A man accused in a 1989 rape and murder in Washtenaw County is being looked at in connection to the disappearance of Paige Renkoski.
Paige Renkoski has been missing since May 24, 1990. She was last seen standing on the side of I-96 after visiting a friend in Canton Township. Her vehicle was found on the side of I-96 near the Fowlerville exit that same day. The car was running and the windshield wipers were on. Her shoes, purse, and a beer she purchased in Canton Township were inside the vehicle.
Around nine months before Renkoski vanished, a woman was abducted, sexually assaulted, and murdered in Washtenaw County.
Beverly Wivell was found dead on the side of the road in Superior Township in September 1989.
The Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s Office said Wivell was sleeping in her vehicle in Canton Township after dropping her son off at school when she was abducted from her car, sexually assaulted, and shot before being left on the side of the road.
Her vehicle was discovered later that night in Canton Township. It was still running, the driver door was open, and her purse was inside.
DNA taken from a rape kit completed in 1989 was sent in for forensic genealogy testing in 2024. According to court documents, that DNA was linked to Buster Robbins of Almont.
Robbins was charged with the murder of Wivell. On March 18, 2025, a judge declined to send him to trial. The judge said there was not enough evidence to bind Robbins over on an open murder charge. Prosecutors are appealing the decision to the circuit court.
Robbins is being held without bond while prosecutors appeal the decision. The judge agreed with prosecutors, labeling Robbins a “serious danger” and a flight risk. A judge is expected to review the case at 9 a.m. on April 8, 2025.
The Livingston County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to Local 4 that the Paige Renkowski case is open and has been open. Pless said Buster Robbins is being looked at due to similarities between the Wivell and Renkoski cases.
---> Read more: Emotions run high as judge rules not to bind man over in 1989 Washtenaw County murder of mother
The disappearance of Paige Renkoski
Paige Renkoski, 30, was a substitute school teacher who was living in Okemos. She was last seen on May 24, 1990, standing on the side of I-96.
Police have searched several locations using crews, cadaver dogs, ground-penetrating radar, and other methods. Renkoski or her remains have never been located. Police have received and investigated more than 1,000 tips since she disappeared.
Renkoski drove her mother to Detroit Metro Airport that morning, then visited with a friend who lived in Canton Township.
She was seen at a party store in Canton Township later that afternoon, where she purchased a beer. Witnesses told police they saw Renkoski on the side of the freeway speaking with a man next to a maroon minivan.
Her vehicle was found stopped and running on the westbound shoulder of I-96, about a half a mile from the Fowlerville exit. The beer she purchased, her shoes and her purse were found inside the vehicle. Renkoski has never been located.
Michelle Hollis is Renkoski’s younger sister, and she spoke with Local 4 in 2019.
“I mean, somebody knows something,” Hollis said in 2019. “Somebody got her to pull over at 3 o’clock in the afternoon on a freeway. I mean, how does that even happen?”
Breaking down the timeline:
- Renkoski left her mother at the airport around 11:30 a.m. Then, she went to visit a friend in the Canton Township area. She left her friend’s home at around 2 p.m.
- She was spotted at a party store west of I-275 in Canton Township between 2:30 p.m. and 2:45 p.m., where she purchased a beer.
- Witnesses reported seeing her standing on the shoulder of the freeway speaking with a man and standing next to a maroon minivan.
- The silver/gray 2-door 1986 Oldsmobile Cutlass she had been driving was found on the side of I-96 near the Fowlerville exit at 7:48 p.m. that same day. The car was running and the windshield wipers were on due to a rainstorm. Her shoes, purse, and the beer she purchased were inside the vehicle.
Renkoski had two screws in her left knee, a long scar on the inside of her right arm, and a scar on her left leg. She was last seen wearing a white V-neck sweater and was wearing it backward. She was wearing black and multi-color print pants. She was also wearing a dark green medium-length necklace with gold beads. She had green and gold earrings to match.
Prosecutors also say they have another open investigation involving criminal sexual conduct involving Robbins’ wife, who Local 4 is told has filed for divorce.
They allege that text messages show Robbins had been arranging for men to sneak into their home and have sex with his wife without her consent.
We spoke with Robbins’ defense attorney, who said prosecutors and Livingston County can say all they want.
Regarding these new allegations, he said, “I don’t buy it. The prosecution is just trying to find other cases and then provide some evidence. Put your money where your mouth is. Saying anything else is just disparaging his name.”
