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Four days after Robin's supposed disappearance, her body was found in the Ohio River, and now 32-year-old Christopher Baxter, a native of New Albany, is accused of killing his wife in the 1990s. The lack of evidence caused the case to go cold, but an inmate in the local jail provided a tip that sped up the inquiry.
Christopher Baxter was arrested on February 2, 2012, and charged with first-degree murder of his wife. However, there had been signs of physical assault as Robin's skull was crushed and her face had lacerations. Christopher is presently serving a 55-year sentence.
The upcoming Murder in the Heartland episode titled Solving the Unsolvable showcases this case for viewers worldwide. The synopsis of the episode reads,
"When Robin Baxter is found dead floating in the Ohio River, the entire town of New Albany, Indiana, bands together to find who's responsible. It takes over 20 years of crossing off suspects before an elusive clue cracks the case open."
The episode airs on Tuesday, December 6, 2023, at 9 p.m. EST on Investigation Discovery.
Who is Christopher Baxter and where is he now? Details explored
Christopher Baxter was a resident of New Albany and lived with his wife Robin Lynn Baxter at his 1800 block of Troy Street home. On the night of June 19, 1990, Robin Baxter allegedly went missing. Her body was pulled out of the Ohio River near Shawnee Park in Louisville four days later on June 23, 1990, following which her husband, Christopher, was contacted by the local police.
Christopher gave them an overview of the evening Robin went missing saying that the couple argued before he woke up to her missing from their New Albany home around 4 a.m. According to court documents, Christopher broke the Plexiglass installed in the back door during the argument.
A second interview by the New Albany Police Department on June 25, 1990, revealed Christopher mentioning that he may have blacked out during the fallout as he had trouble recalling everything that went down between the two.
How was Christopher Baxter convicted?
The medical examination of Robin Baxter's body indicated contrary to what the officers had believed, she had suffered head injuries from a blunt weapon. According to Floyd County Prosecutor Keith Henderson during Christopher Baxter's trial,
“This victim was found with a crushed skull. She received several blows to her head by this man who was found guilty of this crime. She was not only beat to death, but her body was drug from her home and dumped into the Ohio River.”
Pictures showing the Baxter pair with a lead pipe in the backdrop were given to the New Albany Police Department by Robin's mother in October 1990. This pipe, which Christopher always kept next to his closet, was rumored to be his self-defense weapon. Upon further investigation, the officers found new tenants at the Baxter residence who, in turn, confirmed the weapon as they had chanced upon it rather unusually.
The new tenant had accidentally blown a hole through the drywall while moving furniture when he discovered a lead pipe, a pair of gloves, and tissue paper concealed inside the wall.
After a police informant had Christopher admit to his crimes during an undercover operation in the Portland neighborhood of Louisville, he was arrested on February 2, 2012. Baxter faced a speedy two and a half days of trial where he was charged with first-degree murder of Robin Baxter.
According to News and Tribune, Baxter was sentenced to a 55-year life sentence by Floyd County Superior Court No. 3 Judge Maria Granger. Judge Granger claimed that in addition to taking his wife's life brutally, Baxter had also disregarded authority figures throughout his life. He had been detained 13 times for misdemeanors, many of which involved alcohol, between the age of 16 and 2002.
Christopher Baxter is presently serving 55 years in prison and is due to be released earliest in 2039.
