Jania Ashlynn
Deborah Lee Atrops was assaulted and strangled by her husband. She was then placed in the trunk of her vehicle and abandoned. Her body was discovered on December 1st, 1988.
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Her murder went unsolved for 35 years, but now, the truth has come to light. After decades of turmoil, her husband, 68-year-old Robert Elmer Atrops has been arrested and officially charged with Deborah’s murder.
Closing In
Atrops was arrested on March 2 in his Newberg, Oregon home. All information surrounding the case was obtained through a Washington County District Attorney’s Office.
In November 1988, Robert reported Deborah missing. The couple had been separated for five months, but they were still married to one another, living in the same Salem apartment unit with their daughter who was 8 months old at the time.
The release states that on November 29, Robert went to pick up their daughter from the babysitter while Deborah was at a hair appointment in Tigard. She was supposed to arrive back at their home around 8 p.m. but she never arrived.
Further Investigation
Robert placed several calls to family members and friends asking if they had seen or heard from Deborah that day. When his efforts came up short, he officially reported her missing to the TIgard Police.
On November 30, he explained to authorities that he still hadn’t seen or heard from his wife. Deborah’s car was then uploaded into a database that helps officers track vehicles to missing people.
Her black Honda Accord was found in Beaverton on December 1, 1988 after a city employee filed a report about a suspicious car parked with its keys abandoned in the driver’s seat. Her body was found in the trunk of the car.
Investigations took place for three decades, but nothing led to a viable suspect, and eventually, the case went cold.
In 2020, a cold case unit was formed in the Washington County District Attorney’s Office. The detectives investigated the case for another year and a half. This led to the arrest of her husband, Robert.
His plea for the crime is unknown.
