After Over 20 Years, Detectives Arrest Suspect for Murder and Multiple Rapes
April 26, 2025 – Fresno County Sheriff’s Office officials report detectives with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office have arrested 61-year-old Robert Castillo of Fresno. He has been booked into the Fresno County Jail on a charge of murder, two counts of rape and one count of sexual assault. His bail is set at $2.1 million.
On October 31, 2004, a body was reported to be found in a dirt field near the intersection of California and Polk Avenues in Fresno. The decedent was later identified as 43-year-old Barbara Lee (A.K.A. Barbara Parker). At the time, homicide detectives interviewed several people who knew Barbara but never developed information about who killed her.
In 2024, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office Homicide Unit implemented a new Strategic Plan to address the investigation of Cold Case Homicides. Working with the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office, they established the Cold Case Unit Review Board, which meets monthly. Its members include dedicated Cold Case Homicide Detectives, Crime Analysts, Prosecutors, and DA Investigators. This group has successfully solved (9) Cold Case Homicides over the past year, including the Barbara Lee case.
A review of the facts and evidence in this case supported further investigation. The arrest was made thanks in large part to this team and the use of evolving DNA technology, which allowed law enforcement to compare and confirm DNA samples that matched both Castillo and Lee.
On April 10, 2025, detectives with the Violent Criminal Apprehension Team (ViCAT) were tasked with contacting Robert Castillo and arresting him for the murder and sexual assault of Barbara Lee. Castillo’s DNA was then compared with other open cases at the Sheriff’s Office. A match was made with a 2003 rape case and a 2004 rape case. We still have another rape case that is pending the results of a DNA test.
Castillo has an extensive criminal history dating back to 1981. He served prison sentences in the mid-80s, late 90s and mid-2000s for property crimes.
View press conference video here.
We are concerned that Robert Castillo may have other victims out there who never made a police report. If you recognize him as committing a crime against you, please call Special Investigator Sergio Toscano at 559-600-8027 or Valley Crimes Stoppers at 559-498-7867, www.valleycrimestoppers.org. You will remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward. Reference case # 04-25747.
Source & photos: Fresno County Sheriff’s Office
