Kriti Mehrotra
It was at around 11 am on June 8, 2007, when Robert “Bob” Eidman was shot to death while sitting at his desk inside his insurance office, leaving the state of Missouri baffled to the core. That’s because, as explored in ABC’s ’20/20: File ‘M’ for Murder,’ what followed was an extensive investigation into every aspect of his personal life as betrayals and lies kept coming to light. However, it ultimately came to light that his death was actually the result of a robbery gone wrong, with his primary perpetrator being then-30-year-old Paul Curtis White of St. Charles.
Paul White Was No Stranger to Thievery in 2007
Although not much regarding Paul’s background, early years, or upbringing is publicly known as of writing, we do know he fell into the world of criminality at a relatively influential, young age. That’s how he ended up with several charges against his name on record by the time he had turned 30, including numerous prior felony convictions for different stealing and forgery offenses. According to records, he had learned to wear a mask from his very first robbery – wherein he was brandishing an unloaded firearm – as his victim managed to identify him a short while later.
The fact he had not covered his face led to his foremost robbery conviction, yet he continued down this path after just adjusting his modus operandi rather than turning over a new leaf for good. Therefore, broke upon losing $1,200 gambling in a casino on June 7, 2007, he decided the best way to recover his funds would be to rob someone, and he knew his wife’s insurance agent, Rob Eidman, often dealt in cash. Thus, he and an accomplice broke into his office the following morning, just for things to soon turn to chaos – the latter shot the entrepreneur after they failed to open his money drawer/safe.
Paul White Was Arrested Three Years After the Crime
As investigations into Bob’s homicide began, the first thing officials noticed was there was both live ammunition and spent casings at the scene, indicating the gunman either used a faulty weapon or was inexperienced. They then realized his wallet was missing, driving them to look even more carefully at his being, plus overall clothes, only for the lining of his pocket to reveal significant traces of “touch DNA.” However, surveillance footage from a nearby store, showing a light Ford Focus pulling into his business shortly before the incident and then leaving immediately afterward, proved most crucial.
The truth is Bob’s long-term wife Diane was identified as the primary suspect almost immediately owing to her conflicting statements as well as a love triangle, yet that was not at all the case. She had changed her story about Bob having enemies and also told officials his insurance was worth around $5,000 when it was closer to $400,000, so she seemed to have a clear motive. The fact he was having a secret affair with a man named Drew Smith, which she had just recently found out about, didn’t help matters for her either, yet she was never arrested owing to a complete lack of evidence.
Things changed in March 2010, though, as the touch DNA got a match from the FBI’s national database, revealing Bob’s once customer, Paul Curtis White, as another possible suspect. He was already in prison at this point owing to unrelated forgery charges, driving detectives to look into him further and uncover that he had been pulled over in a light Ford Focus just a month prior to the brutal homicide. His then-roommate Cleo Hines was in the passenger seat, and it turns out the vehicle was his, so they both were subsequently interviewed. While Paul denied everything, Cleo confessed after officers bluffed that they had his car on camera at the scene despite not being sure whether it was truly his. He claimed he was forced into it.
Paul White is Serving Two Life Sentences
According to Cleo’s statements, he was forced at gunpoint to tag along his roommate in the plan to rob 48-year-old Bob, with Paul also being the one to hand him the weapon used at the scene. So, although he conceded to being the triggerman, he placed the majority of the blame on Paul by asserting the latter was the one to orchestrate everything. In the end, it took two years for their cases to go to court, and they were both convicted.
Paul stood trial for the charges against him, only to be found guilty of first-degree murder and first-degree robbery after less than three hours of deliberations by the jury. On the flip side, Cleo entered into an Alford plea on the counts of second-degree murder as well as robbery on August 24, 2012, following which he was sentenced accordingly. Yet, even though he was not the one to pull the trigger that killed Rob, Paul was handed down two life terms without the possibility of parole for his felonies. So, today, the 48-year-old remains incarcerated at the maximum-security Jefferson City Correctional Center, where he is expected to remain for the rest of his natural life.
Read More: Bob Lee: How Did He Die? Who Killed Him?
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