Did Robert Atkins kill his former neighbor and set her family’s home on fire more than 30 years ago over a disagreement involving a marijuana sale?
Bucks County Common Pleas Judge Wallace Bateman Jr. will decide the answer when the trial for the 57-year-old Bristol Township man gets underway Monday.
Joy Hibbs, a 35-year-old married mother of two and medical assistant, was found dead inside her fire ravaged Croydon home on April 19, 1991. Police quickly determined that she had been murdered and the house intentionally set on fire.
Atkins, who opted for a judge to decide the case, was investigated as a prime suspect in Hibbs’ murder, but he was not charged until 2022 after a Bucks County grand jury reviewed the evidence.
He faces 13 felonies including first- and second- degree murder, arson, robbery and burglary. The Bucks County District Attorney’s Office has certified the case as eligible for the death penalty.
Potentially 20 witnesses could be called during the trial, which is expected to last seven days, said Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn, who is prosecuting Atkins.