In the NBC episode “Dateline: Devil’s Bathtub,” viewers dive into the horrific murder of fifty-year-old computer programmer Craig Rideout. In July of 2016, this unfortunate incident happened in Penfield, New York. Interviews with significant players in the case—such as Robbyn Drew, the victim’s older sister and outspoken advocate—provide a thorough and sequential account of the complex chain of events in this episode.
Who is Robbyn Drew?
April 24, 1966, saw the birth of Craig Wallace Rideout in Pittsford, Monroe County, New York, to Agnes “Nessie” and the late Richard “Dick” Rideout. Before passing away from cancer in 2003, his father, a WWII Navy veteran, worked for Eastman Kodak for more than thirty years. His mother, on the other hand, was a travel agency who served local CEOs. Robbyn Drew, née Rideout, Craig’s older sister, has since acknowledged that they were lucky to have a happy, loving childhood full of regional customs.
Robbyn even reminisced about their family’s delectable roast meat, Yorkshire pudding and beloved Saturday morning French toast during the broadcast. She spoke nostalgically about her younger brother, describing him as a brilliantly hilarious person with a keen sense of humour. He enjoyed books. He enjoyed listening to music. He was devoted to his family. He had “a wicked sense of humour,” she continued, adding that it wasn’t cruel or mischievous but rather a little mischievous. In a Rochester tavern, a just graduated Craig met Laura Asam, and a brief romance developed.
Along with her four brothers and parents, Laura had recently relocated to the area from Syracuse, where she was also enrolled in college in Buffalo. In January 1993, Craig, then 27 years old, wed Laura, then 22 years old. “They were so enamoured of each other,” Robbyn recalled. The glint in their eyes was visible. “They were happy, in love, and young,” she said. They welcomed seven gorgeous children into the world together. He was devoted to all of them. A few months later, in October, their first child, a son called Colin, was born, and then six m ore.
The couple bought a four-bedroom Pittsford home on six acres, but after having so many kids, money started to run short. Robbyn explained how the couple’s impending bankruptcy caused them to relocate to a smaller home. “Laura never believed they suffered from financial difficulties,” the sister added. That was never something she took seriously. She thought he was keeping money hidden. As things got more difficult financially, Laura had to accept the unpleasant reality, which strained her relationship with Craig.
The episode said that Laura and a few of her children had missed several holidays when they were expected to attend parties at Robbyn’s or the in-laws. When she moved in with Paul “P.J.” Tucci after filing for divorce in the late summer of 2014, things got worse. That’s why it was surprising on July 20, 2014, when Craig’s mangled remains were found inside a remote Yates County woods area, wrapped in a tarp. In addition to being strangled, caustic acid had discoloured his face and fingernails.
Robbyn Drew is Moving on Following Her Loss
The prosecution has claimed that a tense divorce and custody dispute served as the impetus for Craig’s horrific murder. Laura and he had already broken up when he tragically passed away. Her boyfriend, Paul, was housing the ex-partner and their kids after he was found not guilty of murder in July 2017. Robbyn had filed a missing person’s report for Craig on the day of his murder. She was so worried that when she went to his house, she found Laura working on an odd cleanup.
“Laura said she was tidying up because the kitchen smelled,” she said to the detectives. Because Laura didn’t always clean when she lived with my brother, this was different from her. In July 2017, Laura, then 46, and Colin, then 24 years old, were found guilty of second-degree murder. Alexander Rideout, Craig’s other son, was found guilty of two counts of tampering with evidence but was cleared of murder charges. In addition, Laura was found guilty of one count of tampering with evidence and one count of second-degree burglary.
Robbyn gave victim testimonies to each of the three defendants before to the sentencing, claiming that over the years, she had struggled to be her brother’s voice. She described how she battled “anxiety, depression, and stress— to the point of now experiencing a chronic pinched nerve requiring medication” and had to postpone several vacations in order to support her family during the struggle. She said that her brother’s ultimate desire was to mend the bonds he had with his children, an opportunity that his murder had shattered.
Robbyn requested the maximum penalty be given to her former sister-in-law and nephews. “I have been concerned about my mother’s reaction to this atrocity, as well as my husband and all of our children’s reactions,” the woman stated. She lost her two grandchildren and son to incarceration and prison sentences. “Yes, there has been justice for Craig,” she said after the three had been given the maximum sentence. Robbyn currently lives in Fairport, New York, with her own family, according to her social media profiles, and works as an account manager at Brighton Pittsford Agency.
