Rafael Robb, a former economics professor at the University of Pennsylvania who was sentenced to 10 years in prison for beating his wife to death after pleading guilty to manslaughter in 2007, now faces a Montgomery County Court jury that will decide whether to award his remaining assets to his daughter.
The attorneys of his late wife, Ellen Gregory Robb, are suing for punitive and compensatory damages under the state’s wrongful death act. In opening arguments, they told the judge that Robb’s wife was wrapping Christmas presents in their kitchen when Robb attacked her with a metal bar, hitting her over and over again until she was unrecognizable. He then attempted to stage a robbery scene.
Robb’s attorneys, however, claim that the crime was not premeditated, and that his wife started the violence by pushing him, causing him to hit his head. His assets and investments are estimated in the millions, and both Robb and his estranged daughter — Olivia Robb, now 20 — are expected to testify about the case for the first time.
Read the full article at Philly.com.
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