ANN ARBOR, MI – The chilling case of a 1989 murder in Ann Arbor has taken a significant turn, as investigators have charged a Lapeer County man with the crime. Thanks to advancements in DNA technology, authorities have made a breakthrough in the decades-old case involving the abduction, sexual assault, and murder of Beverly Ann Rival.
Detectives from the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office, alongside state police, reopened the case in 2022, hoping to bring closure to Rival’s family. For Dale Swanson, Rival’s son, the memories of that tragic day have never faded. “That day has been in my head since it happened,” he recalls, emphasizing the vividness of the memory as if it occurred just yesterday.
On September 18, 1989, Washtenaw County deputies were called to the scene near Ford and Gottfredson roads in Superior Township. They discovered Rival’s body, shot with a .45 caliber firearm and left on the roadside. A witness at the time reported hearing a gunshot and seeing a blue Chrysler New Yorker with a white top speeding away from the scene. Rival’s car was later found running, abandoned at Griffin Park in Canton, with her purse still inside.
At the time of her death, Rival was navigating a tumultuous personal life, going through a divorce and living temporarily in her car. Swanson, just 13 years old at the time, was left grappling with the loss and unanswered questions surrounding his mother’s death.
The case remained cold for over three decades, but in 2022, a DNA sample collected from Rival’s body reignited the investigation. Detectives were hopeful as they pursued this new lead, which eventually pointed them to 69-year-old Buster Robbins of Almont. State police surveilled Robbins’ residence, even collecting discarded items for DNA analysis. On September 24, 2024, a match was made between Robbins’ DNA and the sample from the crime scene.
Robbins was subsequently arrested, and his wife confirmed to detectives that he drove a vehicle matching the description provided by the witness in 1989. A .45 caliber magazine with ammunition was also found in his home, further implicating him in the crime.
Despite the compelling evidence, Swanson remains cautious until a guilty verdict is reached. Robbins, charged with felony murder, appeared in court where his attorney argued for bond, citing his lack of criminal history and his family ties. However, the gravity of the charges has kept Robbins in custody without bond.
For Swanson, the arrest is a step towards justice for his mother, though he longs for her to meet his children and hopes she would be proud of the life he has built. Robbins is scheduled to appear in court again this Thursday.