Robert Leroy Biehler

Serial Killer

Robert Leroy Biehler: Serial Killer and Contract Murderer

Robert Leroy Biehler was an American career criminal, serial killer, and contract murderer whose violent history stretched across several decades in Southern California. Born on August 5, 1934, in Chase, Kansas, Biehler accumulated convictions for robbery and burglary before becoming responsible for four murders committed in the Los Angeles area between 1966 and 1974. His victims included a mother and her teenage son, a man involved in the drug trade, and a former professional roller derby skater whose death was arranged as a contract killing. Biehler's crimes were not random attacks against strangers. The murders were connected to his criminal relationships, efforts to protect himself from exposure, disputes involving illegal activity, and, in the final case, payment to eliminate another person. Investigators suspected him in the first double homicide shortly after it occurred, but insufficient evidence prevented prosecution at the time. Nearly a decade passed before witnesses and newly discovered evidence allowed authorities to connect him to all four killings.

Early Criminal History

Biehler had developed a serious criminal record long before the murders for which he eventually became notorious. On February 25, 1956, he participated with accomplices in the robbery of Paul and Marguerite Troutner at their Pasadena home. The victims were restrained while money and valuables were stolen. Biehler was arrested and convicted, beginning a pattern of imprisonment, release, and renewed criminal activity. By 1960 he was again involved in armed robberies and burglaries in Los Angeles County. California appellate records document Biehler's participation in offenses including the August 1960 armed robbery of the Boysburger Cafe and burglary-related crimes. He spent additional time in the California prison system before eventually being paroled in August 1966. Only a few months after that parole, Biehler became connected to the first two murders ultimately included in his four first-degree murder convictions.

The Murders of Julia and Kenneth Cook

On December 22, 1966, 38-year-old Julia Cook and her 15-year-old son, Kenneth Cook, were murdered inside Julia's North Hollywood residence. Julia was associated with people in the criminal underworld, including individuals involved in prostitution, drugs, and stolen property. Biehler knew her personally and was later accused of wanting her eliminated because she could expose his activities and because he was interested in taking control of criminal operations with which she was associated. Julia and Kenneth were shot inside the residence. The home appeared to have been disturbed, and investigators quickly began examining people associated with Julia. One of those people was Robert Biehler. Police also investigated Morton Molin, an associate who had connections to both Julia and the weapon reportedly obtained shortly before the killings. Biehler became a major suspect, but investigators faced a significant problem: his wife Janet provided him with an alibi. Without sufficient physical evidence to overcome that account, authorities were unable to successfully prosecute him for the murders in 1966. He was instead returned to prison for a parole violation. The Cook murders remained unresolved for years. Janet Biehler would eventually become a critical witness against her former husband, acknowledging that the alibi she had provided following the killings was false. Her testimony helped prosecutors revive a double-murder case that had remained dormant for approximately a decade. ...

Confirmed Victims: (4)

Julia Cook Age: (38), Date of Death: 1966-12-22

Survivors:

Paul Troutner , Date of Attack: 1956-02-25

Marguerite Troutner , Date of Attack: 1956-02-25

Robert Biehler - Wikipedia