Suvechha Sarkar
On February 12, 1994, Rhonda Lee Maloney left her workplace and headed home. However, the 25-year-old never expected that her life would come to a sudden halt when she was kidnapped from Thornton, Colorado, and later killed. It was followed by an intensive investigation that helped officials piece together a disturbing pattern of violence. The episode titled ‘The Highway Hunter’ of ‘Homicide Hunter: American Detective’ explores the details surrounding the case that led investigators to the killer. The episode also features an interview with her sister and the detectives who helped crack the case.
Rhonda Maloney Had Built a Life Rooted in Love and Her Ambitions
Rhonda Lee Gemeinhardt was born on April 16, 1968, in New Jersey. Her father and mother, Donna Sutherby, always ensured to support her at every step of her life. Growing up, Rhonda was inseparable from her beloved sister, Kerri Gemeinhardt, and they spent every moment together. According to Kerri, her sister had an incredible sense of humor and lived life to the fullest. In adulthood, Rhonda crossed paths with her soulmate, and they began dating. Shortly after, the couple shared their vows at a beautiful venue. Beyond that, she aspired to attend school to become a hairdresser. By 1994, the 25-year-old began working alongside her husband as the manager of an apartment complex, where they resided.
Simultaneously, Rhonda served as a Cocktail Waitress at Harrah’s Casino in Central City, Colorado. There, she worked on the late shift from 6 pm to 2 am. On February 12, 1994, she left work at 2 am and arrived in the parking lot where her car was parked around 3:30 am. At approximately 5:45 am, a woman named Jaquie Creazzo was driving on I-76. When she took a turn, she noticed two cars parked along the highway. According to reports, Jaquie slowed her vehicle after assuming the passengers needed help. Right after, a woman from the passenger side of one of those cars jumped into Jaquie’s automobile and told her that she had been raped for 2 hours. As Jaquie drove away from the scene with the woman, the latter revealed her name to be Rhonda.
Rhonda’s Remains Were Found Several Days After She Was Kidnapped
Court records state that Rhonda and Jaquie were followed by the assailant using his car, and he shot at them multiple times. When Jaquie was hit by the bullets in the face, spine, and knee, she lost control of her vehicle and crashed into the lawn of the Thornton Police Department. The shooter then reportedly got out of his car and threatened Jaquie at gunpoint before kidnapping Rhonda and driving away from the scene. When officials finally discovered Jaquie inside the vehicle, she was rushed to the hospital and fortunately survived. There, she informed investigators about what had transpired. It marked the beginning of an extensive search for Rhonda.
Detectives ultimately discovered Rhonda’s car abandoned along the highway and noticed a dent on the rear end, consistent with a collision. They also found tire tracks and shoe prints at the scene, but were unable to recover any additional evidence. On February 19, 1994, Rhonda’s remains were discovered in a water-filled culvert in Adams County. Forensic experts noted that she had no clothes. They further uncovered that she had been brutally beaten and shot in the head. The autopsy report unveiled that Rhonda suffered multiple facial and skull fractures and had several injuries consistent with sexual assault. Her cause of death was reportedly determined to be a gunshot wound to the head.
Multiple Pieces of Forensic Evidence Helped Officials Arrest Rhonda’s Killer
When investigators questioned Jaquie at the hospital, she reportedly told them that the assailant had threatened her with a gun and then kidnapped Rhonda. According to police records, Jaquie described the suspect as a young light-skinned black male with a moon face. She also informed them that the shooter was driving a late-model Saturn vehicle. After finding Rhonda’s car, authorities came across a similar murder case of 21-year-old Jessica Arredondo that happened in November 1988. Investigative reports suggest that during the investigation of that case, officials found Jessica’s car with a dent similar to the one observed in Rhonda’s automobile. It led law enforcement to reportedly theorize that both cases might be connected.
Officials then reviewed CCTV footage from the casino, which confirmed that Rhonda left work at 2 am. As per reports, they again searched the area where her car was found. At a distance, they reportedly found a pager with a message from a man named Belt Harlan. As they dug deeper, they discovered that the pager belonged to Belt, a police sergeant, according to official records. Meanwhile, detectives found the shooter’s car, which was revealed to be owned by Robert E. Harlan, the son of Belt. Police records specify that Robert’s appearance matched Jaquie’s description of the shooter. Moreover, he had several previous unrelated allegations of sexual assault and sexual harassment. Robert was ultimately taken into custody on February 15, 1994.
According to reports, when Robert was questioned, he initially denied any involvement but later claimed that he was selling drugs to Rhonda after she got into his car on February 12. Police records specify that Belt eventually brought a box to the station, containing a gun and Robert’s bloody clothes. Belt reportedly told the officials that Robert had visited his brother’s home on February 12, covered in blood with a gun. When forensic experts checked the blood in the clothes and the gun, it matched Rhonda’s. On February 19, investigators uncovered her remains from a culvert. Finally, Robert was charged with first-degree murder, felony murder, assault, and two counts each of attempted first-degree murder and second-degree kidnapping. It is essential to note that he was never officially charged with Jessica’s murder.
Robert Harlan is Likely Incarcerated at a Colorado Prison Facility Today
Robert’s jury trial commenced in mid-1995. During the trial, the prosecution claimed that the defendant followed Rhonda from the casino and deliberately bumped into her vehicle to make her exit the car before sexually assaulting her. According to court records, the prosecution emphasized that Robert again kidnapped Rhonda in front of the police department and then sexually assaulted, tortured, and killed her. On the other hand, the defense challenged the prosecution’s interpretation of intent, claiming that there was no premeditation and that Robert acted on impulse. On June 20, 1995, he was found guilty of all his charges. The jury reportedly also determined that he used a deadly weapon in the attempted murders and sexually assaulted Rhonda in the course of the kidnapping.
Robert was ultimately sentenced to death and received an additional 144 years in prison for the assault and kidnapping charges. He later appealed his convictions and sentence to the Colorado Supreme Court. On September 11, 2000, the court upheld his judgment. The defense also appealed to overturn his death penalty, emphasizing juror misconduct on the grounds that many of them consulted passages from the bible before reaching the death verdict. In March 2005, the Supreme Court overturned the death sentence and sentenced him to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Following that, Robert was serving his sentence at a Colorado Correctional Facility. However, as of writing, no public records provide further information about his exact whereabouts.
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