In 2016, Robert Campbell, 72, was found guilty of orchestrating the 2011 kidnapping and murder of his nephew Russell "Rusty" Porter and his wife Rebecca Porter of Willard over a property feud. The investigation revealed that Campbell bribed a man named Tony Friend, his brother-in-law, to murder the couple while he was out of town driving a semi-trailer to Texas at the time of the crime.
Campbell, a former resident of Greene County, was given two consecutive life sentences for two counts of second-degree murder and became the fifth person to be imprisoned in connection with the couple's shooting murders. Sources state that he is currently serving time at the Jefferson City Correctional Center in Cole County, Missouri.
Murder in the Heartland on ID is scheduled to revisit the brutal murder-for-hire case of Russell and Rebecca Porter, orchestrated by the former's uncle Robert Campbell. The episode titled Orders of Protection will air this Wednesday, December 14 at 9:00 pm ET.
Ahead of the episode's premiere, here's everything to know about the case, the months-long investigation, and the ultimate convictions of the conspirator, the hired hitman, and the accomplices.
Russell and Rebecca Porter's murder for hire case saw the conviction of the former's uncle, Robert Campbell
The murder-for-hire case of Russell and Rebecca Porter, which took place in April 2011, resulted in the conviction of five suspects, including Robert Campbell, one of the victims' uncles.
The couple was kidnapped from their farmhouse in Willard, after which the hired hitman and his accomplices drove them to an area near Cedar Creek, where they were shot dead in the woods. Their remains were discovered months later in July 2011 in a secluded, rural area.
Campbell, according to the prosecution, was convicted of orchestrating a plot to hire Tony Friend, his brother-in-law, to abduct and kill the Porters while he himself was out of town. Friend then enlisted his wife, son, and cousin to assist him with the same. Moreover, Campbell's wife was also involved in the plot.
The couple, who resided in Willard next door to Campbell, were taken from their house in the early hours of April 18, 2011, restrained with zip ties, and taken by Tony Friend, his son Phillip, wife Windy, and cousin Dusty Hicks to the Cedar Creek area. Tony allegedly took the couple into the woods and shot them dead. It was alleged that Campbell paid $100,000 to hire the hitman.
Who were the other suspects alongside Robert Campbell in the Porters's murder case?
Phillip Friend was the first to confess and pleaded guilty to the murders in 2013 while also testifying against his co-conspirators. He reportedly told investigators that Tony told him that they were only going to take them and scare them into moving, and that he only participated in the kidnapping because he "was given the ultimatum, it was my family or theirs."
In 2013, Tony pleaded guilty and was given two life sentences without the possibility of parole. Dusty was given two life sentences, and Windy Friend's case went to trial, where she was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Campbell's wife, Carolyn, who was also involved, was charged with perjury, but soon died by suicide.
Where is Robert Campbell now?
Sources state that Robert Campbell, who was found guilty of two counts of second-degree murder and was given two life sentences with the possibility of parole at the age of 72, will most likely serve his final remaining years in prison. He remains at the Jefferson City Correctional Center in Cole County, Missouri.
Tune in to ID's Murder in the Heartland on Wednesday, December 14, to learn more about the crimes of Robert Campbell, who orchestrated the 2011 murders of his nephew Russell Porter and his wife Rebecca.