A registered sex offender has been arrested in connection with the death of Robin Doyle, 58, a gas station clerk who was reported missing from her Hickory, North Carolina, home on July 28. Deputies from the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office found Doyle dead on Friday, July 31, in a wooded area of northeastern Catawba County.
Leroy Allen Loper, 54, was arrested and charged with felony murder, first-degree kidnapping, and concealment of death. Loper is a registered sex offender with prior felony convictions, including first-degree kidnapping and second-degree forcible sexual offense, according to officials.
He is currently being held at the Catawba County Detention Facility without bond. "We are deeply saddened for Robin Doyle’s family as they continue to endure an unimaginable loss," Catawba County Sheriff Don Brown stated. "The acts in this case represent pure evil, and those responsible will be held fully accountable under the law. This investigation remains active, and we will continue pursuing every fact until justice is fully served."
Those who knew Doyle described her as a kind and generous person who was a familiar presence at the gas station where she worked. A tribute at the Propst Superette, where Doyle was employed, read, "Robin, the world wasn’t ready for you to leave, but heaven needed you home."