Appeals Court Upholds Conviction In 1991 Croydon Cold Case Murder

Robert Francis Atkins being led into court. Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com

A Pennsylvania appeals court has upheld the conviction and life sentence of Robert Francis Atkins for the 1991 murder of Joy Hibbs, a cold case that went unsolved for three decades.

The Superior Court of Pennsylvania panel recently affirmed the February 2024 conviction of 58-year-old Atkins.

The judges rejected his challenges to the sufficiency and weight of the evidence, as well as the admissibility of certain testimony,according to court records.

Atkins was sentenced to life imprisonment plus 10 years after being found guilty of first-degree murder and two counts of arson.

The case revolved around the April 1991 murder of Joy Hibbs, whose body was discovered in her burning home in Bristol Township’s Croydon section. Initially, her death was thought to be fire-related, but an autopsy two days later revealed she had been stabbed multiple times and died before the fire began.

According to court documents and information revealed in court, the investigation found that Hibbs and her husband regularly purchased marijuana from Atkins. Her then-12-year-old son, David Hibbs, overheard an argument between his mother and Atkins concerning the quality of marijuana.

“I will f**king kill you and blow up your house,” Atkins allegedly yelled at Hibbs.

Key evidence presented at trial included testimony from Atkins’ ex-wife, April Atkins.

April Atkins stated that on the day of the murder, Atkins returned home covered in blood, showered, washed his clothes, and immediately took the family on an unplanned trip to the Poconos.

April Atkins said her then-husband, who lived in Falls Township’s Fairless Hills section until his 2022 arrest, disposed of a bag in the woods behind their hotel the next day.

April Atkins explained her years-long delay in reporting the key details by saying she was subjected to physical, mental and verbal abuse from her ex-husband, with whom she shares a son.

The initial investigation was hindered by Atkins’ status as a confidential informant for the Bristol Township Police Department, with one detective preventing another from interviewing him as a prime suspect.

The case went cold for over two decades until a renewed investigation by Bristol Township police and the Bucks County District Attorney’s office.

Communications between April Atkins and Robert Atkins, including a text with knife and fire emoticons after she spoke with officers, further implicated him. The communications were intercepted by county detectives.

An inmate said that Atkins nodded his head when asked if he committed the crime, which the inmate interpreted as an admission of guilt.

The appeals court upheld the trial court’s decision to admit testimony about Atkins’ threat to a neighbor, finding it relevant to identify him given the similar threat made to the victim.

The judges also found no error in admitting April Atkins’ testimony about spousal abuse, as it explained why she did not come forward sooner.

While the court had granted a pre-trial motion to exclude evidence of drug use, it ruled that testimony about Atkins’ drug dealing and informant status was admissible to explain why the investigation stalled.

The court also dismissed Atkins’ argument that evidence of April Atkins’ 2022 unrelated theft arrest in Morrisville Borough and participation in an Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD) program should have been admitted at trial to show bias.

The court noted that April Atkins testimony was consistent before and after her arrest, and an ARD program, which is for first-time offenders, does not equal a conviction.

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