The Fisher Family

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1:11This podcast may not be appropriate for younger audiences. All parties are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Some names have been changed or omitted per their request or for safety purposes. Listener discretion is advised. My name is Sarah Turney and this is Voices for Justice.

1:35Today I'm discussing the case of the Fisher family. In April 2001, first responders were called to the scene of an explosion and house fire in Scottsdale, Arizona. But as investigators started piecing together what happened, it became clear they were dealing with a lot more than property damage or arson. It was a triple homicide, sparking one of the largest manhunts in the history of Arizona. This is the case of the Fisher family.

2:07Scottsdale, Arizona consistently ranks among the happiest and safest cities in the country. People from all across the globe make the move for their amazing schools, booming job market, and overall quality of life. While Scottsdale isn't shielded from the intense heat of summer, most people come from the high-end shopping in restaurants, resorts, golf courses, hiking, and spas. In 1993, it was coined the most livable city, a title they proudly promote on signs across the city even today. Some kind of see it as this shelter from the crime and poverty rates of Phoenix, despite being right next door.

2:42But as we know, even the cities that feel the safest aren't protected from reality. That's exactly what South Scottsdale realized on the morning of Tuesday, April 10, 2001. Around 8.30 a.m., a deep boom was heard for miles, but the homes near the intersection of Scottsdale and McDowell roads felt it. In that neighborhood, homes began to shake, and some of the windows even shattered. Then the 911 calls started. Some reported a fire at 2223 North 74th Place, but most of them said that an entire house had exploded, and it sounded like a bomb went off. One caller told the dispatcher that everyone in the house was probably dead, and urged them to come before the neighbor's house caught fire too.

3:32Dispatchers listened as they received call after call urging them to come as quickly as possible.

3:43explosion, a fog noise, and a fire. And a fire. Can you see it? Big fire. Can you see it? Big fire. You bet I can see it. Some house just exploded and ignited on fire. Okay. Um, big fire explosion. Okay. I'm going to go ahead and if you see anything else, give me a call, okay? You bet. Hi. Hi. We got a fire and a big explosion. In the general area of 7400, oh, 741th Street and Oak. Uh, yes, I just heard, like, um, like an explosion or something. Around 7400. Oh, yes. Okay, we do have the fire sound ran away from the party. Okay, what's going on then? It's a big fire. What? It's a big fire. It just, like, blew up.

4:28Okay, what's on fire? The whole house. The whole house? The whole house is burning up. They're coming on high. They hit all every damn time there's a fire. They're starting to come in on high.

5:00Neighbors quickly sprang into action trying to contain the fire. but when first responders got to the scene just minutes after the blast, they realized it was a lost cause, especially trying to save anyone who may be inside. The first firefighter on the scene said that he immediately recognized the all-too-familiar smell of burning bodies. As neighbors urged firefighters that a family of four lived in the home, they were forced to take a defensive position from the outside to contain the blaze, deeming it far too unsafe to enter for any possible rescue. And as they did, they continued to hear more sounds of explosions and popping from inside the house.

5:41But in just a matter of minutes, most of the house had burned to the ground. Once it was finally safe to enter the home, they began looking for any possible survivors from the Fisher family. Detectives T.J. Duran and John Kirkham from the Scottsdale PD were also called to the scene. While most of the home was gone, there was still some framing left, and the semblance of a floor plan. In each bedroom, they found a body lying in bed. I've seen the photos, and they're not easy to look at, but it's basically bones, ash, and the metal coils from the mattress that remained. There was no sign that anyone even attempted to escape the house after the explosion.

6:21In the documentary Where is Robert Fisher, Detective Duran went as far as to say that they looked like they were lying comfortably in bed when the explosion happened. He and Detective Kirkham immediately knew that they were dealing with a triple homicide. And that night, the local news reported that while the remains of 38-year-old Mary, 12-year-old Brittany, and 10-year-old Bobby Fisher had been recovered from the scene, the patriarch of the family, 39-year-old Robert Fisher, was missing. This episode of Voices for Justice is brought to you by Quince. I've been doing a little spring reset with my closet lately, focusing more on quality over quantity.

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8:32But let's start with the fire. Investigators quickly realized that this was no accident. Gasoline was poured throughout the bedrooms and onto the bodies of Mary, Brittany, and Bobby. They also discovered a broken natural gas line from the furnace. They determined that the home filled with this gas for several hours before finally being ignited by a candle placed in the hallway between the bedrooms. That's what triggered the larger explosion. They also found a firecracker and a battery attached to wire and foil paper. It was clear that whoever did this knew exactly what they were doing and had many fail-safes in place to ensure that the home would burn down.

9:13Now, let's talk about how Mary, Brittany, and Bobby passed. None of the three victims had soot in their lungs. They died before the explosion and the fire. They were either in bed when they passed or placed in them after, though most investigators do lean towards them being killed in their sleep. Ten-year-old Bobby Fisher's body was the least burned. He was found face down in his bed in his briefs. This position did protect his chest and forearms from the flames. His cause of death was a deep laceration to his throat. So deep it went all the way to his cervical vertebrae and nearly decapitated him.

9:53The same goes for 12-year-old Brittany and her mother, 38-year-old Mary. Investigators believe all three had their throats slit in their sleep, nearly decapitating them. Now, identifying their bodies wasn't easy Forensic anthropologists were called in to perform bone impressions on the remains And at first, Brittany's body was initially mistaken for her mom's But there was one thing that set them apart The medical examiner determined that Mary was the only one who'd also been shot in the head That was after x-rays revealed bullet fragments in her skull Detectives have coined this the F.U. shot It was clear this was an extremely violent and intentional set of crimes, and for obvious reasons the story was all over the news for days.

10:42It seemed like the whole world was talking about the Fisher family, but only one member was still very noticeably absent, Robert Fisher, Mary's husband and the father of their two children. Missing with him was the family's SUV and their dog, Blue. So let's talk about Robert Fisher and his last known movements. The day before the fire, Robert attended work as usual at the Mayo Clinic, where he worked as a respiratory therapist. But he did leave early to attend a ceremony at Brittany's school, where she was inducted into the National Junior Honor Society. Robert's co-workers say he was in a good mood and excited for his daughter.

11:22While Robert and Brittany were at the school, Mary took Bobby to their church for a hunting safety course. After that, Robert changed the oil in his truck, which was later found charred in the driveway and left behind. But something seemed to happen in the home that night, because neighbors told investigators that at about 10 p.m., they could hear Robert and Mary fighting. Then at 10.42 p.m., Robert's seen on surveillance video and marries 2000 Silver Toyota 4Runner at a Bank One ATM near his home. There, he withdrew$280 in cash, the maximum daily limit for the account. In that black-and-white video, he's wearing an Oakland Raiders baseball hat, a long-sleeved t-shirt, and hiking boots.

12:08Then, Robert fails to show up for work the following morning. Now, at this point, Robert isn't a suspect. Investigators are hoping he hears the news of what happened at his home and comes back to help. He was truly a pillar in the community, so they don't have much reason to believe that he killed his entire family and ran. That is, until they dig deeper. Now that we know Robert's movements before the murders, let's start from the very beginning to get a better understanding of who this man really is. Robert was born in Brooklyn, New York, on April 13, 1961. So all this happened just days before his 40th birthday.

12:47He was the middle child between two sisters, and at some point the family moves to Tucson, Arizona, where Robert spends most of his childhood. But while he's in high school, at the age of 14, his parents get divorced, which left a lasting impact on him. His younger sister, Jean, said that out of all the siblings, Robert took the divorce the hardest. Because of this, he would often say that he would never put his children through a divorce. According to reporting by Ann Ryman for the Arizona Republic who outlines Robert's past in detail, in 1979, Robert graduated from Saguaro High School and joined the Navy.

13:24He was stationed in San Diego, California, and became trained in aircraft handling and fuels. But after failing to meet the standards to become a Navy SEAL, Robert was extremely disappointed and chose not to re-enlist in 1982. However, he did use the knowledge he gained in the Navy to obtain a position as a firefighter with the Borrego Springs Fire Protection District in San Diego County. Then in 1984, he met Mary through a social group at his Baptist church. She was beautiful with blonde hair and blue eyes. They were married within a year. Not long after, however, Robert got hurt on a call. This resulted in back surgery and a medical discharge.

14:04In 1986, Robert and Mary moved back to Arizona, where her family was from as well. The three-bedroom home they purchased on 74th place was close to Mary's parents, which was helpful as they welcomed their first child, Brittany Jean, in 1988. She actually made the news. Well, kind of. On May 11th, 1989, when Robert was 28 years old, he and Brittany were featured on the local news after Robert shot a dog. So let's get into it. He says that at about 3 p.m. while he was leaving for work, he saw a stray dog, a 70-pound pit bull in his front yard, and it was growling at him. Robert's 75-pound black lab named Ruger came out the front door.

14:48Robert tried to call him back, but the two dogs began fighting, specifically under the swing that Brittany was in. So Robert said he went inside, grabbed his 9mm, and fired one shot at the dog from 4 feet away. The pit bull walked off, and Robert took his dog Ruger to the vet to be treated for cuts. The pit bull was eventually picked up by animal control and treated for the wound. The man who saw and reported the injured pit bull to animal control told John Schoder with the Arizona Republic that it appeared the dog was shot in the back with the exit wound through the stomach. The pit bull survived, but Robert Fisher was not sighted, nor did he face any charges.

15:31The following year in 1990, William Jr., or Bobby, was born. Now, by this time, Robert obtained an associate degree in the medical field and transitioned his career to working as both a respiratory therapist and cardiovascular technician. He still had issues with his back, but he was able to maintain a career. Like I mentioned earlier, he was eventually hired at the Mayo Clinic Hospital, where he was described as prompt, reliable, compassionate, and friendly. And Mary worked part-time at a medical supply company. They were very much this picture of a perfect family from the outside. Robert worked hard to provide for his family, while Mary mostly stayed home.

16:13Brittany excelled in school as well as in basketball and softball, and Bobby played the trumpet. In home videos, Robert's really seen as this great family man, teaching his kids how to swim and ride a bike. In his off time, he enjoyed hunting and camping. But those around the family say that Robert was far from perfect. He was controlling and sometimes outright mean to Mary. Despite also working, she was expected to keep the house immaculately clean on her own. Some of Mary's friends say that Robert wouldn't even allow a junk drawer in the home and demanded that every item in the home be organized.

16:52And there were more stories. The Fishers and other families would often go on camping trips together. where they'd report that Robert really just bossed Mary around. It was her job to do basically everything involving cooking, cleaning, and the kids. Family friend Beth Roden recalls one trip where Mary forgot to pack salt and pepper, so she just used the Roden seasonings instead. Though Robert was served a seasoned steak, he continually chastised Mary for forgetting the seasonings. Robert was also controlling with money. He paid the bills, but anything extra had to come from Mary's paychecks. like the family computer, her sewing machine, and any treats or fast food for the kids.

17:33He also put Mary on a schedule, demanding they have sex at least every other day. Mary expressed irritation with Robert's high sex drive, telling one friend, quote, I think he just wants to because he can. Five minutes and it's no big deal. It was like dishes, laundry, sex, end quote. Now, despite Robert's extreme aversion to divorce, it sure seemed like he wasn't trying to avoid it. In 1998, he cheated on Mary, stating he had an encounter during a massage. But Mary wasn't a pushover. She'd often stand up to Robert, and in this instance, kicked him out of the house completely. So Robert drove north to a forest near Payson, Arizona, where he decided to camp until Mary would take him back.

18:21He also wrote Mary a letter basically threatening to die by suicide if she didn't. He told her he would stay in the woods for a month to ruminate on his actions, but he came home just a few days later. After this, he pledged to be a better husband and a better person. He attended church more often, kept Bible verses in his pocket, helped his community and his friends. But in December 2000, just a few months before the murders, it seems there was another incident. Robert went in for a massage and came back with a urinary tract infection. He told a friend that the encounter didn't involve sex technically, but it was close, and he disclosed his fear that his wife and family would find out, specifically from the church.

19:06This really seems like the time when Robert began to change a lot. He took a step back from the church, he stopped going to the gym, and he began taking heavy medications for pain and anxiety. Things weren't great between he and Mary, and it's unclear if she ever found out about the second incident of cheating. But Robert continually told those around him that divorce was not an option. And it appeared that the week of the murders, he did have plans to spend more time with his family. He'd requested that Friday off so he could go camping with his wife and children for his 40th birthday. Like I told you earlier, he'd even changed the oil in his truck.

19:43Investigators also discovered that he'd purchased a water filter and dozens of water filtration tablets, possibly for the trip. So, after investigators realized the Fisher family home wasn't an accidental fire, and there was a triple homicide, they were a bit split on what to think about Robert. He surely wasn't the perfect husband, but was he capable of killing his entire family? Was he another victim in this, or was he the perpetrator? Well, they definitely had their suspicions, because on April 14th, the Arizona Department of Public Safety issued a statewide bulletin declaring Robert Fisher a person of interest in the case and calling for his arrest.

20:29Then, just 10 days after the Fisher home exploded, law enforcement found another major clue. It was Mary's missing SUV, 100 miles from home. On April 20, 2001, ten days after most of the Fisher family was found murdered in their burnt-down home, a local man spotted Mary Fisher's missing Toyota 4Runner 100 miles away in the Tonto National Forest near Payson, Arizona, not far from where Robert liked to camp. Specifically, it was found off a pretty bumpy dirt road, Ponderosa Road. It was also just 300 yards west of the border of the Fort Apache Reservation. The witness added that not long after seeing the forerunner, they saw a man matching Robert's description walking north on the road with a backpack.

21:20So obviously this changes everything if the man seen leaving the scene was truly Robert Fisher. While investigators certainly had their suspicions that Robert may have been the person who killed his family, this basically cemented it for them. So let's talk about the scene. The inside of the forerunner has been described as clean as a whistle, and neatly organized, just the way Robert liked it. They believe the vehicle was cleaned after it was parked to remove any forensic evidence as well. Because they didn't find any. But inside, they also found the Oakland Raiders baseball cap Robert was wearing in the surveillance video.

21:58There was also a coffee mug, camping chair, handwritten directions, a map, a book, and some loose change. What seemed to be missing was any luggage, cash, and the.357 Magnum revolver Robert was known to carry at all times. It was actually the only gun missing from the house after the fire. The same gun investigators would later speculate was used to shoot Mary, since every other gun found in the house was not a match to her wounds after ballistic testing. Now, while the inside of the forerunner was very clean, the same can't be said for the outside, as investigators discovered human feces near the door.

22:39As investigators believe the shot to Mary's head was likely the F.U. shot, as they say, they believe this may have been another deliberate statement from Robert Fisher. They also discovered something under the forerunner. It was Blue, the family's two-year-old Queensland healer mix. He's been described as well-trained, and Mary was the one who took him on walks, but each night, Bobby was the one Blue crawled into bed with. So he wasn't an aggressive animal, but he was obviously terrified. He wasn't tethered, but he did make himself a bed under the SUV. He also had nearly 100 porcupine quills in his nose, so he was also in pain.

23:24Understandably, when members of law enforcement tried to catch him, he ran. So they called in an expert, a veterinarian from Payson named Patty Blackmore. She was actually performing surgery when she got the call about Blue. But as soon as it was over, she grabbed a friend and headed out to the forest. She told Ann Ryman with the Arizona Republic that officers asked her if she brought a stun gun for Blue. And she told them that they watch way too much TV. Now, as she's getting closer to Blue, she noticed that investigators brought in a tow truck to load up Mary's forerunner. And she immediately shut that down, explaining that the vehicle was the only thing keeping Blue in the area.

24:05She theorized that Blue was likely left in the SUV with the windows down, but eventually jumped out the window to search for food, or to chase the porcupine. But Blue eventually returned, hoping Robert would come back for him. So she shuts all that down, makes them leave the SUV where it's at, and she goes for Blue. She even tells the officers to stay in their cars while she handles it. I love her. She's like, get out of the way, stop doing what you're doing, I'm gonna get this dog. And she used the very scientific method of throwing pieces of donut to Blue until she could get close enough to slip a leash over his head.

24:42No stun gun needed. She does tranquilize him, though, so she could remove the porcupine quills. Now, with Blue secured and removed from the scene, investigators and search teams began scouring the area for Robert Fisher. They weren't immediately allowed on the reservation, so they looked in the other direction while tribal rangers conducted their own separate searches. It quickly became one of the largest manhunts in Arizona history. About 200 law enforcement officers from the Scottsdale PD, Gila County Sheriff's Office, and the White Mountain Apache Rangers joined in. Now, like I mentioned, this is a forest, a true forest, so ground teams including canine units are looking through rugged terrain, thick vegetation, and really what's been described as a labyrinth of at least 30 caves.

25:31The prevailing theory at this point was that Robert may be hiding in one of these caves with his gun ready to shoot as they moved in. They were treating him as armed and extremely dangerous. From above, there were several helicopters assisting in the search. But it seems like they were really betting on him being in one of these caves. Robert did have a history of exploring caves and spelunking before he went into the Navy. They speculated he might be able to hide underground for weeks without coming out. And while they were able to get into most areas of these caves, they also sent specialized sewer cameras into tighter areas.

26:08But they did not see Robert Fisher. The only thing they really found were footprints leading to a spring. These were followed, but the trail eventually ended. They searched for a few days before calling it off due to the lack of leads and the unseasonable snowstorms in the area. But of course, this was major news not only in Arizona, but across the country. There was a suspected family annihilator on the run. Now, while the search was massive manpower-wise, it's also been highly criticized. One neighbor says that the SWAT teams they used were not trained to search wilderness areas like this, and they felt that the search area of one square mile around the SUV just wasn't enough.

26:52And then we find out something that is going to upset everyone. Or at least it really upset me. A man named Herb Greenback, an acquaintance of Robert, comes forward. He says that he'd already given the police a tip to go search the Tonto National Forest. He didn't know Robert well, but they'd gone camping together a few weeks before the murders. When he saw what happened on the news, he called investigators on the night of the fire and told them about the trip. He said Robert Fisher was acting very odd. He'd pointed out a commune in the area and said, you can't find them. And at the end of the trip, Robert told him he didn't think he'd be doing this anymore.