Naman Shrestha
Investigation Discovery’s ‘On the Case With Paula Zahn: Two Fires, One Match’ delves deep into the two horrific killings of Renee Powell and Barbara Walsh in February and March 1995, respectively. The two women were residents of the same apartment complex in Shoreline, Washington, making the cases all the more complicated. As the detectives followed up on clues left in the crime scenes, disturbing statements from another resident of the same cul-de-sac cracked the case wide open.
Renee Powell and Barbara Walsh Were Both Residents of the Same Apartment Complex in Shoreline
Born on April 12, 1951, in Missouri to Carol Powell, Renee Lee Powell relocated to Seattle in 1993 to pursue her education and fulfill her dreams. Described as a compassionate and insightful individual, she became a registered nurse and settled in Shoreline, Washington, where she led a content life. Unexpectedly, on February 24, 1995, the 43-year-old woman was attacked in her ground-floor apartment. When the neighbors alerted the Shoreline Fire Department regarding a fire in her apartment, the firefighters rushed to the scene and put out the fire before discovering Renee’s remains. The detectives arrived at the scene and noticed stab wounds in her abdomen and back. They also found a knife on top of a table nearby and an ice pick near her leg.
Upon inspecting the crime scene further, they concluded that a VCR and bottles of wine were missing from her home. The autopsy determined that the cause of her death was a stab wound to her abdomen and not the fire. She had also been strangled and sexually assaulted. About a month later, on March 25, 1995, another fire was reported on a different ground-floor apartment of the same apartment complex as Renee’s in Shoreline. After extinguishing the fire, they found the remains of a single 53-year-old woman named Barbara Blanche Walsh. Born on December 13, 1941, in Washington, she was the beloved daughter of Duard J. Walsh and the sister of Dan Walsh.
As the detectives inspected the crime scene, they found evidence of stab wounds in her abdomen and a kitchen knife on the living room couch. The medical examiner examined Barbara’s remains and concluded that she died from strangulation and asphyxiation. The vaginal bruising also indicated that she was sexually assaulted. The authorities determined that a VCR, a television, a CD player, and stereo speakers were stolen from her apartment. Given the similarities between the two crime scenes, they believed that the same perpetrator was responsible for both homicides.
Renee Powell and Barbara Walsh’s Killer Was Identified Through DNA Evidence
As the detectives found a pubic hair on one of the towels found in Barbara Walsh’s bathroom, they sent it for DNA testing. Meanwhile, they also tested the sperm collected from the vaginal swabs from Renee Powell. The DNA profiles from both crime scenes matched, confirming the detectives’ theory. As part of the investigation, the police interviewed residents living near the apartments of Renee and Barbara to gather as much information as possible about the crimes. At the time, a man named Robert Parker lived with his pregnant girlfriend, Princess Gray, in a duplex on the same cul-de-sac. A few weeks later, the couple broke up, while Gray moved out of the duplex in June 1995. Meanwhile, Robert lived with his new girlfriend, Cheron Bell, after which Gray was furious.
In August 1996, when Gray saw Robert and Cheron together, she attacked them and was charged with the assault. With her charges pending, she told her therapist that Robert was responsible for the murders of Renee and Barbara. After the therapist notified the police of the same, Gray was brought in for questioning on November 1, 1996. She told the detectives that Robert had bragged about robbing and killing the two women and brought different items with him into her apartment on the two separate nights. In exchange for her immunity, Gray also took the detectives to her apartment and showed them multiple items that allegedly belonged to Renee and Barbara, such as a London Fog raincoat, wicker baskets, a floor lamp, a VCR, a box of silverware, a glass prism, wire sculptures, and more.
The Killer’s Ex-Girlfriend Recanted Her Statements
Armed with enough evidence against him, the detectives arrested Robert Parker on November 5, 1996. He agreed that he lived with Princess Gray between November 1994 and April 1995 and recognized the two women’s houses, but denied having anything to do with their murders. Although he denied bringing the items found in Gray’s apartment, the police executed a search warrant at his apartment, where they found a large black duffel bag belonging to Renee. After analyzing his DNA sample, the authorities learned that his blood sample had the same DNA profile as the perpetrator’s.
Thus, on November 8, he was charged with two counts of first-degree aggravated murder and two counts of first-degree arson in connection with Renee and Barbara’s deaths. Things became complicated when Gray recanted her statements against Robert and said that the items belonging to the deceased women were found near her garbage cans in late March 1995, after which she brought them inside her home. She claimed that she lied about Robert’s involvement because she was angry at him at the time. She told the detectives that Robert was with her on the night of Renee’s murder.
Robert Lee Parker is Serving His Sentence at a Washington State Prison Today
In January 1997, while Robert Lee Parker awaited his trial, he talked to a fellow inmate named Michael Chadwick, whom he allegedly asked to provide an alibi for him. Michael told the detectives that Robert asked him to testify that they were together around late February 1995. He agreed to testify against Robert during his trial in exchange for a favorable sentencing recommendation for his case. After several delays, Robert’s trial finally commenced on November 30, 1998. After months of hearing, in February 1999, the jury finally found him guilty of two counts of aggravated first-degree murder.
About a month later, in March 1999, Robert’s sentencing hearing took place. The prosecution pushed for the death penalty, claiming that the convict was able to subdue and silence the two women, despite his alleged mental limitations. His defense highlighted various factors that merited leniency for Robert, including a lack of a violent criminal history, his low IQ, and his good behavior in jail until then. Thus, he avoided the death penalty and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. In December 2002, he filed a motion to get his conviction overturned, but the Court of Appeals denied his request. The 54-year-old killer is currently incarcerated at the Stafford Creek Corrections Center in Aberdeen, Washington.
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