MANCHESTER, NH – Friday will be the four-year anniversary of the day Denise Robert was murdered during a quiet Sunday walk. Her murder remains unsolved.
On September 5 the Robert family will commemorate the date with a remembrance walk, beginning at 6:30 p.m. at Brookside Congregational Church.
There are four objectives to the memorial ceremony, says her brother, Joe Robert.
- Remember Denise
- Providing the public with an update on the status of her case and make a renewed plea for assistance from the public for any information known about the case.
- Acknowledging other more recent murders within the city.
- Recognizing and supporting the CrimeWatch movement with the city.
According to Joe Robert, the ceremony will be kept short and sweet – gathering on the grounds of the Brookside Congregational Church, 2013 Elm St., in Manchester at 6:30 p.m. Speakers from family and other interested groups will then address attendees until 7 p.m. when a short walk will commence to the site of Denise’s murder, moving east on Clark Street to Ray Street, north on Ray Street to just south of Carpenter Street. A moment of silence will be offered up for Denise – and all victims of violence – at the site. The procession will then return to the church and disperse around 7:45 p.m.
“We’re hoping to get people to sign up for a neighborhood watch group after the vigil,” said Joe Robert, one the remaining 10 Robert siblings. It’s an action step anyone can take to make neighborhoods safer and provide the much-needed eyes and ears of the community that often come through with vital information following a tragic event, like the one that unfolded on Aug. 30, 2015.
Unsolved murder
On that night, Denise Robert, 62, of Bedford was taking a familiar stroll on Ray Street in Manchester, part of her usual routine in the North End neighborhood she loved from her childhood, when she was shot at around 9 p.m.
There have been no witnesses identified and no fruitful leads. The family has received few details of the investigation, including any kind of motive.
The investigation has revealed that a loud firecracker-type noise was heard and a pickup truck was seen quickly leaving the area. Police continue to work to locate the pickup truck and speak with the driver of what was then described as a dark-colored pickup truck driven by a white male in his 20s to 30s, with short, cropped hair.
Denise Robert was wearing white New Balance sneakers, white jean-type shorts with a white belt, and a long-sleeved, white and dark purple (almost black) striped shirt.
In March of 2017 investigators regrouped and formed a new investigation team to focus exclusively on the case. They returned to the crime scene without fanfare, searching for a bullet. By Oct. of 2017 a search warrant was executed at a residence in Londonderry with no explanation. At that time the AG’s office established a hotline – 603-271-4956 – to accept tips. When tested out on Wednesday the line rang several times before disconnecting.
A reward fund was established early on, and two years ago had risen to about $45,000. That money was earmarked for anyone who provides information that leads to the arrest and conviction of Denise Robert’s killer. Tips can be made anonymously online to the Manchester CrimeLine on line or by calling 603-624-4040.
The family remains positive, and the Sept. 5 commemoration is one thing they can do – in a world that otherwise offers little solace – to remain vigilant in the search for their sister’s murderer.
“We’ll have some candles, but I recommend people bring flashlights if they have them, or candles. Or flowers,” Joe Robert said.
