| Robison family murders | |
|---|---|
 Family portrait of Richard and Shirley Robison and their four children | |
| Location | Good Hart, Readmond Township, Michigan, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 45°34′02″N 85°06′48″W / 45.56722°N 85.11333°W |
| Date | June 25, 1968 |
Attack type | Mass shooting, mass murder |
| Weapons |
|
| Deaths | 6 |
| Perpetrator | Joseph Raymond Scolaro III (alleged)[1] |
| Motive | Unknown. Possible concealment of alleged perpetrator's embezzlement from his employer.[2] |
| Charges | Unattributable due to suicide of prime suspect |
The Robison family murders (also known as the Good Hart murders) are an unsolved mass murder which occurred in the secluded resort area of Good Hart, Michigan, on June 25, 1968.[3] The victims were a vacationing upper-middle-class family from Lathrup Village who were shot and killed inside their Lake Michigan holiday cottage, with two decedents also bludgeoned with a hammer prior to death.[4] Their bodies remained undiscovered until July 22.[5]
Following an exhaustive investigation by the Michigan State Police and the Emmet County Sheriff's Office,[6][4] initial investigations were completed in December 1969, with ample circumstantial evidence indicating the perpetrator was a senior employee of Richard Robison's named Joseph Raymond Scolaro III, who had engaged in embezzlement which his employer is known to have discovered and begun investigating shortly before his murder.[7]
Emmett County prosecutors initially determined insufficient evidence existed to successfully prosecute Scolaro, who committed suicide in March 1973 at age 34—reportedly upon hearing of his likely impending indictment for the murders following the reopening of the case and discovery of further physical evidence attesting to his guilt.[8] He remains the sole and prime suspect in the murders.[9]
At the time of their commission and discovery, the Robison family murders were considered the worst case of mass murder in Michigan history.[10] Officially, the case remains open.[11]
- ^ "After 40 Years, Unsolved Good Hart Slayings Still Mystify and Fascinate". Traverse City Record-Eagle. June 21, 2008. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
- ^ "Robison Case: Scolaro Was Prime Suspect". Detroit Free Press. July 4, 1993. p. 48. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
- ^ Clock, Bob (July 22, 1988). "Anniversary Stirs Memories of Murders". Petoskey News-Review. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
- ^ a b Clarke, Kayla (July 10, 2022). "Northern Michigan Massacre: Bodies Discovered a Month After Family was Shot, Beaten and Murdered". WDIV-TV. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
- ^ Sullivan, Patricia (July 7, 2018). "The Good Hart Murders: Case Closed". Northern Express. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
- ^ "Case Evidence Report: CR 4114-08-785-66". Michigan State Police. December 17, 1969. Retrieved July 4, 2024.
- ^ When Evil Came to Good Hart ISBN 978-0-472-02196-3 p. 173
- ^ "Robison Associate Commits Suicide". Lansing State Journal. Associated Press. March 10, 1973. p. 2. Retrieved July 16, 2024.
- ^ Clock, Bob (July 21, 1978). "Robison Bodies Found Ten Years Ago Tomorrow: 6 Murders in Good Hart Still Cloaked in Mystery". Petoskey News-Review. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
- ^ "Robison Family Murders: 45 Years Later". Upnorthlive.com. November 17, 2013. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
- ^ Schollett, Mark (August 13, 2015) [November 17, 2013]. "Robison Family Murders Considered Solved by Many 45 Years Later". Upnorthlive.com. Retrieved July 2, 2024.