Wednesday, June 6, 2012

One More Bad Guy Bites The Dust

I got some very intense news last night.

Almost 20 years or so ago, the sister of my close friend and work associate Brent was  found dead of a gunshot wound to the head.
Some of us believe she was murdered  by her boyfriend. Others my not agree.
Her boyfriend was Tim Robbins -- only he's not the famous Tim Robbins the actor and soon-to-be divorced husband of Susan Sarandon.

This Tim Robbins lived with Brent's sister, Renee Duskin at Kayak Beach on the Tulalip Indian Reservation just north of Everett Washington.
Renee was an awesome woman, loving, generous, great spirit, enormous abilities and potential.
Brent loved his sister as much as she loved him.
Everyone loved her.

Tim Robbins, the Everett Washington Attorney, chose her.
Renee could fish, hunt, fix a car, fix a meal, skin a bear,  style hair at a salon she worked at  and run the books for her boyfriend Tim's law firm.
She was every man's dream girl.
But then...
Tim wasn't every man.

Let's just say, some are of the opinion, allegedly, he was deeply disturbed.
Fairly handsome... nonetheless disturbed.
And it is quite possible, his version of a dream girl revolved around a nightmare in his head.

At some point he stopped loving Renee and allegedly, decided to kill her.
To most, she said she was more than happy just to break up.
She was done with him, his cheating and verbal and physical abuse.
She wanted him to go.
However he seemed unwilling to leave it at that...
because she refused to leave the beach house that was in her name.
Yes, she  wanted him out, BUT..... he wanted the beach house.

For that and a number of other reasons, many of Renee's family and friends like me believe
Tim Robbin's put the gun in her mouth.
And we believe he pulled the trigger.
Or somehow, forced her to do it.
This is just an allegation and has not been proven.

It was investigated by the police. Great police detectives. There were other investigators.
 They couldn't get a grand jury indictment. In my opinion, that's because Tim was a very clever attorney and we believe he planned this murder staged as a suicide carefully and brilliantly.
As a criminal defense attorney, he knew how to play his cards and he played them well.

So some people believe he got away with it.
For almost 20 years.
This, of course, made most of us who knew Renee kind of crazy to think a killer could run free.
And a "alleged" killer who is a practicing lawyer no less.

However all we had were our strong suspicions and endless tales of  Renee's and others' torment in Tim's hands.
One detective compared Tim Robbin's demeanor to another homicide case he handled, that of Charles Campbell, a cold blooded murderer executed in Washington State in 1994.

In Renee's case, there  wasn't the evidence needed against Robbins to bring about an arrest and conviction. 
And to this day we -- many among Renee's friends and family's believe he killed her....
that she would never kill herself in such a way, with his gun.

Regardless the case remained cold.
Almost 20 years....
until the phone call last night when Brent told me he received a phone call that Tim was dead of what we thought was a  suicide.
We have gathered what few facts we could.
A gun was involved.
He was dead and found with a note.
He had a girlfriend with two young daughters.
Other than that, there's  been not a whisper of Tim Robbin's death in the news.
Not a whisper.
Until this blog post.
                                                                   
This post was written with Renee's brother's permission.
What follows is an article about Renee's death.
It is our hope by writing about this and releasing it,  the media may speak out for Renee and other victims of domestic violence and murder.
We are all anxiously awaiting to see what the police and media say.
What happened to Timothy Robbins? Was it a suicide? Or a homicide.
Who? What? Where? When? Why?

No answers will bring Renee back.
However, they will put those of us who've lived and breathed this tragedy for almost two decades a potential measure of peace to know the old saying is indeed true:
"What goes around comes around."
Perhaps what what done to Renee by Tim was done to Tim -- by himself, or someone else.
I could be all wrong here.
Everyone is innocent until proven guilty.
However... I am not alone in my thinking.

21 comments:

  1. wonder what was in the note?

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    1. anon no clue. wonder same thing. some said there was a note. that's all i know.

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    2. Perhaps a confession from his past?? I think the man is evil...I always knew he did it.

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  2. JEFFREY W. ROBBINSJune 8, 2012 at 10:15 AM

    I will respond to comment on "Diary of a private eye", posted Wednesday June 6, 2012 by one Susan Ludwig who represents herself as a private investigator. This post and comment will be short as I will shortly travel to Washington to administer my brother Timothy Robbins affairs and see to his final rest on behalf of his family and two lovely daughters. First and formost you speak of issue of twenty years ago. To clarify July 4th will be eighteen years since the passing of my sincere friend Renee Duskin. Renee was a personal friend of mine who indeed was a gracious lovely young lady who I visited, communicated with, vacationed with and interacted with and knew of her personal issues and concerns. You mention about brother Brent and the family of Renee but you dont place yourself in position of knowing her to any extent, you also indicate being a associate and friend of Brent. You may indicate your motive in writing and defameing a person upon their death is on behalf of Renee's family and friends. Everyone has a individual right to post, comment and say what we want, however, having said that, my thoughts are that you are simply a opportunist and submitting this post of your opinon to serve your own endeavors feeling secure knowing that Tim Robbins cannot defend himself. I will word this the best I can out of respect for Brent and the honor of Renee's family. Any private investigator worth salt would obtain all the facts and issues, police investigation, real evidence, forensic evidence, personal medical, psychological issues of the deceased all of which is reviewed and examined before making a comment of suggestive action of a murder. I know and know Brent and Renee's family, the police, numorous investigators, grand jury know of all circumstances confronting Renee back in 1994 with the recent passing of her cherished mother and ability to accept that trauma in her life. Your comment on self initiated blog entry is most disrespectful to the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office, Agency investigating officer's and the Everett Washington District Court who endlessly completed their investigation in the most professional manner expected in the proper judicial setting and not with unsubstanciated indications that you propose. In closing, I'm troubled that you would fixate on your own personal gain and submit accusations after the death of a individual knowing a person cannot reply and defend same. I scantly reviewed your "About Me" listing in your personal blogs where you list after favorite book reference on the end of your post and suggest you should change your quote of no interest in fiction as because fiction writing seems to be a area where you could excell. I apologize to Renee's family should they review this type of non professional posts. For now , I will travel and will attend to my brothers family and children in Washinton. Jeffrey W. Robbins, New Jersey

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    1. Jeffrey, I replied to you. Only I believe you have to scroll down to get there.

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  3. AMAZING that there is NOTHING in the newspaper about this..but yet, when it first happened it was FRONT PAGE news

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    1. anon why is one reason why i wrote this. prominent attorney killed or kills self... and no news? why?

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  4. Wow I am also disturbed by Tim Robbins behavior and Demeanor because he Represented me in my Appeals case in my child custody hearing and he basically blamed me for not getting the Appeals court paperwork filed and I paid him over $7, 000.00 to represent me and I was basically robbed of my day in court because of his lack of Ability to perform his duties as My Attorney of Record. I had heard of his dealings with his girlfriend and his Partner in the Law firm and it seemed strange when I broached the subject of his past and then my case went down hill from there. Of course I discharged him after I was depleted of all my Funds, but I don't find it strange that if he did commit suicide then Karma does come and go. May the people that he hurt and stole from have peace in their hearts and know that he can't ever hurt anyone again. May God have mercy on his soul because I forgave him for what he did to me and I am at peace with it. Maybe Renee's familycan have peace also and know that she is gone but not forgotten. C.R.R.

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    1. anon, am so sorry for that huge financial loss. to me, 7k is like a million bucks i know a lot of attorneys are going under financially, and a small segment are not acting ethically. and that was one thing i wondered about in terms of a suicide motive if it is indeed a suicide.I think you are so right about karma...

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  5. Jeffrey,

    You lost your brother, your parents lost a son. That's huge and horrible.
    My deepest condolences for the pain you all feel.

    However, you have me all wrong.
    I am not opportunist.
    I know Brent like a brother, we worked together many years.
    I met Renee, I did not know her as well as Brent.
    However, I knew her.

    And I suggest you spend some time, hours and hours, studying the extensive file on the murder/suicide in the snoho sheriff's office.

    Read independent witness statements.
    Read everything.
    Study the crime scene photos.
    Read the reports of the people who saw him enter the house moments before she was shot, moments before she called a neighbor saying she was scared because he came home.
    Read about the expression on his face the little kids saw as he flew out of her road at a high rate of speed after the shooting.

    With all due respect sir, I gain nothing from this but the satisfaction of knowing Renee's name is resurfacing again.

    And the fact that an attorney so prominent had died, and no one in the media has mentioned it is distressing. Especially because he is a suspect in a cold case.

    He was very charming.
    However, people could be genuinely frightened of him... especially Renee.
    She told someone very close to her, that she ran barefoot on the rocks of the beach at night in case she had to escape him.

    There are so many of these stories she confided in friends as she and Tim parted ways.

    I think he had the capacity, means, motive, to do it.It is all in the files, not in my head.

    I know you believe I am full of it, that you think your brother had no involvement in Renee's death.
    I respect that because I would expect no less of a brother experiencing such a huge loss.

    Maybe as the story unfolds you may see a side of your brother you did not know.
    Or maybe you will prove me wrong.
    So far the criminal justice system has.

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  6. I cannot help but reply to all of these posts but will keep my post anonymous because I am a member of Renee's family and still fear the wrath of Tim Robbins, even in his death. I find it so appalling that there is no mention of his death in the paper, obituaries, or media of any kind. Is this another cover up of Snohomish County? I have read pages and pages, file after file of everything that occured the evening of Renee's death and the months that followed of this HOMICIDE. For years I have been reminded that this was still an OPEN CASE by various people that are employed in THE SYSTEM (lawyers, judges, people that work at the Snohomish County Court House). There were so many mistakes that were made in Renee's investigation, all that would benefit Tim Robbins. He continued to make my family's life a living hell throughout it all. Never showing compassion, care or concern for our grief, just GREED.

    Yes, Jeffrey Robbins we would expect you to support your brother and say you care about our family. I am sorry that your family is suffering a loss too. Were you here in the following months of the investigations, did you read the many reports, did you have some questions in your head that there indeed was "motive, means, and capacity" for him to commit murder? I don't remember your presence. I don't know what kind of a man you are but I will feel sorry for you when you do face reality and read all of the facts of all the wrong that your brother created on this planet. His final justice is his jugdement day, which for me is the best kind of justice.
    And yes, I too am rejoicing that Renee's name is brought up again. We all miss her love of life, crazy love of animals, family memories, big beautiful smile,and vivacious, BIG personality. Her beauty complimented all of these traits. The tears come again but they are peaceful now, knowing that this is the closure that is long coming.
    Let us not waste time criticizing each other for our opinions, but just get to the truth.

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    1. Jeffrey W. RobbinsJune 11, 2012 at 3:45 PM

      anonymous- I dont reply to anon as you could be one person to justify initial defame post and one that i, or Tim's family can not sue if unsubstanciated informations continues.

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  7. I work for Tim for a short time and found out after working there of what he had been accused of. I dont judge, for what happened in the past and he was a good person from the short time I knew him. The girlfriend/partner she was and is a nightmare. Julie was very controlling and mean to Tim and he took it which made me think that she had something on him because rumor was that she worked there when he was seeing renee and was having and affair with julie. Its too bad for his daughters but for someone to take his own life in a way that he did and include a letter could only mean that his life was more unstable then he let on. The ones I feel sorry for the most are his daughters for having to grow up without a father, and that is sad for any child. It would not surprise me at all if things came out and julie was involved with what had happened with Renee.

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  8. I worked for Tim for three years as a law student and as his associate. Renee was my hairdresser and we also worked together in Tim's business and we spent time together socially. I was one of the many people interviewed by law enforcement in the investigation of Renee's death. I miss Renee to this day very much. I am also now mourning the loss of my former boss, mentor and friend of 23 years. In this past week I have prayed daily for Tim and for his daughters and family. I was able to see the pain that Renee's family suffered and continue to suffer, wanting answers to questions that we may never learn. But now I see two young girls, girls who may one day read this post. So, rather than expressing opinion, speculation and spreading gossip I sincerely urge you to spend some time in prayer or at the least In silence for both Tim and for Renee, for their families, for peace and healing because that is what they need most.

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  9. anon, i am really sorry for all the anguish you suffered two fold. losing two people so close to you must be horrendous.i have already been following your suggestion -- i have spent so much time in prayer for all involved, except for tim. as for his children, i have this theory that the truth sets us free. even the children of some people much worse than this guy say it's better knowing the truth than not. the truth, it is truly what sets emotions and unanswered questions, free. i think this killing/torment other thing was in his head, not his genes. also, last i heard, and this could be rumor. tim was not living with that wife and children. why?what wasn;t working there? you may have worked with tim and been his and renees dear friend. you are not renee's family they are the one's who said said it was okay to process my personal loss and this gross injustice in this way. in my blog. they too wanted renee to live again, if only in this way. it is better than not at all. i honor, respect and thank them for letting me write this or i would not have posted it. perhaps were you in their mocassins, you might do the same. allow someone to speak for a sister you believe was murdered.

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  10. Do you think maybe, just maybe the man was so smart he could disguise the murder of a lover he was done with? Do you think maybe, just maybe Julie had nothing to do with it, but fell in love, and was in way over her head once she realized the monster he was? Do you think maybe, just maybe, Julie kept her friends close, but her enemies closer? He was the father of her children, he was her lover and partner. No matter what Julie new, she didn't commit the murder, nor did she cause Tim to commit suicide. She is the mother of his children, she will raise her kids beyond the labels that will be placed on him and themselves.

    We are all raised with free will. IF Tim did not murder his x-girlfriend, he murdered himself. A selfish, selfish act, and unforgivable. He is lucky to have Julie as a partner in business and as the parent of his children. Sometimes G*d takes people from us, knowing we are better off alone. As the mother of his children mourns the loss of her childrens father, I hope she realizes there is hope. There is hope for new beginnings, and that her children will become strong women because of his selfishness. Julie herself is a STRONG woman, caring and loving.

    Julie represented me, and was a professional. She will do what's best for her own. I am rooting for you Julie, I am rooting for you and your girls. May Tim rest in peace, whatever his demons where are no ones fault but his own.

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  11. Jeff Robbins needs to get his FACTS STRAIGHT.

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    1. Jeff robbins is a retired police officer and now in washington state so i am sure he will be doing exactly that , wonder if there will be an appology post on here for his daughter for slander..i'm guessing not

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  12. Perhaps his psychopathic nature was being revealed, but the people who witnessed his behavior did not realize the implications of the tendencies he was developing.

    Living life without any sense of guilt and, in fact, a sense of entitlement... a common trait in a psychopath. Also, psychopaths get a thrill from excitement and danger. Dishonesty evolves from small things in work and school situations to burglarizing homes.

    He changed from a shy and introverted person to a more focused and dominant character. He was driven, as if to prove himself to the world. He enrolled in college, became an honors student and was well liked by his professors at the university.

    Outwardly, his life in seemed to be changing for the better. He was confident, with high hopes for his future. He began sending out applications to various law schools, while at the same time he became active in politics. He worked on a campaign to re-elect the state governor, a position that allowed him to form bonds with politically powerful people in the Republican Party. He also performed volunteer work at a crisis clinic on a work-study program. He was pleased with the path his life was taking at this time, everything seemed to be going in the right direction. He was even commended by the city police for saving the life of a three-year-old boy who was drowning in a lake

    The police were not initially convinced that she had been a victim of foul play, so no fingerprint, hair or fiber evidence was gathered.

    The man continued to elude investigators, his behavior became increasingly bold and risky as he approached women. Those who escaped his advances would later recognize him and provide the police with valuable information.

    After long hours of interviews, investigators decided to shift their focus to his former girlfriend. When police contacted her, she told them of how he had abruptly changed his manner towards her from loving and affectionate to cruel and insensitive. Upon further questioning, police learned that his relationship with one girlfriend had overlapped with his relationship with another and neither of them knew of the other woman. He seemed to be living a double life, filled with lies and betrayal. There was more to him than what investigators had initially expected.

    The investigators working the case decided to turn their attention towards more likely suspects and Theodore Robert Bundy was forgotten until a few years later.

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  13. The last small paragraph tells the whole story !!!. Tim actually said this to 2 people, not just the former law partner...

    Police Probe Phone Records In Death
    EVERETT - Police were examining records of phone calls made by the boyfriend of a woman found dead in her home shortly before and after her death.

    A search warrant filed yesterday by the Snohomish County sheriff's office in Everett District Court sought telephone records of the victim, Renee Duskin, her boyfriend and a woman police thought was having an affair with Duskin's boyfriend.

    Duskin's body was found in her home on Tulalip Shores Road shortly before 6 p.m. July 4. She had suffered a gunshot wound to the head.

    Authorities had not determined whether Duskin shot herself or was killed, sheriff's spokesman Elliott Woodall said yesterday.

    According to the affidavit, the neighbor who found Duskin's body went to the house Duskin shared with her boyfriend minutes before the discovery and found an open door, but no one answered when she knocked. Upon returning to her house, the neighbor saw Duskin's boyfriend standing in the kitchen of Duskin's house, the affidavit states. As soon as the boyfriend left, the neighbor returned to Duskin's house and discovered the body.

    Duskin's boyfriend left a message on an acquaintance's answering machine the evening of July 4 asking someone to check on Duskin later, the affidavit states.

    A former colleague of the boyfriend said the two had talked about ways to kill somebody and make the death look like a suicide, according to the affidavit.

    Copyright (c) 1994 Seattle Times Company, All Rights Reserved.

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  14. I see Ludwig is at it again. When the man is dead you come out from under your rock with all your "facts"... you were doing what 18 years ago? I don't remember your name coming up in the investigation... were you at the scene? Did you attended the hearings? I recall them being secret...ummm...well then... Did you really read all the reports in what you describe as an "open homicide case". Last time I checked, I didn't see your name on the homicide book... Were you there when the SO released back to Tim the property taken? Not sure you know what a fact is. I hope you don't charge for your PI service... LOL LOL LOL What a joke... two people are dead... have a safe life.

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