In-Depth: Sister of victim responds to Colin Rideout claims

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WHEC) — Not a day goes by that Robbyn Drew doesn’t think about her brother, Craig.

"It’s not any easier," Drew said. "It’s not any less emotional but easier personally to control."

It’s been more than five years since she last spoke with her brother. He was beaten and strangled to death in his own home and his body disposed of in a wooded area in Yates County. Craig’s ex-wife, Laura, and their son, Colin, were both convicted of his murder. And this week, from Attica Prison, Colin Rideout answered our questions about the case, claiming his only involvement was in cleaning up the blood in his father’s basement.

Brett Davidsen: "Did you assist in the disposal of your father’s body?"

Colin Rideout: "No. When I arrived in the basement there was blood on the floor but there wasn’t a body. You just hoped that something else had happened."

Davidsen: "What do you think about the notion that at no point did he ever ask anybody ‘Who did this?’ or ‘What happened?’ or ‘Where’s Dad?’ — or anything?"

Drew: "I find that very difficult to believe. He had been present. So how could he not have any idea? I just don’t buy it."

Colin Rideout told me, in retrospect, he feels he was set up — by his mother.

"The thing that angered me the most was her unwillingness to take any kind of responsibility," he said. "Because whenever I would talk to her, she would be, I’m so sorry this is happening. It’s like, no, this isn’t just happening. She did this."

But Drew also sees a nephew who refuses to take responsibility.

"It’s a lot of finger-pointing. It’s a lot of, ‘I didn’t do it.’ ‘I don’t know who did it,’" she responded.

She also took issue with Colin’s repeated claims of abusive treatment by his father toward his mother and sisters, pointing out that no judge would have granted Craig Rideout custody of the little ones had he been abusive.

"I never saw any abuse. Were there abuse, why wouldn’t you reach out to another family member?" she asked.

But what struck Drew the most from the Colin Rideout interview was the lack of emotion in his voice, even as he acknowledged being sad about his father’s death.

"You asked the question, was he sad about his father being murdered and I believe he said, yes, but at no point has anyone shown remorse," she added.

Drew admits it’s been difficult to watch the Colin Rideout interview, to re-live this family tragedy. And she added this — which illustrates just how the murder has fractured this family.

"One of my mom’s friends asked her, ‘Did anything good come of this?’ and she actually said — ‘I got to see my grandson’ — so, to know that he’s ok," Drew said.

Colin Rideout has worked in the Attica law library. He is taking classes in Western Civilization and he’s learning German. He’ll be 50 years old when he’s eligible for parole.