25 years ago, Robert Fisher allegedly murdered his family in Scottsdale and was never seen again

12News Arizona ^ | April 9, 2026 | Maria Staubs

[fidelis]

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — This week marks the 25th anniversary of one of Arizona's most notorious unsolved crimes.

On the morning of April 10, 2001, Scottsdale police responded to reports of an explosion at a home near 74th and Oak streets. Upon arrival, the bodies of Mary Fisher and her two children, Bobby and Brittney, were discovered in the burning residence.

The three victims appeared to have sustained fatal injuries before the house fire. And the family's patriarch, Robert Fisher, was nowhere to be seen.

Police later named Fisher as a suspect as investigators believed he rigged the family's home to explode after killing his wife and kids. His last known appearance was captured by an ATM camera on the evening of April 9 near the family's home, where Fisher was seen withdrawing $280 from the machine.

Many theories have been proposed over the years about where Fisher may have gone, but the fugitive has yet to be found 25 years later.

At one point, Fisher was named one of the FBI's most wanted fugitives, and a $100,000 reward was offered for information leading to his apprehension. Much of the investigation has focused on the discovery of Mary Fisher's car in the woods near Payson several days after the killings. The family's dog was found with the abandoned vehicle.

Because Fisher was known as an outdoorsman, one theory has suggested he went into the woods to hide after the killings.

Age-progressed photos of Fisher have been released over the years that give the public a sense of how the missing man may appear decades after his disappearance. If he's still alive, Fisher turns 65 this month.

According to the FBI, Fisher reportedly had ties to Florida and New Mexico. Tips on the case can be submitted to the FBI...

[fidelis]

I remember this well. I was an arson investigator in the next town over at the time and it was/is a fascinating case.

[BigEdLB]

I guess he is’nt the Person who plays chess.

[BigEdLB]

I guess he is’nt the Person who plays chess.

[fhayek]

He spelled his name differently.

[Lizavetta]

Really? Tell us more. Like, what is the profile of your typical arsonist?

[jerod]

Although they eventually caught this dude, I think he has him beat as far as innovation goes when it comes to familicide... Sick SOB's that they are.

From Wikipedia

John Emil List (September 17, 1925 – March 21, 2008) was an American mass murderer[1] and long-time fugitive. On November 9, 1971, he killed his wife, mother, and three children in their Westfield, New Jersey home, then disappeared. He had planned the murders so meticulously that nearly a month passed before anyone suspected that something was amiss.

List assumed a new identity, remarried, and eluded justice for nearly 18 years. He was finally apprehended in Virginia on June 1, 1989, after the story of his murders was broadcast on the television program America's Most Wanted. After extradition to New Jersey, he was convicted on five counts of first degree murder and sentenced to five consecutive terms of life imprisonment, making him ineligible for parole for nearly 125 years.

[nesnah]

I remember this one in the paper right after it happened.

Horrible...

[cicero2k]

He simply drove to Newark Airport, parked and departed. Now airports photo license plates nightly, in part because of this crime.

[SunkenCiv]

Much of the investigation has focused on the discovery of Mary Fisher's car in the woods near Payson several days after the killings. The family's dog was found with the abandoned vehicle.

The dog was with the vehicle, which does suggest it was him; leaving the dog behind could indicate that he didn't want to have to worry about feeding the dog while living off the land. But $280 bucks? How much *are* candles? Doesn't sound much like a premeditated act, just a well thought-out sudden move. Grabbed some clothes and maybe a tent? Her SUV keys, set up the fire, and left in the middle of the night? Probably killed himself in the woods within a relatively short hike from the vehicle.

Makes sense that the FBI has obtained DNA from his side of the family, waiting for a match with another crime scene (a grocery store or sporting goods break-in?). Or, if he changed his name and remarried, he may have produced other children, which means this will all solve itself after he croaks and the kids start doing genealogy.

• New images, few leads in 2001 Robert Fisher case | Megan Cassidy | The Republic | April 8, 2016 | azcentral.com

[jpl]

Urban legend, in reality the car was found abandoned in the woods about 100 miles to the north of the home.

Most likely he was killed and eaten by predators somewhere in that area.

[Steely Tom]

Why the "allegedly" ? Are they afraid that — after disappearing for 25 years — he'll surface, to sue them for libel?

[whitney69]

“...was nowhere to be seen...”

And this is news. There have been millions of illegals that have done this since the 1940’s. In California they were called migrant farm workers until they were able to birth a child on US soil and get a green card. Then they disappeared again until they were found dead. Never paid taxes, drove cars and farm equipment with no insurance, were blind drunk a lot of the time, in some cases violent...but just disappeared. It apparently ain’t that difficult to do. They just brought their way of life up from Mexico with cheap labor, no questions asked.

wy69

[jerod]

You could get away a lot easier in 1971... Hell... I knew a guy who was a parttime drug mule back in the early 1980’s. He travelled with a dude to Columbia under the premise of buying hammocks... They bought the hammocks, then they bought cocaine and then they got on planes and flew back stateside.

No dog sniffers and inadequate screening, but he was sweating the entire time... Thankfully for him he never got caught... If he had he would’ve likely spent 20+ years in prison. Needless to say, but he didn’t last long in the drug business and the poor bugger passed away last year from congestive heart failure.

[ChessExpert]

I had to process that too. I’m glad I’m not the only one.

Bobby Fischer’s mother and biological father were Jewish. His legal father was from a Jewish family but converted to Protestantism, perhaps because of social pressure. Bobby Fischer was anti-Jewish. If Bobby were alive today, he would be anti-Trump.

According to grandmaster Lajos Portisch, Fischer thought he could sing but couldn’t really.

Bobby Fischer was a genius at chess, but only at chess.

[fidelis]

what is the profile of your typical arsonist?

There really isn't one, as the motives for arson are across the board. Revenge, fraud, to cover up other crimes, mental illness induced pyromania, sometimes for the sheer thrill of it, etc. Some of the more sophisticated serial arsonists may occasionally have a LEO or FD background. One particularly fascinating case is that of the serial arsonist John Leonard Orr.

[Organic Panic]

Do people pay smugglers to go IN to Mexico?