Unsolved Homicide - Robyn Kenworthy - 1988

Unsolved Homicide

Robyn Maria Kenworthy
Age - 20

Family members last spoke with Robyn on September 28, 1988.
Robyn had been working as a stripper in Seattle and King County, sometimes using the names Venus and Ginger. She was known to hang around Pioneer Square, the Fremont Fellowship, and "the Ave" in the University District of Seattle. She was also known to use heroin and work as a prostitute. The last time her mother Judy Kenworthy spoke with Robyn, she said Robyn sounded worn out and was asking to come home. Robyn planned to get on a bus from Aurora Ave., but her mother didn't hear from her again.

On October 22, 1988, Robyn's body was found naked and partially hidden under logs and other forest debris. The area was an old logged off clearcut, east of Gold Bar and just to the north of Index in southeast Snohomish County. The location is 11 miles up Reiter road and Deer Flats road, which is off Highway 2. Reiter road for many years has been a destination for locals to go ride motorcycles and off road vehicles, party, camp and hike. Recently the area has been in the first stages of becoming a managed park due to the need for protection of the sensitive forested areas.

At the time Robyn was found, the Snohomish County police were nearly four months into investigating the Jennifer Burnetto homicide, and the two women's cases were looking linked. It would be another couple of years before it was finally released, after media speculation, that not just one serial killer was leaving murder victims in the area but "2-3". 2-3 that have still not been caught.

The cases were looked at in connection to Gary Ridgeway, the Green River Killer, but he did not plea to any Snohomish County cases, he maintains that all the women he brutally killed he did so within King County. Despite Robyn and Jennifer being left in a similar way Gary Ridgeway was known for, hidden in a forested area off a highway, he has not been charged.

One of the few potential leads came in May 1990, when a couple driving along a mountain road northeast of Index spotted a man near where the victims' bodies had earlier been dumped. The couple said they spotted a limp woman's hand and arm sticking out of the Jeep-type vehicle the man was driving. The man was obviously startled. He apparently hadn't heard the approaching car because of a creek nearby. The couple contacted police. A sketch was done and a search was conducted in the area of the sighting, but no evidence was found.

The man was described as white, in his late 30s to early 40s, with a stocky build and a bushy mustache.

Robyn's case is currently featured on the Snohomish County Cold Case Cards, a deck of cards provided to inmates in the hopes they will lead to a relevant tip. The Herald, a Snohomish County newspaper that has recently highlighted the cold case cards, spoke with Robyn's mother last May. While Judy made clear to the Herald that she didn't expect the killer will be caught, she also expressed hope that the media attention of her daughters case will warn others about the dangers of drug addiction.

"Maybe someone else will find some way to save another child," Judy Kenworthy said. "If it gets through to even one, it's worthwhile.".

Robyn's case is on the King of Clubs or #3 on the Herald's cold case card listing.

Anyone with information on this case is asked to contact CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS. CrimeStoppers offers rewards up to $1000.00 for information leading to conviction. You may remain anonymous. Tips can also be left with the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office