When the body of Robert Mitchell Jr., a “gentle giant” and towering presence in Rochester’s bar scene, is discovered burning in a public park, detectives don’t know what to think. As rumors swirl and leads dry up, the case grows cold… until a witness comes forward with details so specific, only someone close to the crime could know them. Now, nearly a decade later, investigators believe they know who killed Robert… But proving it in court is another story.
Courtesy of Rochester Police Department
Episode Info
If you know anything about the murder of Robert Mitchell Jr., please call Rochester Police Department’s major crimes unit at 585-428-7157 or email them at MajorCrimes@CityOfRochester.gov.
You can also call Crime Stoppers at 585-423-9300 or submit a tip online here.
You can listen to The Leighton Avenue Killings mentioned in this episode here.
Robert Mitchell Jr. with his camera. Courtesy: Robert Mitchell Facebook
A photo of Robert. Courtesy: Robert Mitchell Facebook
A photo of Robert. Courtesy: Robert Mitchell Facebook
La Grange Park on the morning of July 6, 2016, when Robert’s body was found. Courtesy: Rochester Police Department
The clearing is near an industrial area. Courtesy: Rochester Police Department
Evidence markers scattered across La Grange Park mark the spot where Robert’s body was found, just steps from the tree line. Courtesy: Rochester Police Department
A crime scene tech holding charred evidence. Courtesy: Rochester Police Department
O’Callaghan’s Pub on Monroe Avenue in Rochester, Robert’s favorite bar and possibly the last place he was seen before he vanished. Photo taken by Audiochuck staff.
ATF, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, is offering a reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of Robert’s killer or killers. Courtesy: The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
Rochester Detective Terry Dearcop looks at photos from the Lang Street arson, including one of a piece of blue tarp left behind, during an interview in July 2025. Photo taken by Audiochuck staff.
A bloodstain found in the living room of an apartment once rented by a former suspect, Adrian, was later revealed to belong to someone else entirely. Courtesy: Rochester Police Department
A broken baseball bat was found in a dumpster behind Adrian’s old apartment—one of many dead ends in the search for Robert’s killer. Courtesy: Rochester Police Department
86 Meigs Street in Rochester, where police believe Robert was killed. Photo taken by Audiochuck staff.
Firefighters battle an arson blaze at a vacant house, 41 Lang Street, on July 6, 2016. Police now believe Robert’s body was kept there for a couple of days before he was dumped in La Grange Park and set on fire. Courtesy: Rochester Police Department
41 Lang Street is now an empty lot. Photo taken by Audiochuck staff.
The main entrance to La Grange Park in July 2025. Photo taken by Audiochuck staff.
Episode Source Material
Original reporting by Nina Schutzman
- Rochester Police records
- Monroe County Court records