Robert William Fisher is one of the longest-running entries on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. He disappeared from Scottsdale, Arizona, in April 2001 and has not been publicly located since. More than two decades later, his name still appears regularly in searches — sometimes in news and true-crime contexts, and sometimes in genealogy databases where he gets mixed up with entirely different people who share his name.
This article covers his background, his family, the 2001 case that placed him on the FBI’s radar, and what is publicly known about his status today. It also explains why his name shows up in genealogy searches alongside unrelated historical individuals.
Who Robert William Fisher Is
The Robert William Fisher relevant to this profile was born on April 13, 1961, in Brooklyn, New York. He is not an entertainment celebrity. He is a fugitive and FBI murder suspect who became nationally known after a tragedy in Scottsdale, Arizona, in 2001.
It is worth being clear about one thing: genealogy databases contain records for other people named Robert William Fisher who have no connection to this case. One notable example is a man born in Manchester, New Hampshire, in 1894, whose record appears on FamilySearch. That individual lived from 1894 to 1962 and is a completely separate person.
If you find a genealogy record for a Robert William Fisher with a different birth year, birthplace, or family tree, treat it as a different person. The identifying details for the FBI fugitive are specific: born April 13, 1961, in Brooklyn, New York.
His Family Background and Early Life
Fisher’s parents were William Fisher, described in public accounts as a banker, and Jan Howell. His parents divorced in 1976, when Fisher was 15 years old. After the divorce, he and his two sisters went to live with their father in Arizona.
He attended Sahuaro High School in Tucson and graduated in 1979. Shortly after graduation, he joined the U.S. Navy, where he served until approximately 1982. Public records and secondary biographical accounts confirm this general timeline, though specific details about his military assignments are not fully documented in primary sources.
It is important to note that the divorce and family relocation are simply part of his documented background. They are not established causes or explanations for anything that happened later. Presenting them that way would go beyond what the facts actually support.
His Work, Marriage, and Life Before 2001
After his military service, Fisher built a working life with several different occupations. The FBI’s official wanted notice lists his jobs as surgical catheter technician, respiratory therapist, and firefighter. These are the verified occupations tied to his public record.
In 1987, he married a woman named Mary Cooper. The couple eventually settled in Scottsdale, Arizona, and had two children together: a daughter named Brittney and a son named Robert Fisher Jr., who went by Bobby.
Secondary accounts describe Fisher as someone who enjoyed outdoor activities like hunting and fishing. This is included only as general background. His hobbies do not explain or suggest anything about his character or later actions — and drawing that kind of connection would not be fair or accurate.
By most available accounts, Fisher lived a relatively ordinary life in Scottsdale before 2001. Nothing in the public record suggests his neighbors or colleagues had any reason to expect what was coming.
The 2001 Scottsdale Case
In April 2001, Mary Fisher and the couple’s two children — Brittney and Bobby — were found dead inside the family’s home in Scottsdale, Arizona. The home had also been destroyed, with accounts describing the cause as fire or explosion.
Robert Fisher disappeared at the same time. He has not been publicly located since.
The FBI wants Fisher in connection with the alleged killings of his wife and two children and the alleged destruction of the family home. That phrasing matters. Fisher has not been tried in a court of law, and no conviction exists. He is a suspect — someone the FBI is actively seeking in connection with these crimes.
The victims were Mary Fisher, Brittney Fisher, and Bobby Fisher. Their deaths are the reason this case has stayed in public awareness for more than twenty years.
FBI Wanted Status and What Is Publicly Known Today
Fisher was added to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list in 2002, making him one of the longer-running entries in the list’s history. The FBI continues to maintain an active wanted profile for him.
As of the time this article was written, no confirmed arrest, death, or verified sighting has been officially announced by law enforcement. Fisher’s current status remains that of a wanted fugitive.
The FBI’s wanted notice identifies him by his full name, date of birth, and Brooklyn birthplace. It also lists his known occupations and describes him as wanted for allegedly killing his wife and children and destroying the Scottsdale home. That notice remains the most reliable source for his identifying information and legal status.
Various true-crime websites and forums have published theories about his whereabouts over the years — including claims about wilderness survival, foreign travel, and assumed identities. None of these theories have been confirmed by law enforcement. They should not be treated as facts.
Anyone with information about Robert William Fisher is encouraged to contact the FBI directly. A reward has been associated with tips leading to his capture, though the specific amount and current offer details should be confirmed through the FBI’s official wanted profile.
Why His Name Shows Up in Genealogy Searches
One reason people end up on this page is that they searched for a Robert William Fisher in a genealogy database and are trying to figure out who they are looking at.
Robert William Fisher is a common enough name that multiple people across different generations share it. As mentioned earlier, FamilySearch contains a profile for a Robert William Fisher born in Manchester, New Hampshire, in 1894, who died in 1962. That individual has no connection to the Arizona fugitive born in 1961.
If you are researching a family tree and you find a Robert William Fisher record, here is a simple way to check: compare the birth year, birthplace, spouse’s name, children’s names, and location. The FBI fugitive was born in 1961 in Brooklyn, married Mary Cooper in 1987, and lived in Scottsdale, Arizona. Any record that does not match those core details belongs to a different person.
Genealogy platforms like MyHeritage and FamilySearch sometimes surface name matches without making those distinctions clear. A little cross-referencing goes a long way before linking records together.
For broader context on how public records and biographical profiles intersect with search results, BusinessVerb covers topics that touch on research, public information, and how names appear across different databases.
A Few Things This Article Does Not Claim
It is worth being direct about the limits of what is known.
- Fisher has not been convicted of any crime. He is wanted — not found guilty.
- His current whereabouts are unknown. No confirmed sighting or location has been officially announced.
- His parents’ divorce is a biographical fact, not a proven explanation for later events.
- Extended family members, sisters, and other relatives are not well-documented in reliable public sources. Speculating about them would not be appropriate here.
- True-crime forums and unsourced websites are not equivalent to FBI records or court documents. They should be read with that in mind.
Final Thoughts
Robert William Fisher is a real person with a documented background — a Navy veteran, a healthcare worker, a firefighter, and a father — who disappeared in April 2001 after his wife and children were found dead in their Scottsdale home. He has been on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list for more than two decades without a confirmed resolution.
His case remains open. His victims — Mary, Brittney, and Bobby Fisher — deserve to be remembered accurately and with care.
If you came to this article looking for genealogy records or researching the name for another reason, the key takeaway is simple: not every Robert William Fisher in a database is the same person. Check the details before drawing any connections.
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