Robin Frances Murphy was just 17 years old when she disappeared from Carmel, New York, on April 9, 1995. More than 31 years later, her whereabouts remain unknown, and no one has been charged in connection with her disappearance. The case returned to national attention on November 13, 2026, when ABC News’ 20/20 examined the investigation, the evidence discovered after she vanished, and the unanswered questions that continue to trouble her family.
Who Was Robin Murphy?
Robin Frances Murphy was a teenager living in Carmel, a town in Putnam County, New York. She worked at a ShopRite supermarket in a local shopping plaza and was approaching adulthood when she suddenly disappeared.
Her ordinary evening plans on April 9, 1995, became the starting point of a missing-person investigation that has continued for more than three decades.
Murphy was 17 at the time. Had she survived, she would be approximately 48 or 49 years old in November 2026, depending on her birthday.
Her family has spent decades searching for answers about what happened after she was last seen near her workplace.
April 9, 1995
Robin Murphy disappeared on Sunday, April 9, 1995, after leaving home at approximately 7:30 p.m.
According to accounts of the investigation, she intended to meet her boyfriend at a local restaurant.
She had borrowed her mother’s red Oldsmobile and traveled to the shopping center along Route 52 in Carmel.
The teenager was subsequently seen walking in the ShopRite plaza, where she worked.
What happened after that remains unclear.
Murphy never returned home, and her family was unable to establish where she had gone.
Her disappearance was particularly alarming because she left behind belongings that investigators would later recover near the shopping center.
Abandoned Car
One of the earliest clues was the discovery of her mother’s red Oldsmobile parked near a Burger King in the shopping plaza.
The vehicle had not been taken far from the area where Murphy was last seen.
Its location became important because it suggested that her disappearance may have occurred close to the shopping center.
However, finding the car did not establish whether she had voluntarily left the area, encountered someone she knew, or been taken against her will.
Investigators began examining her movements and speaking with people who might have seen her that evening.
The shopping plaza became a central location in the search.
Personal Items Found
On April 13, 1995, four days after Murphy disappeared, friends and coworkers organized a search that uncovered several of her personal belongings.
Searchers found items including her paystub, work schedule, and letters in a wooded area behind the shopping plaza.
Police subsequently recovered additional belongings, including her wallet, identification, keys, and purse, near a dumpster and marshy ground behind the shopping center.
These discoveries raised serious concerns about the circumstances surrounding her disappearance.
The belongings were found relatively close to where she had last been seen, but Murphy herself was nowhere to be found.
The discoveries provided investigators with physical evidence, although they did not immediately identify what had happened to her.
Who Is Howard Gombert?
Howard J. Gombert Jr. became a named suspect in Robin Murphy’s disappearance in March 2000.
Gombert had worked at a laundromat located in the same shopping center where Murphy was last seen.
According to investigative accounts, he acknowledged speaking with the teenager on the day she vanished.
His connection to the shopping plaza attracted investigators’ attention as they reviewed people who might have encountered Murphy shortly before her disappearance.
Authorities later searched property associated with Gombert during an investigation involving unrelated child sexual assault allegations.
That search produced evidence that became a significant development in Murphy’s case.
Gombert has never been charged with causing Murphy’s disappearance. His status as a suspect does not establish criminal responsibility for what happened to her.
DNA Evidence
One of the most important developments emerged during the investigation in 2000.
Detectives reportedly discovered a concealed suitcase containing women’s and girls’ underwear during a search connected to Gombert.
Subsequent DNA testing reportedly linked one pair of underwear to Robin Murphy.
The finding established a significant evidentiary connection between an item associated with the missing teenager and material recovered during the investigation.
However, the discovery did not reveal Murphy’s location or establish the complete circumstances of her disappearance.
Investigators still faced the challenge of determining exactly what had happened on April 9, 1995.
Despite the DNA evidence, prosecutors did not bring charges against Gombert in connection with Murphy’s disappearance.
The case therefore remained unresolved.
Search at Tilly Foster Mine
The Tilly Foster Iron Mine in Putnam County became an important focus of searches connected to Robin Murphy’s disappearance.
The former mining site contains deep, water-filled areas that present considerable challenges for underwater investigations.
Search teams conducted extensive operations over multiple years, examining whether evidence or human remains might be located within the mine.
The work required specialized diving and search equipment because of the difficult underwater conditions.
Despite those efforts, authorities have not publicly confirmed recovering Murphy’s remains from the location.
The searches illustrate the difficulties investigators have encountered while attempting to resolve a disappearance with no confirmed recovery of the missing person.
Connection to Josette Wright
Robin Murphy’s case has also received attention alongside the killing of 12-year-old Josette Wright, another young girl from Putnam County.
Josette was murdered in 1994, approximately one year before Murphy vanished.
The proximity of the cases in time and location has prompted renewed examination of both investigations.
However, similarities between two cases do not establish that the same person was responsible.
Investigators must rely on evidence rather than geographic connections or speculation when determining whether crimes are related.
The two cases were featured in renewed media coverage in November 2026, bringing attention to the families still seeking answers.
ABC 20/20 Investigation
On November 13, 2026, ABC News’ 20/20 brought Robin Murphy’s disappearance back into the national spotlight.
The broadcast revisited the teenager’s final known movements, the discovery of her belongings, and the investigation involving Howard Gombert Jr.
The case has also been explored through Bone Valley, including its sixth season, Devil’s Quarry II.
The renewed coverage has highlighted the unresolved questions surrounding Murphy’s disappearance and the challenges of investigating evidence collected more than three decades ago.
It has also provided another opportunity for potential witnesses to come forward.
Public attention can sometimes generate new information in longstanding missing-person investigations, particularly when people who previously remained silent decide to speak.
Latest Case Update
As of November 15, 2026, Robin Murphy remains missing, and her disappearance has not been solved.
A multi-agency task force has been formed to reinvestigate the case, according to recent reporting.
Investigators continue to examine the available evidence and the possibility that additional information could clarify what happened.
Although Howard Gombert Jr. has been identified as a suspect, he has not been charged in Murphy’s disappearance.
No official announcement has established her fate or identified a person legally responsible for her disappearance.
The renewed investigation and national television coverage have brought fresh attention to a case that has remained open since 1995.
How to Report Information
Anyone who has information about Robin Frances Murphy’s disappearance can contact the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678.
Her missing-person reference is Case #NY5379.
Information can also be provided to the Carmel Police Department at 845-628-1300.
Even details that appear minor may help investigators reconstruct the events surrounding April 9, 1995.
Where Is Robin Murphy Now?
Robin Murphy’s current whereabouts remain unknown more than 31 years after she vanished from Carmel, New York.
Her abandoned car, recovered belongings, and DNA evidence have provided important investigative leads, but none has resulted in a confirmed resolution.
The November 2026 coverage by ABC News has renewed attention to her disappearance, while investigators continue searching for evidence that could establish what happened.
For Murphy’s family, the central question remains unchanged: What happened to Robin Frances Murphy after she was last seen at the Carmel shopping plaza on April 9, 1995?
