Episode 105: The Murder of Catherine Heppner
Robert Pavao
Catherine “Cassie” Heppner was a hard-working, passionate, and kind woman. She was enormously proud of her career at Timberland in Stratham, New Hampshire, and also very happy in her life with her husband, Michael, and their 8-year-old son, Jack. Cassie loved hiking and skiing, and despite growing up in New York and loving the Yankees, was often seen wearing a Red Sox jersey. She was described as fun, good-hearted, and devoted. So, on February 9th of 2020, when tragedy struck, Cassie’s family and friends had their lives changed forever.
Cassie had gone into work on that Sunday to retrieve some personal belongings for a business trip she was going on the following day. While there, a security guard, 22-year-old Robert Pavao, let her in and stuck around while she collected her necessary items. Due to surveillance footage, it is known that at some point after 3:15pm, Cassie disappears into a storage room and never comes out. When Robert reappears, he has blood on his hands. He then proceeds to call his mother, and then 911, where he reports a stabbing.
Cassie was found in a pool of blood, stabbed to death, with defensive wounds on her hand. Robert was immediately arrested and brought into custody. Over the course of several months, Robert opted to plead guilty to second-degree murder for knowingly murdering Cassie Heppner. He was sentenced to 55 years with 5 years deferred for 20 years.
Following his arrest, the family of Cassie filed a lawsuit against the company in which Robert was hired, Securitas, claiming that they knowingly hired someone who had “red flags” and exhibited antisocial personality and anxiety. The lawsuit also claims that the security company never drug tested Robert, as stated in their pre-hire conditions, and they also never contacted his personal references. At this time, the result of the lawsuit is unknown.
Image sources:
gofundme.com - “The Cassie Heppner Memorial Fund”
People.com - “Security Guard Will Admit to Murdering Timberland Employee at Workplace Before She Left on Business Trip”