Remembering
Roberta ‘Bobbie’ Guther

 

A Night Out With Friends

Roberta Sue Guther – Bobbie, as she was known to her friends – was 15 years old, stood four feet ten inches tall, weighed 98 pounds and had long dark hair. Bobbie, who was a student at Georgetown [Ohio] High School, was quiet, shy and loved children. She was a good student who was never a discipline problem.

Bobbie, like most teenagers, liked to hang out with her friends. On Friday, October 23rd, 1981, Bobbie decided to attend a party. One of the 12 people at the party that night was Robert Stidham. Stidham, age 21 and a two-time felon, was out on parole after spending time in prison for theft and grand theft.

The party broke up at around 3:30 A.M. and Bobbie needed a ride home. Stidham offered to take Bobbie home along with his girlfriend, Kathy. Stidham dropped his girlfriend, Kathy, off first for some unknown reason and then said he would take Bobbie home. She would never be seen alive again.

A Disappearance Leads To Murder

When Bobbie did not return home, her parents contacted local police. A search of the area turned up nothing. 30 hours later, a man looking for a place to hunt reported he had seen a body floating in Straight Creek located between Ripley and Georgetown, Ohio. Authorities arrived and found the nude, battered body of Roberta Sue Guther. She has been beaten, kicked, strangled and drowned. Her vagina was struck with such force that it had split the vagina back to the anus. Based on the injuries it is obvious Bobbie fought hard to live. The coroner determined Bobbie died of a brain hemorrhage and blunt-force trauma.

Police arrested Stidham at his grandmother’s home two days later at 4:30 A.M. Authorities were led to Stidham after talking with two of his friends to whom Stidham confessed. One friend told police he was at a bar with Stidham. When the two left the bar to walk towards the friend’s house, Stidham told his friend that he had gotten in some trouble the night before and murdered a girl. Stidham told the friend he was at party with some girls, and he took one of the girls down on Old 68 road and killed her. Stidham said he took some of her clothes and threw them out of his car on Old 68. Stidham told his friend he drove to Portsmouth, Ohio, which is about 90 minutes away, and back before meeting up with him. The friend thought Stidham was making up a story. A short time later, the friend’s brother found some bloody clothing, including a coat belonging to Bobbie Guther, stuffed in an old pickup truck behind their house. The friend also said he saw Stidham washing blood out of his truck two days after the murder. After speaking with the friend, police went to Old 68 and found some of Bobbie’s clothing.

The second friend police spoke with lived in Portsmouth, Ohio. He said he spoke with Stidham the day after the murder. He told the friend that he killed a “bitch” the night before. Stidham said the girl had said something to him from the back seat of his car while he was driving. Stidham said he stopped the car, turned around to the back seat and started hitting the girl. He then jerked her out of the car and began to kick her. Ultimately, he kicked her between the legs and then dragged her to a creek. He then held her under water until she was dead. The friend said he saw bloody clothes in the back of Stidham’s car.

A Trial and A Life Sentence

Stidham was indicted for Aggravated Murder. At trial, Stidham claimed he did not have enough gas after taking his girlfriend home and he went back to the party at Bobbie’s request. Later, he said someone at the party borrowed his car, the vehicle with no gas, to take Bobbie home. He said the person then came back with the car and Bobbie was naked in the back seat and there was blood on her face and she was dead. He said the person from the party then left again in Stidham’s car, threw Bobbie in the creek and came back again. Stidham said he then left in the car and did not call police. Under cross-examination, Stidham said he had no idea why his two friends would lie in front of a jury about what happened.

The jury of six men and six women took 15 hours to convict Robert Stidham of aggravated murder. Judge Harold Neu sentenced Stidham to life in prison.

Poor Behavior

Robert Stidham’s time in prison has been problematic. We have found at least nine infractions, including:

• Possessing a shank (1995)
• Attempted escape for trying to cut through his cell bars with a hacksaw. Stidham then sent half a hack saw blade to the warden and another staff member. (1997)
• Assault for spitting on a corrections office (1999)
• Assault for spitting on a nurse (2004)

Stidham has spent several years at the highest security level. In 2007, the parole board records state: “Since last hearing [June 23, 2005], offender has had 3 tickets, 2 of which were for displaying threatening behavior toward staff and other inmates.”

Stidham has improved his behavior in the past several years and has somehow managed to get a job working in doggie day care. Nothing in any of the records we received indicates that Stidham has ever shown remorse or taken responsibility for his horrific actions.