The man convicted of killing two women in Harrisonburg in 2021 and transporting their bodies in a shopping cart is undergoing neuropsychological testing ahead of sentencing, which has been scheduled for May. WMRA's Randi B. Hagi reports.
Anthony Eugene Robinson, dubbed the "Shopping Cart Killer" by law enforcement, was convicted last January of murdering Allene "Beth" Redmon and Tonita Lorice Smith in a motel room in Harrisonburg. The jury recommended he be given four life sentences plus 10 years and a $400,000 fine. A judge will ultimately decide his sentence.
One of Robinson's two attorneys, Public Defender Abigail Thibeault, has said she plans to argue the judge could choose to suspend part of a life sentence, even in an aggravated murder case.
Robinson is also wanted in another murder case in Washington, D.C., and suspected of killing two more women in Fairfax. All five of the deceased women he's been officially linked to were last seen, and their bodies found, in the second half of 2021.
The Rockingham Circuit Court previously appointed the UVa Forensic Clinic at the Institute of Law, Psychiatry, and Public Policy to conduct a neuropsychological evaluation of Robinson, in light of his previous mental illness diagnoses and low grade point average while in school.
Thibeault appeared in court on Friday to argue that the evaluators needed to be in a "contact room" with Robinson to finish their testing – which includes activities such as passing him small objects like blocks and pencil and paper. But the Rockingham County Sheriff, Bryan Hutcheson, only allows inmate visits conducted through a glass barrier. Thibeault asked the court for an exception to this rule at the local jail, or for Robinson to be transferred to Middle River Regional Jail in Verona, which does allow contact visits. She made a similar request back in October, which was denied, but that was before the court appointed the forensic evaluators, who are also asking for this contact visit.
Clinical psychologists Daniel Murrie and Scott Bender wrote in an affidavit that this is standard procedure across the field. In the meantime, they have reviewed Robinson's records and conducted one interview with him in jail.
Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney Christopher Bean argued that for deputies to transport Robinson would be "extremely unsafe," both because of the severity of Robinson's convictions and an incident last summer in which he broke a broom in his cell "into several sharp spear-like implements."
Thibeault countered that "deputies across the country do this … it's their job."
Judge Bruce D. Albertson denied the defense's motion, saying the sheriff has to assess these safety concerns, and [quote] "I'm going to leave it to his discretion." He added the evaluators can still testify about their findings without getting a contact visit with Robinson. His sentencing hearing is currently scheduled for May 22.
