Boise Arson: Robin Rowe; Nick Howard Insurance Murder | The New Detectives | S8 E4

A Boise house fire hides a triple homicide, and a Sacramento River search uncovers an insurance-fueled murder scheme. The New Detectives follow the forensics that expose both. In Ada County, Idaho, a pre-dawn blaze on February 10, 1992 kills 34-year-old Randy Rowe and his two stepchildren. Investigators find the smoke alarm’s circuit breaker switched off and burn patterns near air vents. Lab tests by forensic examiner Susan Williamson detect a heavy petroleum distillate consistent with kerosene or diesel, confirming arson and turning the case into a triple homicide. While Robin Rowe claims Randy was abusive and maintains an alibi at friend Joan McHugh’s home, detectives uncover a storage unit holding YWCA bingo cash and receipts and multiple life insurance policies naming Robin as beneficiary, totaling over $275,000. A newspaper carrier reports seeing a late-model four-door with rectangular taillights near the duplex around 4 a.m., resembling Robin’s car. In a recorded jail call, Robin admits leaving at 3:30 a.m. to speak with a psychiatrist, shattering her alibi. Robin Rowe is convicted of arson and three counts of first-degree murder and is sentenced to death. In Yolo County, California, 18-year-old Nick Howard vanishes on February 5, 1997. His car is pulled from the Sacramento River, coated in motor oil with his glasses inside. CHP reconstruction shows the vehicle left the road at about 14 mph; an oil bottle cap is found wedged in the throttle, a trick replicated by auto expert Charles Radford. At first, rumors suggest a staged death tied to an $850,000 life insurance policy naming family friend Ralph Marcus. But Nick’s remains are found with fluid in the lungs and injuries consistent with manual strangulation. He is wearing a single glove. Witness Jake Stanton says he saw Marcus kick an identical glove off a pier. Documents later show Marcus was filing the insurance claim. Ralph Marcus is convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. Two crimes, one motive: greed. Meticulous forensics and dogged detective work cut through deception to deliver justice. #TheNewDetectives #TrueCrime #ForensicScience #ArsonInvestigation #InsuranceMurder #Boise #SacramentoRiver #Idaho