A man, whose wife went missing under strange circumstances years ago, is now facing accusations for a murder in New Jersey that dates back decades. Investigators claim he once confessed to this crime, as noted in court documents.
Robert William “Bob” McCaffrey Jr., 54, was arrested last week in Manteo, North Carolina. Following his extradition, he appeared in a New Jersey court on Monday, where he entered a plea related to the 1990 murder of Lisa Marie McBride, according to the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office.
In court, dressed in an orange jumpsuit and shackled at the wrists and hips, McCaffrey showed little emotion during the brief proceedings, which lasted under five minutes, as reported.
Judge Janine Allen presented the charges against him, which included murder, robbery, and kidnapping. Prosecutors allege that he deliberately caused serious harm or death to McBride around June 23, 1990, in Vernon Township. They also suspect he entered her home with criminal intentions and unlawfully removed her, intending to inflict injury or fear.
His attorney submitted a not guilty plea on his behalf.
Prosecutors are striving to keep McCaffrey in custody as the trial approaches. A hearing for his detention is set for April 27 at 9 a.m., and he will remain incarcerated until that time. There’s a tentative date for a pre-indictment conference on May 18, although the judge mentioned that this could change.
Officials indicated that McCaffrey’s arrest marks a pivotal moment in a case that has lingered unresolved for decades. They attributed this breakthrough partly to advances in DNA technology and extensive investigative efforts.
According to the documents, McBride, 27, was last seen arriving home in Highland Lakes, Vernon Township, in the early hours of June 23, 1990. When she failed to show up for work later that day, family members found signs of a violent struggle, such as severed telephone lines, damaged window screens, and missing bed sheets.
Her disappearance prompted a large-scale search involving family, volunteers, and law enforcement.
Four months later, a hunter discovered her body in a wooded area at the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area in Sandiston. An autopsy indicated that she had suffered an orbital fracture and had experienced external violence. Officials ruled her death a homicide.
In 2022, authorities exhumed McBride’s body for further DNA analysis, a key step that New Jersey State Police noted was essential for distinguishing a male DNA profile found in earlier evidence.
Evidence collected from the scene, including samples from the victim’s headboard, was reexamined and entered into the national CODIS database.
In 2026, the DNA matched McCaffrey, who was residing in Sussex County at the time of her disappearance, according to court documents.
The affidavit highlights that witnesses claimed McCaffrey confessed to killing McBride in the 1990s, stating he did it because she refused to leave the house.
McCaffrey lived and worked in northern New Jersey during the 1990s before relocating to South Carolina and then North Carolina, where he was apprehended.
The case gained new attention partly due to an investigation related to McCaffrey’s wife, Marjorie “Gail” McCaffrey, who has been missing since 2012 from their home in South Carolina.
According to the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office, Gail was reported missing on March 18, 2012, after McCaffrey claimed they had a heated argument the night before. He stated that when he left the house and returned, she was gone, suggesting she had left on her own.
At that time, their two children, ages 4 and 10, were said to be the last to see her the night before she disappeared. Despite numerous searches and interviews with friends and neighbors, authorities couldn’t find her.
Later investigations revealed that McCaffrey had misled officials about crucial aspects of the disappearance, including a supposed farewell letter that was actually forged. He was charged with obstruction of justice, found guilty, and sentenced to prison, but was released in 2023.
Gail McCaffrey’s case remains under investigation and is currently being treated as a homicide.
