Robert Francis Van Wisse

Robert Francis Van Wisse (born February 3, 1965)[1] is an American criminal who was added to the FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list in December 2016, in relation to a sexual assault and murder in Austin, Texas in September 1983. In January 2017, he surrendered to U.S. officials. On March 28, 2017, Van Wisse pled guilty to murder and was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

Robert Francis Van Wisse
FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitive
ChargesUnlawful Flight to Avoid Prosecution - Murder
RewardUp to $100,000
AliasFrancisco Salas, Roberto Francisco Salas, Robert F. Vanwisse, Robert Wisse, Robert F. Van Wisse, Robert Francis Vanwise, Robert Vanwisse
Description
Born (1965-02-03) February 3, 1965
Guadalajara, Mexico
NationalityMexican
GenderMale
Height5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)
Weight180 lb (82 kg)
OccupationEnglish teacher in Mexico, possibly a medical or agricultural worker
Status
ConvictionsMurder
Penalty30 years in prison
AddedDecember 13, 2016
SurrenderedJanuary 26, 2017
Number511
Surrendered

Crime

On September 19, 1983, Laurie Stout, who owned a janitorial service in Austin with her husband, went into a building which she was hired to clean. Her body was found at 8:30 am the following morning in the second floor men's bathroom where she was working. She had been sexually assaulted and murdered.[2] The Austin Police Department later ruled Stout’s death was a homicide due to strangulation and asphyxia.[3]

Everyone who was in the building that evening was questioned, including 18-year-old Van Wisse, who was late registering for a class at the University of Texas at the time. He was given fingerprinting and DNA testing, and ruled out as a suspect at the time due to the under developed DNA technology in 1983.[4]

Cold case investigation

In 1992, an investigator was hired to reopen the cold case. She found that the 1983 testing of Van Wisse's DNA was misleading due to outdated technology, and after reevaluation he was determined to be the prime suspect.[5]

On October 3, 1996, a state arrest warrant was issued for Van Wisse in Travis County, Texas, after he was charged in Stout's murder. On March 6, 1997, Van Wisse was also charged with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution and a Federal arrest warrant was issued for Van Wisse by the United States District Court in Austin.[6] On December 13, 2016, Van Wisse became the 511th person added to the FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list, with a $100,000 reward.[7][5] On January 26, 2017, he surrendered to U.S. officials in Laredo, Texas at the Mexican border.[8][9]

On March 28, 2017, Van Wisse pled guilty to murder and was sentenced to 30 years in prison. His attorneys, Perry Minton and Rick Flores, said that plea deal negotiations were started before Van Wisse turned himself in.[10][11]

See also

References
  1. "Wanted by the FBI: New Top Ten Fugitive Robert Francis Van Wisse". FBI. Retrieved December 19, 2016.
  2. Stephen, Feller (26 January 2017). "Fugitive on FBI 'most wanted' list for '83 Texas murder surrenders". UPI. United Press International, Inc. Retrieved 18 September 2017.
  3. Staff (13 December 2016). "FBI: Man wanted in strangling of Austin mother more than 30 years ago". CW39 NewsFix. KIAH • A TRIBUNE BROADCASTING STATION. Retrieved 18 September 2017.
  4. Catherine, Townsend (20 December 2016). "Texas Man Charged With Strangling Young Mother To Death In 1983 Makes FBI's Ten Most Wanted List - CrimeFeed". CrimeFeed. Discovery Communications, LLC. Retrieved 18 September 2017.
  5. Bien, Calily; Glas, Brittany. "1983 Austin murder suspect added to FBI's Top 10 Most Wanted list". KXAN. Retrieved December 18, 2016.
  6. "Former UT student linked to 1983 killing added to FBI Most Wanted list". KVUE-ABC. KVUE-TV, A TEGNA Company. 14 December 2016. Retrieved 18 September 2017.
  7. "Van Wisse's FBI Top 10 Most Wanted Fugitive Alert". FBI. Retrieved December 18, 2016.
  8. Villalpando, Roberto; Hall, Katie (January 26, 2017). "Fugitive in 1983 Austin cold case surrenders to authorities". Austin American-Statesman. Nexstar Broadcasting. Retrieved January 27, 2017.
  9. CRIMESIDER STAFF (27 January 2017). "FBI "10 Most Wanted" fugitive, wanted in 1983 slaying, turns self in". CBS/AP. AUSTIN, Texas: CBS Interactive Inc. Retrieved 18 September 2017.
  10. Bien, Calily (March 28, 2017). "Austin man who was on FBI's Most Wanted gets 30 years for murder". KXAN. Nexstar Broadcasting. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  11. Claiborne, Casey (28 March 2017). "Van Wisse pleads guilty in 1983 murder of Laurie Stout". KTBC. Twenty-First Century Fox, Inc. Fox News. Retrieved 18 September 2017.
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