Human remains were discovered by an excavation crew in the Hudson Valley last week. The crew found a badly decomposed skeleton while preparing for a new home build in Patterson. Despite the lack of clues to identify the body, it was confirmed not to be that of Robin Murphy, who went missing in 1995 at the age of 17. The victim had been deceased for more than 10 years, sparking hope initially that the case of the missing Murphy could finally be solved.
Robin Murphy disappeared around the same time as 12-year-old Josette Wright, whose remains were found in 1995 near where the recent discovery was made. There was excitement in Putnam County that the remains could be Murphy’s, but hopes were dashed when DNA testing did not match Murphy’s profile. The family of Robin Murphy, who have endured years of uncertainty, had hoped for some closure and justice. The main suspect in Murphy’s case, Howard Gombert, had never been charged due to lack of evidence, despite being linked to the disappearance and murder of both Murphy and Wright.
Howard Gombert, who is currently in prison in Connecticut for rape, has been a prime suspect in the cases of Robin Murphy and Josette Wright. However, without concrete evidence, he was never formally charged. The two men who were charged with the rape and murder of Josette Wright had also implicated Gombert in the crimes. Despite the suspicions and allegations against him, Gombert has never faced trial for the disappearances. State troopers are continuing their investigations to try and identify the remains that were discovered, as the case is still in the early stages.
The discovery of human remains in Patterson sparked hope that a missing persons case from 1995 could finally be solved. However, DNA testing revealed that the remains did not belong to Robin Murphy, who disappeared that year. The victim had been dead for over a decade, leading to more questions than answers in the ongoing investigation. The family and friends of Robin Murphy had held out hope that the remains would bring closure and justice, but those hopes were crushed with the DNA results.
The link between the missing person cases of Robin Murphy and Josette Wright has brought renewed interest to these decades-old mysteries. The two disappearances, which happened around the same time in Putnam County, have remained unsolved for years. Howard Gombert has long been suspected in both cases, but without sufficient evidence, no charges have been filed against him. The recent discovery of human remains in Patterson has once again raised questions about what happened to Murphy and Wright, and whether Gombert could be connected to their disappearances.
State troopers are actively working on identifying the human remains that were found in Patterson, as the investigation into the missing persons cases of Robin Murphy and Josette Wright continues. The discovery of the badly decomposed skeleton has brought renewed attention to the unsolved mysteries in Putnam County, with hopes that new evidence may eventually lead to answers. Despite the disappointments and setbacks in the search for justice for Murphy and Wright, authorities are committed to pursuing all leads and identifying the remains to hopefully bring some closure to these long-standing cases.
