The double life of Robert Lee Yates , the Spokane serial killer who hid behind the façade of family, career, and community honor while murdering at least 13 women throughout the 1970s–1990s. Drawing exclusively from newspapers, court filings, and documented reports, this episode traces his timeline, victims, investigative missteps, and the complex social dynamics that shaped the case. It’s a story of vulnerability, unnoticed danger, and how a man living an “ordinary” life became one of Washington’s most prolific killers.
SOURCES:
“Robert Lee Yates” — public profile / overview. Wikipedia+1
“Spokane Serial Killer’s Guilty Pleas Kept in Place,” Courthouse News, on his 2000 plea and 408-year sentence. Courthouse News
“Spokane Serial Kill Lab Results In,” CBS News, April 2000, detailing evidence linking Yates to multiple murders. CBS News
“Decades of Killing Yield 408-Year Sentence,” Los Angeles Times, Oct 2000, coverage of sentencing, first confessions. Los Angeles Times, Murderpedia
“Death Sentence Upheld for Spokane Serial Killer,” summarizes Pierce County death sentence upheld, legal appeals dismissed. Courthouse News, Washington Courts
Radford University criminal psychology profile; background details, timeline of charges, and military service. Maamodt, Maamodt
“The Horrific Crimes Of Robert Lee Yates, The Spokane Serial Killer Who Murdered 16 People,” a recent retrospective summary. All That’s Interesting
