Viswa Vanapalli
During Easter weekend in 2010, a beloved poker player’s sudden disappearance had her family mount a desperate search for her. In the end, Yvonne Oulton was found dead inside a car at a warehouse. When the authorities began to dig deeper, they realized that Yvonne’s husband, Robert, knew more than he let on. Investigation Discovery’s ‘Heart of Darkness: Gambling With The Devil’ delves into how surveillance footage was instrumental in solving the case. So, let’s find out more about what happened then, shall we?
How Did Yvonne Oulton Die?
Yvonne Oulton was born in Abington, Pennsylvania, before eventually settling in Florida. The 62-year-old was described as a loving mother and grandmother. She worked as a graphic designer and enjoyed traveling and hanging out with loved ones. Yvonne was married to Robert Oulton, and they lived together in Broward County, Florida. The couple loved playing poker and frequenting casinos.
On April 4, 2010, Yvonne spent the afternoon at a local casino and left at around 4 PM. Later in the night, Robert called their son, Bryan, saying he couldn’t find Yvonne and that they should look for her in the area. Around 11 PM, the two went to the parking lot of a warehouse close by to find the couple’s minivan parked there. Inside, Yvonne was found bludgeoned to death. She suffered severe blunt force trauma to the head due to repeated blows.
Who Killed Yvonne Oulton?
When Robert was questioned, he told the police that Yvonne had dropped him off at the casino late afternoon on April 4 and was supposed to pick him up after visiting her nephew. However, she never showed up. After calling Yvonne several times at around 8:40 PM, he took a cab home and let Bryan know Yvonne was nowhere to be seen. The son picked him up, and Robert directed him to the warehouse area, where they ultimately found the car and the body.
However, surveillance footage told a different story. After having dinner at a pizza place, Robert and Yvonne came home in the minivan at around 5:39 PM. Then, the cameras captured what seemed like Yvonne hastily leaving the house and getting into the car, followed by Robert about half an hour later. The couple drove away at 6:18 PM, but just minutes later, Robert returned alone, and Yvonne was not seen in the car.
Robert went back into the residence, changed clothes, and the car was then captured going in the direction of where it was eventually found. At around 7:05 PM, Robert was seen at the casino alone, and this didn’t line up with his version of what happened. When pressed for more info, Robert refused to cooperate but later told Bryan that he had left a letter back home explaining everything.
Robert, about 62 years old at the time of the murder, admitted to killing Yvonne. Back then, the couple had invested in Bryan’s poker business, and Robert claimed that his wife had some ideas she wanted to implement, but Robert thought his son did not want his mother to “interfere.”The argument got heated while they were in the car, and Robert claimed that Yvonne threw a box of tools at him.
Robert then took a mallet and struck her repeatedly, only stopping when Yvonne called out his name. He later testified in court, “At that point, all I saw was … I didn’t see Yvonne anymore. I saw somebody trying to take away my son. They already took away all my friends. Yvonne was my only friend. They were going to take it away from me again. I couldn’t let that happen!”
Where is Robert Oulton Now?
In August 2015, a jury found Robert guilty of second-degree murder. At the trial, his attorneys tried to argue that it was manslaughter but were unsuccessful. Robert was sentenced to life in prison about a month after the conviction. At the sentencing, Bryan said to his father, “You had me find my own mother, who you beat to death. You’re a sick and twisted individual.” Prison records indicate that Robert remains incarcerated at the Union Correctional Institution in Raiford, Florida.
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