Philip Lee Wilson was arrested on April 23, 2020 and charged in the April 24, 1980 murder of 20-year-old Robin Gisela Brooks in Sacramento, California.
Brooks had left her job at a Rosemont donut shop late that night and walked home alone. When she did not show up for her shift the next day, a friend checked on her and found her dead in her bedroom. Brooks had been sexually assaulted and stabbed to death. Police suspect she may have been stalked by the suspect before her death.
A DNA profile was obtained from semen from a sexual assault kit, as well as blood left at the crime scene where the killer had cut himself while stabbing Brooks. There is currently no information on who performed the FGG investigation.
Wilson was convicted by a jury on March 10, 2022. The jury had been deadlocked the day earlier. Wilson’s defence attorney had argued that Wilson had consensual sex with Brooks on the night she died, and that his blood was found at the crime scene because he had a workplace injury. The defence put Norbert Holston forward as an alternative suspect. Holston was the boyfriend of Brook’s sister, Maria Arrick, who stated that Holston was with her on the night that Brooks was killed.
On April 22, 2022, Wilson was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Sources:
Makaula, Walter. “How a Sacramento County Investigator Solved a 40-Year-Old Cold Case.” KCRA 3 News, April 25, 2020. Accessed December 28, 2020. https://www.kcra.com/article/how-sacramento-county-investigator-solved-40-year-old-cold-case/32275016#.
CBS 13 News. “Suspect in Rosemont Woman’s Killing Arrested 40 Years Later.” CBS Sacramento, April 24, 2020. Accessed December 28, 2020. https://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2020/04/24/robin-brooks-cold-case-murder-arrest-sacramento-rosemont/.
Geiger, Dorian. “‘He’s an Evil Monster’: Suspect Arrested Decades After 20-Year-Old Slain Around the Corner from the Donut Shop Where She Worked.” Oxygen, April 29, 2020. Accessed December 28, 2020. https://www.oxygen.com/crime-news/phillip-wilson-arrested-in-cold-case-killing-of-robin-brooks.
Stanton, Sam. “Jury Reaches Verdict at Phillip Lee Wilson Trial, Four Decades After Robin Brooks’ Slaying.” Sacramento Bee, March 10, 2022. Accessed March 13, 2022. https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article259244415.html.
Sullivan, Molly. “Sacramento Sheriff, DA Announce Arrest in 40-Year-Old Cold Case Killing of Rosemont Woman.” Sacramento Bee, April 24, 2020, last modified April 27, 2020. Accessed December 28, 2020. https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/crime/article242271476.html.
Tieu, Van. “Sister of Victim in 40-Year-Old Cold Case Hopes ‘Very Controversial’ Genealogy Testing Stays After Suspect’s Arrest.” ABC 10 News, April 27, 2020. Accessed December 28, 2020. https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/sacramento/sister-of-cold-case-hopes-dna-tech-stays-after-suspects-arrest/103-fc294259-ae8b-43fc-b7cd-af3a73843410.
Tron, Gina. “Lawyer for Accused Rapist, Murderer Says Client’s Innocent: ‘He Had Numerous Female Friends.’” Oxygen, March 4, 2022. Accessed March 13, 2022. https://www.oxygen.com/crime-news/phillip-lee-wilsons-lawyer-says-he-didnt-kill-robin-brooks.
Walike, Lauren. “Phillip Lee Wilson Sentenced to Life without Parole in 40-Year-Old Rape, Murder of Robin Brooks in Sacramento County.” KXTV News, April 22, 2022. Accessed January 17, 2023. https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/sacramento/sacramento-phillip-lee-wilson-robin-brooks/103-6093a514-8888-4885-a9ef-dbbf00a8a7bc.