February 16, 2018 at 5:37 p.m.
Attorney: Mendez 'maintains his innocence' in 1982 bludgeoning murder of wife
Preliminary hearing set for Feb. 23
Attorney: Mendez 'maintains his innocence' in 1982 bludgeoning murder of wife
By Jamie Taylor-jamie@rivernewsonline.com
Forest County circuit judge Leon Stenz, sitting in Oneida County Circuit Court, scheduled the preliminary examination of Robin "Bob" Mendez for Feb. 23, after defense attorney Peter Prusinski confirmed his client would not waive his right to a timely preliminary hearing.
Mendez was charged with first-degree murder Feb. 6 after the Oneida County Sheriff's Department and a team from the Oxygen television series "Cold Justice," reinvestigated the Barbara Mendez cold case.
Mendez, 33, was found blundgeoned to death April 28. 1982 at her place of employment, the former Park City Credit Union in Minocqua.
Robin Mendez is being held on a $250,000 cash bond set last week by Judge Patrick O'Melia, who then recused himself from the case.
During a brief adjourned initial appearance Thursday afternoon, defense attorney Peter Prusinski invoked his client's right to remain silent and filed a formal request that Mendez not be questioned by investigators regarding this case unless he is present.
"I understand that he is in custody and they (jail staff) have issues in custody that they have to deal with, and that's fine," Prusinski said. "But in regards to this case, I ask that he not be questioned."
"There were no plans to do anything like that was there Mr. Schiek?" Stenz asked.
"No, judge," Schiek replied.
According to the complaint, Barbara Mendez was left alone in the credit union office, then located at U.S. Highway 51 and County J, after the manager went home sick on April 28, 1982. Mendez was expected to close up for the day at approximately 5 p.m.
This was the first and only time Mendez closed the credit union alone, according to a statement the manager gave investigators.
Computerized records show Mendez had begun entering the balance sheet, a key part of her closing activities, at 5:02 p.m. and finished at 5:13 p.m.
Approximately two hours later, the manager received a call from Robin Mendez reporting that Barbara was expected at the Assembly of God Church in Woodruff at 6:15 p.m. but had yet to arrive. According to the manager, Robin asked her to drive to the credit union office and look for Barbara. Although the church was actually closer to the credit union than her home, the manager agreed to check on Barbara, the complaint states.
According to the complaint, the manager told investigators she immediately noticed Barbara's car was still in the credit union parking lot and became alarmed after realizing that the door to the office was unlocked. After walking inside, she discovered Barbara's body face down on the floor in front of the credit union's safe.
A deposit bag containing approximately $2,700 was missing but approximately $17,000 was plainly visible in the open safe.
There were no signs of forced entry to the building and Mendez had no defensive wounds on her body, according to the complaint.
After conducting an autopsy, pathologist Dr. Robert W. Huntington III found Mendez died of "multiple blunt injuries, abrasions and lacerations to the head, with extensive skull fractures."
He theorized that the injuries were caused by a blunt instrument with a long striking surface "and there's a strong suggestion of an angle in an instrument," according to the complaint.
According to Chris Robinson, an expert forensics consultant who is retired from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the injuries found on the left side of Barbara's face and head are "consistent with being made by a flat, elongated tool" such as a pry bar or a Wonder Bar, tools that are routinely used in the furniture upholstery business. The family of Robin Mendez operates an upholstery business, the complaint notes.
Over the years the Mendez daughters, Dawn, who was 13 on the day her mother was killed, and Christy, who was 11, provided alibi statements for their father that placed him at home at the time the murder occurred. However, the women now allege their father manipulated and coached them on what to say to investigators to the point that their memories are too "convoluted to give an accurate recounting of the timeframes" of that day, the complaint states.
Another alibi witness, an underage girl with whom Robin Mendez was sexually involved (and whom he was later convicted of sexually assaulting), has also told investigators she lied to police to cover for Mendez in 1982, the complaint states.
Beyond asserting his client's innocence, Prusinski declined to comment Thursday.
District attorney Mike Schiek also declined to comment.
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