Registered sex offender charged in the slaying of a Collinsville woman
.jpg "The Major Case Squad has turned over the case of a woman whose body was found on a roadway near Edwardsville on Saturday morning to authorities in the Atlanta City Police Department, according to a release issued Wednesday.")
A 34-year-old man has been charged in the slaying of a 67-year-old Collinsville woman last week, Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine announced Monday.
Robert Brittin, 34, of Collinsville is accused of killing Robin M. Mendez, who was found dead in her home in the 100 block of Rainbow Drive about 3:45 p.m. on Thursday.
Collinsville police immediately identified Brittin as a suspect. Brittin shared the same address as Mendez, according to Illinois State Police records.
Brittin was apprehended on Friday. An announcement by Haine’s office Monday states that Brittin is charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of offenses relating to motor vehicles.
He is being held in the Madison County Jail, with bond set at $2 million.
“This terrible act of violence has left the community shaken, and sadly, nothing we do now will bring Robin back or heal these wounds,” Haine said in a release. “But thanks to great police work, we can and will fight for justice on behalf of Robin and her family.”
Police initially were sent to the Mendez home for what was believed to be a medical emergency. When officers arrived, they discovered Mendez had sustained “serious traumatic injuries.”
She was pronounced dead at the scene by the Madison County coroner, and an autopsy concluded that the cause of death was consistent with a homicide.
Investigators said soon after that they believed Mendez knew her attacker and that it was not a random act of violence. Witnesses told investigators that Brittin was in possession of Mendez’s Maroon 2005 Chevy Impala, a release stated.
Brittin and the vehicle were both located in St. Louis on Friday, said Collinsville Police Major Brett Boerm.
According to the Illinois State Police Child Sex Offender registry, Brittin was convicted in 2014 of indecent solicitation of a child under the age of 14. The registry listed his address as being the same as the Mendez address.
The first-degree murder charges against Brittin are Class M felonies, and carry a sentence of 40-60 years in prison, if convicted. The other charges carry a sentence of probation to up to 7 years in prison.
Authorities have not released any information about a possible motive.
This story was originally published November 15, 2021 at 1:48 PM.