The common law wife of murder suspect Robert Lake has been charged with several felonies in connection with the murder of 49-year-old Wesley Collins, becoming the fourth suspect involved in the crimes surrounding his death.
Karrolyn Robinson is charged with felony burglary, evidence tampering and theft.
Lake and Jeffrey Nixon, 19, are accused of beating Collins to death with hammers on April 12 for his medical marijuana and money.
According to court documents, Kalispell police were investigating a potential burglary at Collins’ apartment on April 17 when Lake, 21, jumped out the window to flee. Police arrested him and questioned him about the burglary.
As part of that investigation, authorities also questioned Robinson, who allegedly admitted during an interview that she had entered Collins’ apartment with Lake and another person to take marijuana plants.
A police search of Robinson’s apartment yielded three marijuana plants, along with “numerous personal items belonging to Collins,” court documents say, including a flat-screen television, tools, weight equipment and prescription medications.
Prosecutors say Lake “eventually disclosed that he and Jeffrey Nixon had killed Collins.” Once the case became a homicide, police informed Robinson that they needed Lake’s phone, which had been released to Lake’s brother after his initial questioning, according to court documents.
Robinson told police she didn’t know where the phone was but that she would find it and bring it in. When she turned the phone over, police later determined she had sent Lake’s brother a text, telling him to delete all text messages off of it.
She also deleted all the messages off of her own phone, and is accused of intentionally deleting evidence because she knew of the pending investigation, according to court documents.
If convicted, Robinson faces 40 years in prison.
Lake and Nixon remain in jail on $500,000 bond, along with Cody Naldrett, who is accused of helping Lake and Nixon hide Collins’ body in the woods west of Kalispell. All three men are scheduled for arraignment on May 6.