A Cheyenne man was arrested this week on suspicion of murdering his longtime girlfriend in hopes of getting his hands on the woman’s money, which came to about $36,000, the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office announced Thursday.
Robert E. Green, 68, has been charged with one count of second-degree murder and one count of strangulation of a household member. He faces anywhere from 20 years to life in prison for the murder charge and up to 10 years in prison for the strangulation charge.
‘She Was OK Last Night’
An affidavit of probable cause filed in the case says Laramie County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Jason Gillott was dispatched to a home in Cheyenne around 10 a.m. on Nov. 8, 2023, in response to a report that someone was dead. Gillott spoke to Green at the house and observed the man was intoxicated.
“I know you come here all the time for my bullshit, but this is not good,” Green told the sergeant.
Green led Gillott into a bedroom, where his girlfriend, Charrie Watkins, was laying dead in the bed, the affidavit says.
“She was OK last night,” Green said to Gillott, adding that the woman was alive when Green woke up at 7 a.m.
When Gillott told Green that the coroner and law enforcement would investigate Watkins’ death, Green became angry.
“There’s no investigation needed,” Green told the sergeant, unsolicited. “I didn’t kill her. I didn’t choke her.”
When an LCSO detective arrived on-scene, he observed Watkins’ body did not show signs of apparent trauma, according to the affidavit. There was lividity on the right side of her head, though. Her death was determined to have happened between midnight at 2 a.m.
Deputies found Green asleep, snoring, on the couch in a different room at this time.
The Laramie County Coroner’s Office did not immediately note any signs of trauma on Watkins’ body, but Coroner Rebecca Reid was concerned she might have been moved and repositioned on the bed because of the lividity on the right side of Watkins’ head, the affidavit says.
Once awakened by law enforcement, Green said he did not have “much” alcohol to drink, but was noted to be “very” intoxicated, had slurred speech and a difficult time speaking. He also was belligerent when speaking with a detective and deputy coroner.
‘I Didn’t Touch Her Or Anything’
On Jan. 30, the sheriff’s office received Watkins’ autopsy report, which stated she “most likely” died of strangulation and the manner of death was homicide, according to the affidavit.
A review of the 911 call Green made in November indicated he told the dispatcher that he thought his girlfriend/fiancée was dead in bed. During the call, Green got emotional and stated he thought she was OK.
Green went on to say Watkins’ was OK last night. He said he’d done chores in the morning, prior to discovering she was cold to the touch and apparently dead, the affidavit says. He did not give the dispatcher specifics about when he last saw Watkins alive, but said he tried to pry her mouth open but “her teeth were gritted.”
The dispatcher told Green to leave everything as it was until first responders arrived. He then stated, “I didn’t touch her or anything.”
About That Money
On Feb. 23, law enforcement spoke with Watkins’ adult daughter, who said staff at Riverstone Bank told her Green was the beneficiary on a certificate of deposit (CD) belonging to Watkins in the amount of $32,000. Tyson also believed her mother had other accounts and more money in the bank.
On Monday, a LCSO detective obtained a warrant to search Green and Watkins’ separate bank accounts. Riverstone Bank showed Green did not have an account there until Jan. 30, while Watkins had several accounts with that bank, the affidavit says.
Wakins had an 11-month CD with the bank that she opened Feb. 21, 2023, for which Green was listed as the beneficiary. When the account was closed, Green transferred $31,403.75. In addition, Watkins had a checking account with Riverstone, of which Green was also the beneficiary. When that account was closed, Green transferred $2,671.01 into his account.
Finally, Green also was the beneficiary on Watkins’ savings account, which he also closed in January and transferred $2,739.94 into his account.
Watkins had two other accounts at the bank that had no beneficiary listed.
In total, Green transferred $36,814.70 to himself from accounts belonging to Watkins, the affidavit says.
He Says Autopsy Is Wrong
On Tuesday, the LCSO spoke with Green again after he was arrested for a felony DUI bond revocation that day.
He told police that Watkins had been his girlfriend of 20 years and they planned to marry. He said no one else was at the home the night Watkins died.
He continued to deny in any way that he harmed Watkins or put her hands on her neck, according to the arrest affidavit. He claimed he was sober the night of her death and only started consuming alcohol after he made the 911 call.
Green claimed the autopsy findings were wrong.
Green also said Watkins did not have a steady job for some time while they were together. He was working for several ranchers, being paid in cash for his labor. He said he would give Watkins his money and she would deposit it into the bank.
Green claimed Watkins developed Alzheimer’s and dementia, and he spent the last three-and-a-half years caring for her, adding that it “wasn’t much fun” being a caretaker, the affidavit says.
“At the end there, I thought she was going to live a few more years,” Green told police.
He also claimed Watkins’ adult daughter tried to get to her mother’s money in the bank.
Green was formally charged Wednesday on suspicion of murder and strangulation.
Ellen Fike can be reached at ellen@cowboystatedaily.com.
