A long-awaited psychiatric evaluation showed “shopping cart killer” suspect Anthony Eugene Robinson wasn’t criminally insane when he allegedly killed and disposed of the bodies of two women in Harrisonburg, Virginia, WTOP has learned.
Robinson is also suspected in two deaths in Fairfax County and one in D.C. — but hasn’t been charged in those cases.
Defense attorney Louis Nagy says the psychiatric evaluation, ordered by a Rockingham County Circuit Court judge, in 2022, “was not helpful,” as he considered an insanity defense.
On Sept. 23, Robinson is set to begin a five-day first-degree murder trial in the death of 39-year-old Tonita Smith, of Charlottesville. Early next year, he’ll face a similar trial in the death of Beth Redmon, 54, of Harrisonburg.
Robinson has not been charged in Fairfax County in the deaths of two other victims — Stephanie Harrison, 48, of Redding, California, and Cheyenne Brown, 29, of Southeast D.C. Their remains were found in a plastic container near a shopping cart in a wooded area near the Moon Inn motel, in the Huntington area of the county.
Investigators in D.C. continue to investigate whether Sonya Champ, whose remains were found in a shopping cart covered by a blanket in the District, may be the fifth victim of Robinson. First reported on WTOP, the woman’s body was found in the 200 block of F Street in Northeast D.C., a few blocks from Union Station.
In September 2022, prosecutors also added two counts of aggravated murder of more than one person within three years — a Class 1 felony — which carries a mandatory life sentence.
Defense: ‘Shopping cart killer’ and ‘serial killer’ nicknames are prejudicial
In a motion filed this week, Robinson’s attorney said Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis “deliberately, maliciously, with the intent to do irreparable harm” created labels for Robinson, in an attempt to stir up media attention for the case.
During the Dec. 17, 2021, news conference, “‘Shopping Cart Killer’ was first uttered by Davis less than 1 minute and 10 seconds into the press conference and was uttered even before the Defendant was identified by his actual name,” wrote Nagy.
In addition, Nagy said, “The term ‘serial killer’ is a declaratory and conclusive statement which presupposed that the defendant is guilty of the crimes charged even though he has not yet been convicted of killing anyone in any jurisdiction.”
The defense wants to bar prosecutors or witnesses from using either nickname in Robinson’s trials.
In another motion, the defense wants to prevent prosecutors and witnesses from discussing the Fairfax County or D.C. deaths, in the Harrisonburg trials, since Robinson has only been charged with the deaths of Smith and Redmon.
Police and prosecutors have said Robinson met most of the victims on dating apps.
In a statement, Fairfax County police said: “As Robinson prepares to stand trial for the murder for two people in Harrisonburg, we cannot comment further on matters related to this case to ensure the integrity of the criminal justice process.”
In 2022, when Nagy unsuccessfully argued for a gag order, a spokesman for Chief Davis said. “While the defendant will enjoy the presumption of innocence, the Fairfax County Police Department stands by its criminal investigation and we look forward to presenting our findings in a court of law.”
What evidence has been presented so far?
During a probable cause hearing on Sept. 12, 2022, prosecutors presented much of the evidence that will be used in the Harrisonburg cases against Robinson.
Judge John Stanley Hart, the chief judge of the Harrisonburg/Rockingham General District Court, saw video evidence of Redmon and Smith each walking into Room 336 of the Howard Johnson motel in Harrisonburg with Robinson. Robinson, in each case, later left the room before dawn and retrieved a shopping cart. Soon after, the video also shows him dragging the cart out of the room, with body-sized items wrapped in sheets.
Robinson was living at the motel as part of his compensation for working in a nearby chicken processing plant.
A detective testified she saw the two bodies lying in a tree line within sight of the motel. The autopsies showed Redmon was found with a plastic bag over her head, and Smith’s arms were tied behind her back with “chunky black yarn.” A prosecutor showed the judge a photo and receipt of Robinson in the nearby Walmart, buying black yarn.
When he was arrested, Robinson told the police that each of the women had overdosed on a white pill. He said he dumped the bodies because he didn’t know what else to do.
Prosecutor Marsha Garsh said the murders were premeditated.
“He purposely secreted their bodies and let them rot,” she said. “He lured the women there. This was clearly a sado-sexual killing. He didn’t call 911; he used them for what he wanted, then left them rotting with the maggots.”
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