Memorial Service Held For Robin Pope; Investigation Into Her Death Continues
CHESTER, Md. (WJZ) -- Robin Pope was laid to rest Tuesday but not the mystery that still surrounds her death.
Alex DeMetrick reports the Eastern Shore family and friends that searched for weeks to find her gathered again to say goodbye.
Nearly a month to the day when she first disappeared, 51-year-old Robin Pope's family and friends came together at a Kent Island church to mourn and remember. It's a gathering no one wanted.
"Very fiercely independent, amazing human being and very active in the community. She's someone everyone knows and loves," said Priscilla Hastings, daughter.
And over the course of the first three weeks of March, hundreds aided in the search for Robin Pope, a mother who was in frequent contact with her daughters.
"It's unusual. It's not like her. It's just really hard," said Rachael Pope.
She was last seen by her estranged husband when she stopped by their former home to pick up belongings. When Wayne Pope returned the next morning, her car was there. Shortly after, her Great Dane Bella was found dead along the shore. The cause of the dog's death could not be determined.
Three weeks later, Pope's body was spotted in the water by a neighbor.
While friends and family draw together in loss and remembrance, police still work to answer questions.
"We are still awaiting information from the office of the chief medical examiner. We have some of the top forensic pathologists in the country working on the case, examining evidence obtained by the autopsy. What happened that night to Robin Pope remains a mystery," said Greg Shipley, Maryland State Police spokesperson.
While there has been conjecture ranging from accidental drowning to foul play, state police say they will not commit to any scenario until Robin Pope's cause of death is determined.
