Hoodsport Woman Murdered by Estranged Husband One Day After Securing Protection Order

A tragic double homicide in Mason County has brutally exposed the limits of Washington’s family court’s protective measures.

Just one day after a Mason County judge finalized a domestic violence protection order against him, 60-year-old Robert Terry Child allegedly drove to a Hoodsport residence and shot his estranged wife and another man to death.

According to the Mason County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were dispatched to a reported shooting on N. Finch Creek Road in Hoodsport at approximately 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 24, 2026.

Upon arrival, law enforcement discovered a 44-year-old female and a 50-year-old male deceased from gunshot wounds.

Investigators quickly identified Robert Child as the primary suspect, noting that he had fled the scene prior to their arrival. He was later intercepted and apprehended by the Washington State Patrol while traveling on Highway 101.

Court records reveal a harrowing timeline leading up to the violence. The victim, Anna Child, first initiated the legal process to protect herself from her estranged husband earlier in the month, filing a petition for a Civil Protection Order on March 9, 2026. On that same day, the court issued a Temporary Order for Protection.

The crucial hearing to address the domestic violence allegations and establish further protection took place on the morning of March 23, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. before Judicial Officer Monty D. Cobb. The fatal shooting on N. Finch Creek Road occurred roughly 30 hours later.

Following his apprehension by the State Patrol, Robert Terry Child was officially booked into the Mason County Jail at 7:28 p.m. on the evening of the murders. The jail roster confirms he is currently being held on two counts of Murder in the 1st Degree, with no bail set.

The Mason County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office officially initiated the criminal case against him the following day, March 25, 2026, filing an information and moving for an arrest and detention based on probable cause. A bench warrant was issued that same day.

On the afternoon of March 26, Child appeared before Judicial Officer David Stevens for a warrant identification hearing, formally bringing him under the court’s jurisdiction for the double homicide.

This devastating incident in Hoodsport raises profound and urgent questions about the efficacy of civil protection orders when dealing with highly volatile domestic violence situations. The piece of paper meant to shield Anna Child ultimately could not stop the violence that followed.