Robert Hansen was ultimately asked to make a statement as to his whereabouts on December 22nd, the night Beth van Zanten turned up missing. His statement was not expansive in any sense of the word. Instead, Hansen gave them the most consise statement possible. It was as if, somehow, the cops wanted him to pay for each and every syllable, then wrap it up like a Christmas present. He was detemined not to do that.
Went to work at 4:45 December 22, 1971. Got through work at 2:00 p.m. Went home to 327 Thomas Court. Spent the rest of the afternoon from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. with my wife and sister-in-law and daughter, then left to Larry Bivins’ on 6th St. for pizza supper. Left there about 10:30 went home with my wife and daughter. Went to bed about 11:00 p.m. Got up again about 4:30 dressed and arrived at work about 4:45 a.m. Thursday and worked until 2:00 p.m.
Hansen makes nine references to the time of day in his handwritten statement. Nine. Only once did he underline a time. 10:30 p.m.
It so happened that Beth disappeared from her house at approximately 9:00 p.m. in the midst of the Christmas season. Hansen is consciously stressing that he was somewhere else until after Beth went missing. He seems well aware of the timeframe when she disappeared. He has an alibi, dammit.
Sgt. Glenn Flothe on Hansen’s statement:
“We know now that Hansen would go days without sleep and finally crash for a couple of hours and go again. A good alibi is one close to the truth — he had plenty of time [to kidnap, rape and assault Beth van Zanten].”
Sgt. Glenn Flothe
Purchase Butcher, Baker
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