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The 1990 murder of Robin Enockson in North Dakota became one of the many unsolved cases for the years to come. Enockson was shot multiple times in his trailer home, and his body was found by his father a day or two later.
While the Driscoll Police Department kept hunting for clues to find the suspected killer, the lack of evidence made the investigation all the more difficult. Robin Enockson's case was finally solved in 2004 when Edward Reitan came forward confessing to his crimes.
The Murder In The Heartland episode titled Marriage into Mayhem showcases the details of the cold case of 14 years. The official synopsis of the episode reads,
"After a cattle rancher turns up dead in his trailer home, the minuscule town of Driscoll, North Dakota, points fingers at everyone in the small population. Left with little evidence, it takes over a decade to hone in on his executioner."
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Episode 13 of season 6 airs on Wednesday, April 24, 2024, at 9 pm EST on Investigation Discovery.
Five details about Robin Enockson's murder explored
1) Enockson was shot in the head multiple times after he had retired for the night
Robin Enockson was found shot to death in his trailer home in North Dakota on December 20, 1990. He was shot multiple times with a .22 caliber rifle. However, the murder weapon was not found until a few construction workers unearthed it two decades later, per The Jamestown Sun.
Robin Enockson was a 34-year-old cattle rancher in Driscoll who lived out of his trailer home. According to The Spokesman-Review, a reward of $20,000 was announced for information in the case but was withdrawn soon after.
2) The reason behind the murder was an argument
Robin Enockson was shot to death following an argument with Edward Reitan, who lived in the basement of Enockson's mother-in-law's home. He had learned of Enockson's argument with his wife and had visited him at his trailer to confront him about the same.
Both Robin and Edward were drunk during the confrontation. According to The Bismarck Tribune report, the former had retired to bed when Edward pulled the trigger on his head.
3) Robin Enockson was found dead a day or two after his murder
Robin Enockson was reportedly found dead by his father, Cliff Enockson, in his trailer home. Cliff lived across the street from his son and had visited his mobile home when he alerted the Driscoll Police Department. The police had determined the time of death to be a day or two before the discovery of the body, per The Spokesman-Review.
The police struggled with the investigation as much of the evidence had been erased by a blizzard.
4) Edward Reitan confessed to the crimes in May 2004
In May 2004, the Burleigh County Sheriff’s Department received a 911 call from Edward Reitan confessing to the murder of Robin Enockson. Edward had moved to the Tri-Cities area later and had traveled down to a gas station opposite the Sheriff's Office in Bismarck to admit his crimes.
According to State’s Attorney Richard Riha, Edward Reitan had an extensive criminal history dating back to 1975 that included robbery, domestic violence, forgery, theft, kidnapping, r*pe, and drug offenses. He had reportedly picked up a waitress from a Marmarth bar and s*xually assaulted her.
5) Reitan was sentenced to life in prison without parole
Following Edward Reitan's confession, officers from the service station across the street escorted him to the Burleigh County Sheriff's Department. He was held without a bond and charged with Enockson's murder the same day.
Despite turning himself in, Reitan had originally pleaded not guilty during the trial in hopes of a shorter sentence. However, he was ultimately sentenced to life in prison for the class AA murder charge, according to The Bismarck Tribune.
Watch episode 13 of season 6 of Murder In The Heartland on Investigation Discovery on April 24, 2024.
