A Rockingham County judge has upheld Anthony Eugene Robinson's conviction for murdering two women in 2021, and scheduled a sentencing hearing for December. WMRA's Randi B. Hagi reports.
Robinson was convicted in January of murdering Allene "Beth" Redmon and Tonita Lorice Smith and then transporting their bodies in a shopping cart to dispose of them. As WMRA previously reported, Robinson's attorney, Public Defender Abigail Thibeault, filed a motion to set aside the verdict and re-try the case. Thibeault and co-counse l Scott Hansen argued in a hearing Wednesday that the prosecutor inappropriately used evidence of "unadjudicated, prior bad acts" and inflammatory closing arguments to prejudice the jury.
The evidence in question was related to two other murdered women Robinson has been linked to – Sonya Champ, whose body was found in Washington, D.C. in September 2021; and Cheyenne Brown, whose body was found with that of Stephanie Harrison in Fairfax County that December.
Thibeault argued that autopsy photos of the D.C. and Fairfax victims, and discussions about the decomposition of their bodies, were meant to "cause fear and horror within the jury." Commonwealth's Attorney Marsha Garst said the testimony spoke to what evidence was able to be collected, such as toxicology analyses. She added that the evidence indicated Robinson's "modus operandi" of befriending women, killing them in a hotel room, transporting their bodies in a shopping cart, and leaving their clothing hoisted around their neck and socks on their feet.
Judge Bruce D. Albertson denied the motion to set aside the verdict. He set the sentencing hearing for December 23. Thibeault had asked for more time to prepare, but Albertson said one factor he considered was that Robinson was convicted of "extremely violent" crimes "and he is extremely dangerous based on that evidence," yet continues to be held in the local jail. After sentencing he will be moved to the Virginia Department of Corrections, which operates prisons with a variety of security levels.
During the hearing, Garst mentioned that "there are multiple violent jail violations" to consider, but told WMRA afterwards that she couldn't comment on that statement.
