Anthony Eugene Robinson was sentenced to life in prison on Friday for the murders of two women in Harrisonburg in 2021, whose bodies he transported in a shopping cart and concealed on an undeveloped lot. WMRA's Randi B. Hagi reports.
Last year, Robinson was convicted of murdering Allene "Beth" Redmon and Tonita Lorice Smith in a motel room in Harrisonburg. The jury found him guilty of two counts of first degree murder, two counts of aggravated murder for killing multiple people within three years, and two counts of concealing a dead body. The jury recommended he be given four life sentences plus 10 years, and a $400,000 fine.
Robinson is also wanted for another woman's murder in Washington, D.C., and suspected of killing two more women in Fairfax, in cases with a similar modus operandi.
Ahead of Friday's sentencing hearing, Public Defender Abigail Thibeault filed a memorandum asking the judge to suspend all but 30 years of that sentence, arguing that "he is not a monster," and "whatever happened in 2021 cannot define Mr. Robinson's life." The document lays out many more details about his life than came out at trial.
Growing up, Robinson moved around the D.C.-Maryland area with his mother and two younger sisters, at times living with his grandparents and an uncle who was five years older than him. While a teenager, his uncle was shot and killed, and Robinson was stabbed in the chest in separate incidents. One of his children died of SIDS in 2010, and a fiance, named Skye Allen, died suddenly of a heart condition in 2018. The document presents these as tragedies in Robinson's life, although Allen's mother previously told reporters that she suspected Robinson was involved in her daughter's death.
In 2014, Robinson was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, and reported hallucinations of dead people and demons. His attorney noted that Robinson remains close with his family – who were present in the courtroom Friday, as were members of Redmon and Smith's families.
Smith's father, Steven Robinson, testified to the impact her murder has had on her six children. "It has been very devastating," he said. Redmon's daughter, Amanda May, said her mother's murder left "a big hole," lamenting that Redmon hadn't met her newest grandchildren and wouldn't get to see another grandson graduate high school next year.
Several Rockingham County sheriff's deputies testified about physical and verbal altercations they've had with Robinson during his incarceration.
Commonwealth's Attorney Marsha Garst read a letter from Smith's 12-year-old daughter. "Some things never really heal," she wrote. "Most girls get years and years to learn who their mom is. … My mom was more than just the victim in this case. She was my home."
Garst argued, "the defense states he is not a monster. Well then I ask the court, who is?" She showed the judge autopsy photos of the women, pointing out their injuries and where Robinson's DNA was found. "He enjoyed brutalizing them. … There should be no opportunity for the defendant to ever walk free."
Robinson declined to speak before Judge Bruce D. Albertson decided the verdict. Albertson sentenced Robinson to life in prison for both aggravated murder charges, plus five years for each concealing charge. He was also ordered to pay over $205,000 in restitution.
Albertson granted a motion from the defense to vacate the first degree murder charges, after Thibeault argued a defendant can only be convicted of one homicide offense for one killing. Thibeault said Robinson plans to appeal his conviction.
