The Greed, Betrayal, and Ultimate Downfall of Robert Marshall
On the surface, Robert Marshall had it all—a successful career, a picture-perfect family, and a lavish life in Toms River, New Jersey. But behind the polished exterior was a man drowning in debt, tangled in infidelity, and desperate for an escape. When his wife, Maria, was murdered in what initially appeared to be a random highway robbery, the truth unraveled into one of the most infamous murder-for-hire cases in American history.
This is the story of greed, arrogance, and the worst gamble of Robert Marshall’s life.
The Perfect Crime? Not Even Close.
In September 1984, Robert Marshall and his wife, Maria, took one of their regular casino trips to Atlantic City. They wined, dined, and played blackjack—something Robert did often, despite his crippling financial issues.
Hours later, Maria was found shot to death in their car at a secluded rest stop along the Garden State Parkway.
Robert’s story?
They had pulled over for a flat tire, and a mysterious attacker knocked him out and killed Maria. A tragic, random crime.
Except…
🔴 The tire had been slashed, not punctured.
🔴 Maria’s jewelry was untouched—odd for a supposed robbery.
🔴 Rob had taken out multiple life insurance policies on Maria—totaling $1.5 million.
From the start, the police weren’t buying it.
Follow the Money, Find the Killers
While Robert played the grieving husband, investigators followed his phone records, his money trail, and his gambling habits.
What they found?
A tangled web of Louisiana hitmen, secret payments, and a murder-for-hire plot so sloppy it was almost comical.
The key players:
James McKinnon – A small-time criminal turned middleman for the hit.
Larry Thompson – A lifelong bank robber with a history of "accidental" deaths around him.
Robert Cumber – The man who connected Bob to the hitmen.
Robert initially paid McKinnon $2,500, agreeing to a final price of $65,000 to have Maria murdered. He even tried to add credibility to the crime by telling the hitmen to shoot him—only to panic and change his mind.
The Plan Falls Apart
Even after multiple failed assassination attempts, Robert kept pushing.
And when the crime finally happened on September 6, 1984, it wasn’t clean.
McKinnon and Thompson left behind too many loose ends, and when detectives applied pressure, the men cracked.
Within months, Rob’s house of cards collapsed entirely.
McKinnon confessed.
Larry Thompson and Robert Cumber were arrested.
Robert Marshall, who had been planning to flee to Costa Rica, was taken into custody on December 19, 1984.
A Trial That Exposed Everything
Robert thought he could talk his way out of it.
He even wore his wedding ring to court, trying to keep up the illusion of a devoted husband. But prosecutor Kevin Kelly—who had personally met Bob years earlier—saw right through him. Kelly exposed every lie, every affair, every shady financial deal.
He even revealed that just Months after Maria’s death, Robert was engaged to another woman.
His own son, Roby, testified against him—after Rob tried to convince him to lie.
The jury? Not fooled.
The same day they were let out to deliberate, they found Robert Marshall guilty.
And when it came time for sentencing? Robert Marshall was given the death penalty.
The Aftermath: Justice, Delayed
While Robert’s sons sobbed in the courtroom, their father was sent to solitary confinement on death row.
But the story wasn’t over yet.
In 2006, Bob’s death sentence was overturned. His sentence was reduced to 30 years to life, making him eligible for parole in December 2014.
In 2015, just one month before his parole hearing, Bob Marshall died in prison.
Meanwhile, the other players met different fates:
Robert Cumber – Served 20 years before being released in 2006. He had rejected a better plea deal, gambling on a trial—and lost.
James McKinnon – Took a plea deal, spent a short time in witness protection, then returned to Louisianalike nothing happened.
Larry Thompson – Was acquitted at trial due to lack of evidence. But in 2014, while in prison for armed robbery and attempted murder of a police officer, he finally admitted to killing Maria Marshall.
Larry Thompson? His earliest possible parole. 2071.
Oh, and in 2017? He was charged for another murder-for-hire from 1979.
Some people never change.
A True Crime That Became a Bestseller
Robert Marshall’s story became so infamous, it was turned into a bestselling book—Blind Faith—by true crime writer Joe McGinniss in 1989.
It was later adapted into a 1990 Emmy-nominated miniseries, starring:
🎭 Robert Urich as Robert Marshall
🎭 Joanna Kerns as Maria Marshall
And in one of the most unexpected twists of all? While filming, Joanna Kerns (who played Maria) became close with Maria’s real-life son, Roby Marshall. She later introduced him to her Growing Pains co-star, actress Tracey Gold. Roby and Tracey fell in love, got married in 1994, and now have four sons together.
Final Thoughts: The House Always Wins
Robert Marshall lived for the gamble.
He bet everything—his marriage, his finances, his own children’s trust—on a plan that was doomed from the start.
And in the end? He lost everything. Because you don’t beat the house.
And when your “plan” involves hiring incompetent hitmen, committing insurance fraud, and leaving a money trail a mile long—
The house is always going to win.
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Resources
Newspaper Articles:
Larsen, Erik. "Son Speaks Out on 'Blind Faith' Killer Robert Marshall's Death." Asbury Park Press, 23 Feb. 2015, www.app.com/story/news/local/ocean-county/2015/02/23/blind-faith-killer-robert-marshall-dead/23882507/.
Neil, Martha. "Convicted in Wife Slaying, Profiled in Book and TV Miniseries, Robert Marshall Dies in Prison." ABA Journal, 24 Feb. 2015, www.abajournal.com/news/article/convicted_in_wife_slay_profiled_in_best_sellling_book_and_tv_serial_robert.
"State v. Robert O. Marshall." Justia Law, 1997, law.justia.com/cases/new-jersey/supreme-court/1997/a-38-95-opn.html.
“Marshall Murder-for-Hire Trial: Timeline of a Notorious New Jersey Case.” The New York Times, 3 Mar. 1986, www.nytimes.com/1986/03/03/marshall-trial.
Waldron, Martin. “Marshall Convicted in Wife's Death.” The Philadelphia Inquirer, 4 Mar. 1986, www.inquirer.com/archives/marshall-conviction.
Sullivan, Joseph F. “Man Convicted in Slaying of Wife in a Contract Murder.” The New York Times, 4 Mar. 1986, www.nytimes.com/1986/03/04/marshall-guilty.
“Timeline: The Bob Marshall Case.” NJ.com, 17 Apr. 2014, www.nj.com/marshall-case-timeline.
Books
McGinniss, Joe. Blind Faith. G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1989.
Court Cases & Legal Documents
State of New Jersey v. Robert Marshall, Superior Court of New Jersey, 1986. Case No. 84-CR-0076.
TV & Film Adaptations
Blind Faith. Directed by Paul Wendkos, performances by Robert Urich and Joanna Kerns, NBC, 1990.
Other:
"Robert O. Marshall." Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_O._Marshall.
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