The first trial of Anthony Eugene Robinson, who is charged in the deaths of two women in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and suspected in the deaths of two additional women in Fairfax County and another one in D.C., has been postponed.
Robinson was set to begin a five-day trial on Sept. 23, in connection to the death of 39-year-old Tonita Smith, of Charlottesville. Early next year, he was scheduled to face a similar trial in the death of 54-year-old Beth Redmon, of Harrisonburg.
Louis Nagy, the attorney for Robinson, argued the judge should exclude DNA evidence that prosecutors said links Robinson to the death of Sonya Champ, whose body was found in 2021 in Northeast D.C. Although the test was done in 2022, Nagy said he first learned of it 18 days before trial, while statute requires he receive discovery 21 days before trial.
The lawyer for #shoppingcartkiller suspect Anthony Eugene Robinson argues the judge should exclude DNA evidence that prosecutors say links him to the DC murder of Sonya Champ. Although the test was done in 2022, attorney Lou Nagy said he first learned of it… pic.twitter.com/NmyUkEGMzR
— Neal Augenstein (@AugensteinWTOP) September 10, 2024
Rockingham County Commonwealth’s Attorney Marsha Garst filed a motion to continue the trial in Smith’s death to January, and to prosecute it jointly with the previously scheduled trial in Redmon’s death.
Last week, Garst had objected, and prevailed, when Nagy had made a similar request to postpone and join the cases, saying a delay would be unfair to the victims’ families.
Thursday, Judge Bruce Albertson ruled the deaths of both women would be tried in a single case, scheduled for Jan. 27 through Feb. 4, 2025.
Robinson has not been charged in Champ’s death in D.C. Her body was found in a shopping cart near Union Station in Sept. 2021.
He also remains uncharged 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 Fairfax County, leading police to dub him the “shopping cart killer.”
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