New Jersey for the murder of 9-year-old Evan Bailey. During his confession, Robbins admitted to killing Christopher, describing how he had lured the child onto his motorcycle, taken him to a wooded area, and assaulted him. He claimed that after Christopher began kicking the tires of his bike, he strangled the boy in a fit of rage. Robbins later sold the motorcycle, moved out of his apartment, and left town.
Investigators searching Robbins' former residence discovered Christopher's T-shirt, which had been given as a gift to Robbins' partner. This evidence further solidified the connection between Robbins and Christopher's murder. Robbins was ultimately convicted of multiple murders and sentenced to death in California. He remained on death row until his death in 2023.
