# Rafael Robb > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Rafael_Robb > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Rafael_Robb.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rafael_Robb > Source revision: 1276285091 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **Rafael Robb** (Hebrew: רפאל רוב; born October 31, 1950)[1] is an [economist](/source/Economist) and former professor at the [University of Pennsylvania](/source/University_of_Pennsylvania) who confessed to killing his wife in 2006. ## Academic career Robb received his bachelor's degree from the [Hebrew University of Jerusalem](/source/Hebrew_University_of_Jerusalem).[2] He went on to obtain a [Ph.D.](/source/Ph.D.) in economics at [UCLA](/source/UCLA). Robb joined the University of Pennsylvania faculty in 1984, and was a [tenured](/source/Tenure) professor at the time of his arrest in 2007.[3] Robb specialized in [game theory](/source/Game_theory), a mathematical discipline used to analyze political, economic, and military strategies.[3] He has published numerous papers on game theory and other economic topics with scholars from [Greece](/source/Greece), [Israel](/source/Israel), [Japan](/source/Japan), and the [US](/source/United_States).[3] In most of the papers, his family name is spelled as "Rob".[4] He is also a fellow of the [Econometric Society](/source/Econometric_Society), one of the highest honors in economics.[5] ## Personal life Robb grew up in [Israel](/source/Israel), and emigrated to the US to pursue graduate studies.[6] He met Ellen Gregory Robb, a sales manager, in 1987, and they married in 1990. They have one daughter.[3][6] ## Killing of wife Robb pleaded guilty in November 2007 to [voluntary manslaughter](/source/Voluntary_manslaughter) in the high-profile death of his wife, **Ellen Gregory Robb**. She had been bludgeoned to death.[7] Her death occurred on December 22, 2006, during an argument over the couple's divorce and the plans for their home in [Upper Merion Township, Pennsylvania](/source/Upper_Merion_Township,_Pennsylvania).[8] Robb was arrested on January 8, 2007, and charged with murder. The case was prosecuted by District Attorney (later County Commissioner specially appointed as prosecutor) [Bruce Castor](/source/Bruce_Castor).[6] Robb pleaded guilty to [manslaughter](/source/Manslaughter) on November 26, 2007, and resigned from the university.[9] Robb was sentenced on November 19, 2008, to a 10-year prison term, though the prosecutor asked for a sentence of 10 to 20 years.[7] He sought [parole](/source/Parole) after five years, as allowed by his sentence. The state board initially approved, and then rescinded, the request.[6] ### Civil case Following Robb's guilty plea, Ellen Gregory Robb's family brought a civil [wrongful death suit](/source/Wrongful_death_suit) against him. In 2014, Robb was ordered to pay $124.26 million in compensatory and punitive damages to his deceased wife's estate, of which the sole beneficiary is his daughter. Robb then made an appeal to reduce this to $100 million, claiming that some of the evidence presented against him during the civil trial should not have been permitted as it unfairly influenced jurors against him.[10] Near the end of his prison sentence, Robb also requested access to frozen assets in order to pay for living expenses. Upon his release, he formally withdrew this plea.[11] ### Release Robb was released from prison on January 8, 2017.[12] After release, he moved to a suburb of [Pittsburgh](/source/Pittsburgh).[6] ## Notable publications - [Michihiro Kandori](/source/Michihiro_Kandori), [George J. Mailath](/source/George_J._Mailath), and Rafael Robb: "Learning, Mutation, and Long Run Equilibria in Games", *[Econometrica](/source/Econometrica)*, Vol. 61, No. 1 (Jan. 1993), pp. 29–56 ## References 1. ["Probable Cause Affidavit: Commonwealth of Pa. v. Rafael Robb"](https://web.archive.org/web/20170404170958/http://news.findlaw.com/hdocs/docs/crim/pennrafaelrobb010806aff4.html). *Findlaw.com*. p. 4. Archived from [the original](http://news.findlaw.com/hdocs/docs/crim/pennrafaelrobb010806aff4.html) on April 4, 2017. 1. Schwedel, Heather (January 16, 2007). ["Students speak out about Robb"](https://www.thedp.com/article/2007/01/students_speak_out_about_robb). *[The Daily Pennsylvanian](/source/The_Daily_Pennsylvanian)*. Retrieved January 16, 2020. 1. Boccella, Kathy (January 31, 2007). ["Portrait of a doomed marriage"](https://www.inquirer.com/philly/news/20070131_Portrait_of_a_doomed_marriage_.html). *[The Philadelphia Inquirer](/source/The_Philadelphia_Inquirer)*. Retrieved January 16, 2020. 1. ["Rafael Robb"](https://ideas.repec.org/f/pro566.html). *IDEAS*. [RePEc](/source/RePEc). Retrieved January 16, 2020. 1. ["Fellows of the Econometric Society 1950 to 2018"](https://www.econometricsociety.org/society/organization-and-governance/fellows). Retrieved January 16, 2020. RAFAEL ROB, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania, ... 1. Volk, Steve (July 29, 2017). ["Did This Game Theory Expert Plot the Perfect Murder?"](https://www.phillymag.com/news/2017/07/29/rafael-robb-ellen-murder/). *[Philadelphia](/source/Philadelphia_(magazine))*. Retrieved January 16, 2020. 1. Jagoda, Naomi (November 20, 2008). ["Robb sentenced 5 to 10 years in prison for killing his wife"](https://www.thedp.com/article/2008/11/robb_sentenced_5_to_10_years_in_prison_for_killing_his_wife). *The Daily Pennsylvanian*. Retrieved January 16, 2020. 1. Wasley, Paula (November 26, 2007). ["Penn Professor Pleads Guilty to Manslaughter"](http://chronicle.com/article/Penn-Professor-Pleads-Guilty/40004). *The Chronicle of Higher Education*. Retrieved 17 January 2011. 1. ["Ex-Penn Professor Pleads Guilty In Wife's Death"](https://web.archive.org/web/20080423034211/http://cbs3.com/local/Rafael.Robb.University.2.595083.html). cbs3.com. Associated Press. November 27, 2007. Archived from [the original](http://cbs3.com/local/Rafael.Robb.University.2.595083.html) on April 23, 2008. 1. Araiza, Karen (December 11, 2014). ["Wife Killer Rafael Robb Wants $124M Award to Daughter Reduced"](https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/wife-killer-rafael-robb-wants-124m-award-reduced-ellen-olivia-mongeluzzi-duffy-levin/76708/). *[NBC 10 Philadelphia](/source/NBC_10_Philadelphia)*. Retrieved January 16, 2020. 1. ["Montgomery County Wife Killer Rafael Robb Withdraws Plea for Spending Cash Upon Release"](https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/rafael-robb-wife-killer-money-release/2041608/). *NBC 10 Philadelphia*. December 20, 2016. Retrieved January 16, 2020. 1. McCrone, Brian X.; Smith, Manuel; Weckerly, Anastasia (January 8, 2017). ["Montgomery County Wife Killer Rafael Robb Released from Prison"](https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Montgomery-County-Wife-Killer-Rafael-Robb-Released-Prison-410014665.html). *nbcphiladelphia.com*. Retrieved 17 February 2019. ## External links - [Discovery Communications: Investigation Discovery: Stolen Voices, Buried Secrets: Episode Guide](http://investigation.discovery.com/tv/stolen-voices-buried-secrets/episode-guide.html) ("Checkmate", second episode on page) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Rafael Robb](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rafael_Robb) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rafael_Robb?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.