Kriti Mehrotra
When Joy Ann Hibbs was found dead in her Croydon, Bristol Township home in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, on April 19, 1991, it honestly left her whole community shattered to the core. That’s because, as explored in NBC’s ‘Dateline: Justice for Joy,’ the happily married mother of two had sadly been stabbed five times as well as likely strangled before her home was set on fire. Unfortunately, though, it wasn’t until over three decades later that the matter of her homicide and arson finally came to a satisfactory conclusion with the help of statements from April Atkins.
April Atkins and Joy Hibbs Were Once Close Friends
While not a lot about April’s early years or background is known as of writing, we do know she is a Pennsylvania native through and through. According to her own accounts, it was back when she was in high school that she first came across Robert Atkins, just for them to soon fall head over heels in love. She was allegedly bullied a lot during these years, so when she finally found a partner, she believed she had also found a life-long protector. Her beau had allegedly promised to be there for her as well as care for her in every way, yet that was not at all the case.
April and Robert tied the knot shortly after graduating high school, following which they welcomed two adorable sons into their lives and settled down in Bristol Township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. As per the former’s accounts, they were initially a happy family, but soon her husband’s anger issues and alleged verbal abuse started coming to light, terrifying her to such an extent that she had to leave. Her only source of solace during this period was reportedly Joy Hibbs, the fellow family woman who lived just two doors down, as they developed a close friendship. However, things changed in early 1991 because an argument over $20 worth of weed resulted in a rift between the families.
April Atkins’ Statements Led to the Arrest and Conviction of Her Ex-Husband
By the time the early 1990s rolled around, April and Robert had actually sold off their home to move into an apartment a few blocks away, and that’s where the former learned some disturbing information. According to her 2016 statements to the police, it was around noon when her husband came back home from somewhere covered in blood, only to tell his wife he had stabbed a woman and lit her house on fire. He then allegedly ordered her to pack the family’s bags for an impromptu trip to the Poconos, which she admittedly did without asking too many questions in fear of his rage. As for him, he took a shower, cleaned himself up, put the clothes in the washer, and then prepared for the long drive.
It actually wasn’t until the Atkins returned from their mini-vacation that April learned the woman who had been killed was her once-friend Joy, but she still told the police what Robert detailed. While the mother of two’s time of death was deemed between 11 am and noon, the landline call he had picked at his home was well after 1 pm, and then the family didn’t check in at the Poconos until it was late. Nevertheless, despite witness statements claiming that they saw a blue Camaro similar to the ones the Atkins owned parked hard outside the home at the time of the incident, they were essentially cleared of suspicion.
Therefore, Joy’s case went cold, that is, until the Bucks County prosecutor decided to zero in on a cold case so as to bring hundreds of families the justice they deserved. When investigators returned to talk to Robert and April about this ordeal in the 2010s, they hoped to get more details since the couple had long divorced, but they maintained their original alibi. The fact that April downplayed her friendship with Joy at this point also bothered investigators to such an extent that the lead even gave her his card in the hopes she would explain her truth in detail. His efforts weren’t in vain because she did come forward in 2016.
April Atkins Prefers to Lead a Quiet Life Today
April had admittedly lost a close personal friend in 2016 when she realized the kind of pain the Hibbs family had been experiencing for decades, inspiring her to come forward with what she knew. With this, as well as additional evidence in the form of Robert’s alibi not really being an alibi since it was well after the murder, the lead investigator passed on the case to the District Attorney. Nevertheless, it wasn’t until 2021 that Robert was officially indicted on the charges of murder as well as arson, only to then stand trial for the same a few years later. His ex-wife, April, was the star witness from the prosecution, even though the court had ordered that some details from her statements and her past were inadmissible as evidence in court.
It was hard for April to face the man who had allegedly verbally abused her as well as the system for years, but she did so with her head held high because she knew she could spark a change. In the end, with the help of her statements as well as the evidence presented in court, Robert was convicted of murder and arson before being sentenced to life in prison without parole plus an additional decade. Since then, though, April has chosen to remain well away from the limelight so as to protect her and her children’s privacy, meaning not much is known about her current personal or professional experiences. All we know is that she is a God-fearing woman, so she is an animal lover, family-oriented, as well as a proud food enthusiast based out of Levittown, Pennsylvania. Honestly, we wish her nothing but the most joy, love, and support for years to come.
