A new episode of “Dateline” sheds light on the unsolved murder of a Bucks County mother and the arrest and conviction of her killer more than three decades later.
The two-hour “Dateline” episode titled “Justice for Joy” airs Friday, April 12 at 9:00 PM ET on NBC10.
The episode will explore the 1991 murder of Joy Hibbs, who was found dead in her burning house in suburban Philadelphia.
The Murder of Joy Hibbs
On Friday, April 19, 1991, Joy Hibbs’ 12-year-old son, David Hibbs, was dismissed from elementary school early and arrived at their home along the 1200 block of Spencer Drive in the Croydon neighborhood of Bristol Township, Pennsylvania. around 1:00:05 a.m. to find the kitchen in flames.
Hibbs’ son couldn’t get through the kitchen because of the flames and smoke. He then runs to neighbors for help.
After the fire was extinguished, Joy Hibbs was found dead on a bed in her son’s bedroom. She was 35 years old.
Investigators initially believed Hibbs died in an accidental fire. David Hibbs would later say that he initially felt responsible for his mother’s death, believing that his toys or his fish tank might have caused the fatal fire.
However, an autopsy the next day revealed that his mother had been stabbed multiple times. Her ribs were also broken and she was probably suffocated. An autopsy also found there was no smoke in her lungs and she likely died before the fire.
The fire chief then determined the fires were intentionally set in the kitchen, Hibbs’ son’s bedroom and in the hallway.
Investigators later learned Hibbs cashed her paycheck hours before her death and her wallet was found stuffed on the living room couch. Her purse was also found with items emptied and scattered around the kitchen, while the money was never found.
Police said Hibbs was likely killed between 11:50 a.m. and 12:50 a.m. that day. During that one-hour window, witnesses spotted a blue Chevrolet Monte Carlo parked in front of Hibbs’ home. At the time, investigators named several suspects, including Robert Atkins.
Atkins had a blue Chevy Monte Carlo and also at one point lived two doors down from Hibs. Police also said Atkins sometimes sold marijuana to Hibbs and her husband.
Atkins remained a person of interest in the murder for the next three decades. During that time, he was questioned by the police at least twice, but maintained his innocence.
During an interview, Atkins told investigators he was a “Confidential Informant” for the Bristol Township Police Department at the time of the killing and had a “good relationship” with Bristol Township narcotics detectives, according to the criminal complaint. Former Bristol City Police Chief Thomas Mills later confirmed that in 1991, Atkins worked for them as an informant, buying methamphetamine and marijuana.
Atkins also told investigators about a fight he had with Hibbs and her husband over their claims of low-grade marijuana, but denied threatening her or her family. However, David Hibbs would later say he remembered how heard Atkins tell his mother, “I’m going to ——- kill you and blow up your house.”
Interruption in the cold case
In January 2022, the case was handed over to a Bucks County Grand Jury. Atkins’ ex-wife, April Atkins, was one of the people who testified.
April Atkins told the grand jury that on the afternoon of April 19, 1991, Robert Akins came home covered in blood. She said her then-husband told her he had stabbed someone and set fire to their house. He then told her to call from work and pick up their children because they were traveling to the Poconos, according to the criminal complaint.
April Atkins said she then put his bloody clothes in the laundry and took a shower.
April and Robert Atkins then arrived in the Poconos shortly before 5 p.m. that day and stayed two more days before returning to their home on Sunday, April 21, 1991, according to records. April Atkins said that’s when she discovered that day that Joy Hibbs had been killed.
April Atkins told investigators she feared for her own safety if she told the truth about her then-husband’s role in the murder.
While April Atkins initially gave investigators an alibi for her then-husband, she later recanted that alibi, officials said.
Robert Atkins was then arrested and charged with Hibbs’ murder in May 2022.
“The tremendous grief and suffering our family has endured over the past three decades will never go away,” the Hibbs family wrote in a statement after Atkins’ arrest. “For thirty-one years, our family has been haunted by this tragic loss, knowing without a doubt that Robert Atkins was the perpetrator. Our family has been waiting thirty-one years for justice to prevail.
In February 2024, more than 30 years after Hibbs’ murder, Atkins, who was 57, was convicted of first-degree murder, arson and other crimes. He was then sentenced to life in prison without parole with an additional 15-30 years.
You can watch “Justice for Joy” on NBC10 Fridays at 9 p.m., on the NBC app or on the Peacock.
