Robert William Fisher earned nationwide recognition for his actions, though probably not the kind he’d like to have gotten. Robert William Fisher made the F.BI’s top ten most wanted list on June 29, 2002. He was the 475th fugitive to be placed on the FBI’s most wanted list. He is still at large.

Robert William Fisher was born on April 13, 1961 in Brooklyn, New York and was raised in Tucson. While in Tucson, he sang in the Tucson Boys Chorus Town Singers group. At the tender age of fifteen, Robert’s parents divorced, leaving him scarred. Robert and his two sisters were sent to live with their father instead of their mother and he graduated from Sahuaro High School in 1979.
After high school Fisher joined the Navy and served as a petty officer second class on the San Diego based USS Belleau Wood from 1979 to 1982. (Baker, 2001) When he was discharged, he went into the San Diego County firefighters for rural San Diego. According to Bill Cooper, Mary’s father, Fisher and Mary met while both were attending a Baptist Church social group. They were married while Robert was still a firefighter. After returning to Arizona from California, Robert enrolled in an associates program at Gateway Community College in Phoenix. (Baker, 2001)

From there, everything seemed to happen pretty quickly for the Fishers. In 1987, the couple bought their first house for a purchase price of $80,000, a three bedroom ranch style house in the 2200 block of North 74th Place. They picked that house for several reasons, but one of the best was that it was only a couple of blocks to Mary’s parent’s home. In 1988, the couple welcomed their first child, Brittney. Three years later Mary gave birth to the couple’s second child, Robert Jr.

There wasn’t a more dutiful father to be found anywhere according to Robert and Mary’s neighbors. One recalled that Robert kept video-tapes of his children’s birthday parties in the gun safe. Mary participated frequently in church activities while the family participated in other activities such as hunting, fishing and camping – a few of Robert’s favorite past times.  

The Fishers neighbors considered them a regular suburban family, married, two children, even the dog (named Blue) Fisher got along well with almost everyone. Fisher’s friends knew that there was one particular neighbor that Robert didn’t get along with, but “they’ve said they never saw him out of control or even on the verge of it.” (Bittner, 2004)

Police say that a change was noted in Fisher’s behavior about six months before his family was killed. He completely withdrew from church activities and he let his membership at the gym lapse. Paul Mueller lifted weights with Fisher for some time at the World Gym in Scottsdale. Mueller told reporters that he’d found Fisher easy to talk to. Mueller said “We had a lot of commonalities. We both liked the outdoors, driving quads and above all, our religion.” (Baker, 2001)   Mueller goes on to say that Fisher was “walking the walk of a Christian”, (Baker, 2001) and that it wasn’t a convenience item.” (Baker, 2001) What walking in faith Christian has affairs or murders their entire family?

I’m not completely sure if I buy that though. Other sources have surpassed hinting and blatantly accuse Fisher of having affairs; of being a control freak who wanted no outside help raising his family. For all of Fishers negative points, the most frightening one is his view on divorce.