Robert Carl Foley

Serial Killer

Robert Carl Foley: Kentucky Serial Killer

Robert Carl Foley, born September 13, 1956, in Harlan, Kentucky, is an American murderer commonly described as a serial killer because his known killings occurred during separate violent episodes spanning many years. Foley was convicted of seven murders: one killing committed in 1976, four murders committed in 1989, and the murders of two brothers in 1991. The six later murders resulted in multiple death sentences and made Foley one of Kentucky's most notorious death-row prisoners.

The 1976 Murder of Zetler Fields Jr.

Foley's first known murder occurred on April 17, 1976, in Harlan, Kentucky. During a shooting confrontation, Foley fatally shot Zetler Fields Jr. Two other men, Jimmy Joe Ball and Wendell Hale, were also shot but survived. Foley was prosecuted in Harlan County and was found guilty of Fields's murder and two counts of first-degree assault in March 1977. He received a total sentence of 35 years in prison. Despite the lengthy sentence, Foley did not remain incarcerated for the full term. He was eventually released on parole. His murder conviction would later become important during his subsequent capital cases because prosecutors were able to establish that his later killings were committed by a man who already had a serious history of violent crime.

The 1989 Laurel County Quadruple Murder

On October 8, 1989, Foley committed the crime that would eventually result in four separate death sentences. The victims were Kimberly "Kim" Bowersock, Calvin Reynolds, Lillian Contino, and Jerry McMillan. The killings took place inside a cabin in the Bald Rock community of Laurel County, Kentucky. The cabin belonged to David Gross and was occupied by Phoebe Watts and her children. Bowersock, Contino, and McMillan had traveled from Van Wert, Ohio, to Kentucky. Bowersock's boyfriend, Calvin Reynolds, lived in Laurel County and had been released from jail on October 7, the day before the murders. Bowersock had been attempting to arrange transportation to Kentucky so that she could meet Reynolds and bring him back to Ohio. Contino agreed to accompany her, and McMillan ultimately provided transportation. According to testimony presented at Foley's trial, Foley had become angry with Bowersock because he believed she had accused him of growing and selling marijuana and had caused problems between Foley and his parole officer. Prosecutors presented evidence that Foley made threatening statements after learning that Bowersock was in the area. He later traveled with Gordon Canter to the cabin where Bowersock and the others were gathered. Foley and Canter arrived shortly after 11:30 p.m. Witnesses testified that Foley immediately approached Bowersock and grabbed her by the hair. When Calvin Reynolds got up to assist her, Foley pulled a handgun and began shooting. Reynolds, Bowersock, Contino, and McMillan were all shot and killed. According to the prosecution's theory, Bowersock was the person Foley specifically intended to confront, while the remaining victims were killed because they were present and had witnessed the attack. The crime did not end with the shootings. Testimony established that Foley, David Gross, and Gordon Canter removed valuables from the victims and moved their bodies out of the cabin. McMillan's automobile was driven away and abandoned in Lexington. The following night, the four bodies were placed inside a septic tank on nearby property in the Bald Rock community. Lime was placed with the bodies, and the septic tank was covered with cement in an attempt to conceal what had happened. The four victims effectively disappeared. Their bodies remained hidden for approximately two years. In 1991, after Foley had been arrested in connection with another double murder, witnesses provided investigators with information about the 1989 killings. Authorities searched the Bald Rock property and recovered the four victims from the septic tank in October 1991. Their discovery transformed what had been a long-running missing-person mystery into a four-victim murder investigation. ...

Confirmed Victims: (7)

Zetler Fields Jr , Date of Death: 1976-04-17

Robert Carl Foley | Murderpedia