Robert Edward Maury

Serial Killer

Robert Edward Maury: The "Tipster Killer" of Shasta County

Background

Robert Edward Maury was an American serial killer and sexual offender convicted of murdering three women in Shasta County, California, between 1985 and 1987. Born on February 24, 1958, in Crescent City, California, Maury later lived in the Redding, Anderson and Happy Valley areas. He worked intermittently as a landscaper and dried-flower arranger after leaving the United States Army. His crimes became especially notorious because he repeatedly contacted an anonymous crime-tip program with information about the locations of his victims' bodies. Maury became known as the "Tipster Killer" because he used the Shasta County Secret Witness hotline to insert himself into the investigations. The program allowed callers to provide information anonymously and receive cash rewards when their tips helped solve crimes. After killing women, Maury supplied details that directed investigators to their remains. He sometimes portrayed himself as a witness, intermediary or person who had obtained information from the supposed real killer. Prosecutors later argued that he used the hotline both to manipulate law enforcement and to collect reward money.

The Murder of Averill Weeden

In May 1985, Maury rented a room in the Redding home of 48-year-old Averill Weeden. Weeden was last known to be alive during the evening of May 23, and her disappearance was reported shortly afterward. Investigators determined that she had probably been killed on or about May 25, 1985. Maury initially attracted attention because he lived in her home, gave inconsistent information and had access to her during the period in which she disappeared. Several weeks later, an anonymous man began contacting the Secret Witness hotline. The caller said he knew where Weeden's body could be found and demanded a reward in exchange for the information. His first directions led investigators to an area near Bechelli Lane and South Bonnyview Road in Redding, close to the Sacramento River. When authorities failed to locate the remains, the caller telephoned again and provided more precise instructions. Investigators subsequently found Weeden's decomposed body concealed beneath debris. A clothesline-type cord was wrapped around her neck, and medical evidence established that she had been strangled. The anonymous caller claimed that another person had killed Weeden and that he was merely involved in concealing the crime. He collected a $250 reward after the body was recovered. Maury was questioned, but investigators did not yet possess enough evidence to charge him. ...

Confirmed Victims: (3)

Averill Deanna Weeden Age: (48), Date of Death: 1985-05-25

Suspected Victims:

Lora Stewart Age: (44)

Helen Faye Generes Age: (63)

Robert Maury - Wikipedia