The ‘Tipster Killer’ Who Called In Clues To His Own Crimes
Shasta County Sheriff’s OfficeRobert Maury murdered at least three women in California in the 1980s, though he may have killed more.
Most killers stay quiet about their crimes, but Robert Maury, the so-called “Tipster Killer,” made a habit of calling in tips for crimes that he’d committed.
Between 1985 and 1987, Maury killed at least three women in Shasta County, California. Then, this California serial killer called the Shasta County’s Secret Witness — 20 times, according to SF Gate — and offered tips about his murders so he could collect the reward money.
Indeed, Maury seemed unable to stay away from his crimes. Not only did he call into the tip line so often that one of the operators began to recognize his voice, but he also started to physically insert himself into police investigations. “He initiated contact with my detectives and even me personally,” Shasta County Sheriff Phil Eoff told SF Gate.
California.comShasta County is a beautiful part of California but was Robert Maury’s hunting grounds in the 1980s.
But police had their eye on Maury from almost the beginning. They considered him a suspect in the 1985 disappearance and murder of his landlady Averill Weeden (who Maury had indeed killed) and were suspicious when he resurfaced to offer his help in the 1987 disappearance of 30-year-old Belinda Jo Stark (who Maury had also killed).
After an anonymous caller contacted Shasta County’s Secret Witness to offer a tip about where to find Stark’s body and the body of another woman, police tailed Maury and watched as he collected his reward money. They then reached out to an operator at the tip line who confirmed that she recognized Maury’s voice.
Maury was then charged with three counts of murder and two counts of rape. A jury found this California serial killer guilty — and sentenced him to death.
To date, Robert Maury is serving out his sentence at San Quentin State Prison. Though he was found guilty of killing three women, investigators believe that he may have also been responsible for a number of other unsolved murders in California.
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