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in: Arizona, 1984, 1986,
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Robert Arcieri

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Robert arcieri1

Robert Arcieri

Real Name: Robert George Arcieri
Aliases: Bob
Wanted For: Conspiracy to Commit Murder, Racketeering, Burglary, Armed Robbery
Missing Since: January 18, 1987

Case[]

Details: Fifty-six-year-old Robert Arcieri is wanted on several felony counts, including heading an organized crime syndicate, racketeering, and conspiracy to commit murder. He disappeared during a fishing trip on the Colorado River in 1987. His family claims he drowned, while the authorities believe he faked his death.
The muddy, turbulent waters of the Colorado River snake some 1,500 miles through seven different states. Over the centuries, the river’s powerful currents have carved out hundreds of gorges, including the Grand Canyon in Arizona. But hidden by the river’s majestic beauty is a world of untold secrets. Among them is the puzzling fate of Arcieri.
To all appearances, Arcieri was a jovial, fun-loving family man who made friends at the drop of a hat. He was an ambitious businessman who owned a Phoenix pretzel company. He was also the quintessential “wheeler-dealer.” In fact, he was known around Phoenix as a man who could get you almost anything, from soft pretzels to camper shells. Business associate Bill Reddick of Scottsdale, Arizona, knew him as well as anyone.
The two first met when Bill bought a camper shell from Arcieri. Both of them needed things done and helped each other out. At one point, Bill fixed up a car and sold it to Arcieri. He says that their relationship kind of “rolled” from there. Bill and his wife, Janet, hit it off with Arcieri and his wife right from the start. One night, the Reddicks had Arcieri and his wife over at their house. Arcieri was fascinated by Bill’s collection of rare Native American kachina dolls worth $75,000.
Bill was equally proud of his priceless antique guns, which included an 1881 Smith and Wesson. He offered to show Arcieri them. He left Arcieri in the living room while he went to retrieve them from his bedroom safe. After opening the safe, he looked up and noticed that Arcieri was standing in the doorway.
Bill thought that was out of the ordinary because he had told Arcieri that he was going to bring them out to him. Instead, Bill showed the guns to him in the bedroom. Bill says that Arcieri was very calm and cool while this was happening. He did not seem interested in anything; he just seemed to be nonchalant about it.
On April 3, 1984, Bill was out of town on business. At around 8pm, Janet came home from work. She quickly discovered that the house had been ransacked. The valuable kachina dolls were laid out on a sofa and table. As she turned to run out of the house, she was confronted by a masked intruder. Another intruder came from behind and struck her in the head. She says that from that point on, her memory was kind of black until she woke up in the hospital a couple of days later.
With Janet unconscious, the intruders made off with the Reddicks’ entire collection of kachina dolls, all of Bill’s antique guns, and her jewelry. The total value was more than $200,000. Janet had been struck five times in the head with a ball-peen hammer. Miraculously, she recovered, but only after major surgery and months of rehabilitation.
While Janet was recuperating, Arcieri stopped by to see how she was doing. At the time, the Reddicks just assumed he was a concerned friend. Perhaps, a little too concerned. According to Bill, Arcieri said to them that he wished that he could help find the perpetrators, and if he did find them, he would be glad to kill them for the Reddicks.
Almost two years later, an admitted contract killer went to the police with an incredible story. He claimed that Arcieri was the leader of a criminal syndicate and had masterminded a series of local robberies. Allegedly, the robbery targets were Arcieri’s own friends and business associates. These robberies netted hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The informant claims that Arcieri had dinner with his targets, had them over to his house, and played golf with them. Then, maybe two or three years later, he would set them up. The informant claims that, along with robbery, Arcieri was also involved in drugs and murder.
Detective Larry Flick of the Phoenix Police Department says they were initially skeptical of the informant’s story. However, as they began investigating the crimes, they felt that his story was credible. Phoenix police sought to verify the informant’s allegations. They arranged for him to secretly tape-record a conversation with Arcieri. Their meeting took place in a parking lot. Detective Flick viewed the meeting through binoculars while he was some distance away.
In the exchange, Arcieri canceled an alleged hit he had hired the informant to carry out. According to Detective Flick, after the police retrieved the recording device from the informant and listened to what was said, there was little doubt that Arcieri was involved in the crimes that the informant was alleging. It was later discovered that Arcieri had apparently hired hitmen to kill three business associates. Fortunately, these hits were never carried out. He also hired these men to steal his cars so that he could get insurance payouts for them.
The informant gave Detective Flick several items that he said were stolen by Arcieri’s henchmen. Some of the valuables were identified as belonging to Janet. Detective Flick also showed her a list of names and asked if any of them looked familiar. When she saw Arcieri’s name on the list, she realized that he was involved in the robbery and attack on her.
On June 26, 1986, after a six-month investigation, Arcieri was arrested and charged with seven felony counts: heading an organized crime syndicate, racketeering, conspiracy to commit murder, conspiring to commit fraudulent schemes, conspiring to commit second-degree burglary, second-degree burglary, and theft. Three other men – Joseph Garcia, Lawrence Walpole, and Michael Kelly – faced similar charges. Two of them entered plea bargains and spent time in prison.
But a few months later, in November 1986, the charges against Arcieri were dropped while police continued the investigation. According to the authorities, they were gambling that they could build an even stronger case. Arcieri was once again free to come and go as he pleased.
On January 18, 1987, Arcieri set off on a fishing trip with his nephew, Kenneth Cauwels, and two friends. They chose a spot on the Colorado River near Page, Arizona, called Lee’s Ferry. One of the friends, Ray Brown, says that Arcieri had called him and said he had been exonerated and wanted to celebrate. Ray claims that is why they went on the fishing trip that day.
Ray says that as darkness fell on the first day of the trip, Arcieri began to complain about chest pains. Arcieri had been taking medication for back problems and had drank about three beers that day. He believed that he was having a bad reaction to it. When they arrived at the dock, Arcieri was the last man to disembark, and Kenneth had to help him from the boat.
The other friend on the trip says that after getting out of the boat, he walked up the dock and left Arcieri and Kenneth standing there. He then went to a nearby bathroom. As he came out, he heard a splash down by the dock. He ran to it and saw Kenneth emerge from the water.
Kenneth told the friend that while they were walking on the dock, Arcieri became dizzy and tried to grab onto him for support. They both lost their balance and fell into the frigid waters. Kenneth then lost sight of Arcieri and swam back to shore. Ray says the water was “over a man’s head” at the dock. After learning that Arcieri had fallen in, Ray backed up his truck and shined his headlights onto the river. However, they could not see Arcieri or find any trace of him. Ray assumed that he had drowned.
In the area where Arcieri disappeared, the river broadens out almost into a lake. Rescuers feared that he may have floated a half-mile downstream towards a set of powerful rapids. But an intense four-day search of the river yielded no trace of him. Lt. Rex Stermer of the Coconino County Sheriff’s Department feels that if Arcieri was in the clear water in the upper section of the river, there is a high likelihood that they would have seen him and he would have been found.
Did Arcieri suffer a heart attack, fall into the Colorado River, and drown? Or was the entire episode a clever ruse, enabling him to escape his impending legal troubles? Ray feels that Arcieri is dead. He says that Arcieri was a family man “out of this world.” He cannot believe that Arcieri would have been able to get out of the river alive. The informant, however, does not believe that Arcieri “even got his feet wet.” He suspects that the guys went in and threw a rock overboard. He is certain that Arcieri is not dead.
Detective Flick believes that Arcieri knew that he would spend the rest of his life behind bars, resulting in him making a hard choice: either face the charges or fake his death. Detective Flick believes that he chose the latter. He says that every indication he has is that Arcieri did not drown and is alive today.
Arcieri’s family insists that he is dead. They claim that they have not heard a word from him since the day he vanished, and they have already collected on a life insurance policy worth $700,000. Certain law enforcement authorities, however, believe that he is still alive and, until there is proof otherwise, consider him a fugitive from justice. In fact, on April 28, 1987, three months after he disappeared, he was indicted on seventeen charges, including conspiracy to commit murder, burglary, theft, and armed robbery.
Extra Notes:

  • This case first aired on the May 19, 1995 episode.
  • It was also featured on "Dr. Phil."
  • The informant and the other friend on the fishing trip both asked not to be identified and were filmed in silhouette.
  • A similar case of a fugitive faking his death on a fishing trip is Stryder Styarfyr.
Robert arcieri now

Arcieri after his 2011 arrest

Results: Captured - In March 2011, authorities received a tip that Arcieri was alive and living in Palm Springs, California. On June 1, 2011, he was arrested at his home in Palm Springs’ Tri-Palm Estates. He had been on the run for twenty-four years.
According to authorities, shortly after his disappearance, Arcieri had started a new life using the name “Frank Roman Reynolds.” He moved to Spokane, Washington, remarried, and worked in the construction industry before retiring to Palm Springs. He had lived in Palm Springs for several years before his arrest. His neighbors called him a “community leader” who had served as president of the men's golf club and the homeowners association.
After his arrest, Arcieri was returned to Arizona to face the charges against him. Janet was happy when she learned that he had finally been caught, as she was afraid that he would come back to hurt her again.
On February 8, 2012, Arcieri pleaded guilty to three counts of conspiracy to commit burglary, two counts of solicitation to commit first-degree murder, one count of armed robbery, and one count of fraud. On March 21, 2012, he was sentenced to ten years in prison and five years’ probation. On April 1, 2018, he was released after serving six years. He currently lives in Arizona.
It was alleged that Arcieri’s first wife and children helped him escape and stay on the run. Two of his daughters lived just a few miles from him. One of the daughter’s landlords told police that he had met Arcieri and his new wife at the daughter’s residence. His daughters introduced him as their uncle, Frank Reynolds. Arcieri’s first wife allegedly assisted him financially using the money from the insurance settlement.
During a 2013 interview on Dr. Phil, Arcieri’s daughter, Christine, admitted that she helped him fake his death. She says that he started planning it shortly after he was released from jail. He bought a small motorhome and parked it near Lee’s Ferry. When he “disappeared” that night, he got out of the water, walked to the motorhome, and drove away.
While Arcieri was on the run, Christine visited him often. However, she says she felt guilt and shame about helping him hide. According to her, police tracked him down through her cellphone and Facebook account. Eventually, she admitted to them that she knew where he was, which led to his arrest. She and her relatives were never charged with assisting him in his escape.
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