Robert Atrops Found Guilty in the 1988 Cold Case Homicide of Deborah Atrops

HILLSBORO, Ore- On April 17, 2025, following a three-week trial, a Washington County jury found Robert Atrops, age 70, guilty of murder in the second degree in the 1988 murder of his estranged wife, Deborah Atrops. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 20, 2025. Senior Deputy District Attorneys Allison Brown and Chris Lewman prosecuted this case before Judge Oscar Garcia.

At the time of her murder, the victim was married to the defendant, but they had separated, and she was making plans for divorce. They shared an infant daughter they had recently adopted. Their separation was caused by marital problems, including physical abuse. Leading up to her murder, friends and coworkers witnessed concerning domestic violence behavior. She had also started a new relationship with a coworker and told friends that the defendant had confronted her about the relationship and that she was worried he would kill her.

On November 29, 1988, the victim left her job in Sherwood for a 5:15 p.m. hair appointment in Tigard. She left the salon around 7 p.m. with plans to go to the defendant’s house in Sherwood to pick up their daughter. Around 9:30 p.m., Mr. Atrops started calling friends, family, and 911, to report the victim missing. He claimed he made these calls from his home phone, but there was no record of the calls. Investigators believe he was not at home when he made these calls.

On December 1, 1988, police responded to a remote Beaverton construction site after multiple reports of a suspicious vehicle. The vehicle had no plates, the windows were frosted, and the window was open with the keys inside. The vehicle belonged to the victim, and her body was found inside the trunk. Her clothing was covered in mud, and the car had noticeable amounts of mud smeared on the hood, steering wheel, gear shift, and front right tire. Mud samples were collected from the car, the body recovery location, and the defendant’s home. The Oregon State Medical Examiner determined she was killed by manual strangulation.

The defendant told police he never saw the victim that night, but his alibi was not fully confirmed. Eventually, the investigation stalled, although there were no other suspects as detectives cleared others close to the victim, including the person with whom she had been in a romantic relationship. Over time, the case was reviewed by various investigators with no new significant leads.

In 2020, Cold Case Detective Kevin Winfield reviewed the case. He completed an exhaustive investigation with the help of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. He located additional witnesses and new information to shed light on the circumstances of the victim's murder. Detective Winfield submitted additional items for forensic analysis, including the victim’s clothing and soil samples collected in 1988. Ultimately, the defendant’s DNA was connected to the coat the victim was wearing when she was murdered. In addition, the FBI lab concluded that the mud collected from the victim’s vehicle was indistinguishable from the mud collected at the defendant’s home. Detective Winfield also located information that the defendant sold roofing materials at construction sites near the location where the victim's body was found. The defendant was interviewed by Detective Winfield in 2022, and there were significant discrepancies from his version of events in 1988. Robert Atrops was indicted by a Grand Jury and arrested for murder in the second degree on March 23, 2023.

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office commends the work of Detective Kevin Winfield, the Washington County Cold Case Unit, and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. We also thank other partners for their assistance including the FBI, Beaverton Police Department, Oregon State Police Forensic Lab, Oregon Medical Examiner, and Washington County Major Crimes Team.

This investigation was made possible due to grant funding from the federal government to investigate and prosecute violent crime cold cases that involve identified DNA associated with a possible suspect. The grant, “Prosecuting Cold Cases Using DNA,” is funded by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance. Visit our website to learn more.