TLDR
A newly granted protection order did not keep Anna Child safe. Within a day of a Mason County judge’s ruling, investigators say her estranged husband entered a Hoodsport residence with a shotgun, killed Child and her boyfriend, and then drove away, prompting a regional search.
Prosecutors in Washington state have charged 60-year-old Robert T. Child with two counts of first-degree murder and burglary in connection with the deaths of 46-year-olds Anna Child and Jason Hilde. According to jail records reviewed by Law and Crime, Child was booked into the Mason County Jail after his arrest in Hoodsport.
Protection Order Timeline and Limits
According to reporting by Law and Crime, Anna Child sought a domestic violence protection order against Robert Child on March 9th. In her petition, she wrote that he had said, “If he can’t have me, no one will,” and explained that she did not feel safe living in the same community.
On a later Monday in March, local station KING reported, a Mason County judge granted the order, which barred Robert Child from coming within 250 feet of his wife and noted that the couple was in the process of divorcing. KING and Law and Crime have reported that Sheriff Ryan Spurling said the order had not yet been served when the killings occurred, and he has requested an internal review of that gap.
Neighbor’s Account and Initial Evidence
The next day, according to authorities, Anna Child and Hilde were inside a home in Hoodsport when Robert Child entered. Investigators allege he shot both with a shotgun, then left in a white pickup truck, triggering a search by the Mason County Sheriff’s Office across the surrounding area.
Neighbor Caleb McGill told KING that he heard gunfire, called 911, and walked toward the residence, where he encountered Robert Child along the way. McGill said he asked what had happened and that Child responded, “Dude, they pointed a gun at me, and I killed them,” an account detectives are now evaluating alongside physical evidence. When deputies arrived, they reported finding Hilde near the front door with a gunshot wound to the head, Anna Child on a stairway with gunshot wounds, and a shotgun and spent shells inside the home.
Legal Posture and Accountability Questions
In an initial public statement, the Mason County Sheriff’s Office said it was investigating a double homicide related to a domestic violence incident in the Hoodsport area and was searching for a suspect. Robert Child was arrested the following evening and is being held at the county jail pending further court proceedings, according to Law and Crime. He is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Sheriff Spurling has ordered an internal investigation into whether law enforcement could have done more to prevent the killings after Anna Child sought court protection. That review centers on how the protection order was handled between the time she filed her petition and the day she was killed.
The case highlights how a court’s decision to grant a protection order does not, by itself, guarantee immediate safety if enforcement steps lag behind. As prosecutors build their case against Robert Child, the sheriff’s review may determine whether procedural changes are needed to better close the gap between legal orders and real-world protection.
