Penn Prof’s Dead Wife Better Than Other Dead Wives

Penn professor Rafael Robb, who was named as a suspect last week, was officially arrested yesterday and charged with the murder of his wife.

Robb, 53-years-old and a game theory expert, won’t teach at Penn this semester. The professor is charged in the Dec. 22 slaying of his wife largely based on circumstantial evidence, his attorney says, while the affidavit shoots back with, “Dr. Robb lied to the police about an obvious motive for this murder, his knowledge of his wife’s recent plans to divorce him and obtain a significant portion of his wealth.”

The Inquirer’s Melissa Dribben expands Robb’s arrest into a trend story, noting Wharton professor Scott Ward’s arrest for child porn, ex-library head Paul Mosher’s arrest for child porn, Tracy McIntosh’s conviction for sexual assault, etc. She talks with Philadelphia lawyer Neil Jokelson and gets his comment on the situation at Penn, too.

Regarding Rafael Robb, he said, “Without prejudging, if he’s a Penn professor, he’s probably middle class. So he’s alleged to do what middle-class people do all the time.”

That is, commit murder.

“The anomaly of someone in such an exalted position doing what he’s accused of doing perhaps accounts for the public fascination,” Jokelson said. “If it was an ordinary guy, it would be just another wife-killing.”

Freaking middle class people and their murder.

Penn Professor Charged With Murdering Wife [NBC 10]
Arrest adds to the tarnish on Penn’s name [Inquirer]
Jan. 4: Trials In Montco Now Done On Radio
Aug. 29, 2006: Penn Professors Love Their Kiddie Porn