WASTENAW COUNTY, Mich. – The man accused of abducting, sexually assaulting and murdering Beverly Wivell over 35 years ago is expected to appear in court on Friday.
Previous coverage: Judge remands 1989 Washtenaw County rape, murder case to district court
Recommended Videos
Buster Robbins was charged for the rape and murder of Wivell. She was found dead on the side of the road in Superior Township in September 1989.
According to the Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s Office, Wivell was sleeping in her vehicle in Canton Township after dropping her son off at school when she was abducted, sexually assaulted, and shot.
Her body was discovered on the side of the road, and her vehicle was later found still running with the driver’s door open and her purse inside.
DNA evidence from a rape kit completed in 1989 was sent for forensic genealogy testing in 2024.
The testing linked the DNA to Robbins of Almont. Prosecutors confirmed that Robbins and Wivell did not know each other.
A judge ruled in March during Robbins’ preliminary examination not to bind him over for trial, but added, “I believe there’s more to this story than what I have heard.”
On May 20, 2025, the case was moved back to district court.
Robbins is expected to appear in court on Aug. 29 for a pretrial hearing and a motion hearing.
1989 investigation
Detective Casey Luke with the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office testified that on Sept. 18, 1989, deputies were sent to the area of Ford and Gotfredson roads for reports of a woman who had been shot and was found on the side of the road. Luke said investigators later identified the woman as Wivell.
She had been shot with a 45-caliber pistol. Her vehicle was discovered later that night in Canton Township. The vehicle was still running, the driver’s door was open, and her purse was inside.
Luke said she had dropped her son off at school at 8:30 a.m. Deputies were called to the scene of the crime at 9:40 a.m.
A witness reported hearing a gunshot and seeing a blue vehicle, similar to a Chrysler New Yorker with a white top, speeding near the scene.
DNA tested in January 2024
In January 2024, DNA taken from the rape kit completed on Wivell was sent to Michigan State Police, who sent it in for forensic genealogy testing. The testing led investigators to Robbins.
Investigators conducted several days of surveillance over a period of several weeks on Robbins’ home, where he lives with his wife. On Sept. 24, 2024, investigators collected several items, including used plastic straws, which were sent to the Michigan State Police lab for DNA comparison.
Forensic scientists found that DNA from one of the straws matched the DNA from the rape kit.
Investigators said that Robbins’ wife told them that in 1989, Robbins drove a vehicle that matched the description reported by the witness. They also found a 45-caliber magazine with ammunition in the home while conducting a search warrant.