HARRISONBURG, VA — A judge this week postponed the murder trial of Anthony Eugene Robinson, the alleged “Shopping Cart Killer” who is linked to the deaths of five women in Virginia and Washington, D.C.
Robinson was set to stand trial this month after he was charged with first-degree murder in the death of 39-year-old Tonita Smith of Charlottesville. He was slated for a similar trial next year in the death of 54-year-old Beth Redmon of Harrisonburg.
According to a WTOP report, Rockingham County Commonwealth’s Attorney Marsha Garst filed a motion to move the trial in Smith’s death to January and to prosecute it jointly with the previously scheduled trial in Redmon’s death.
On Thursday, Judge Bruce Albertson ordered Robinson’s first trial to be delayed and ruled the deaths of Smith and Redmon would be tried in a single case, WTOP reported. The trial is scheduled to begin on Jan. 27.
The move comes a week after defense attorneys learned that DNA evidence had linked Robinson to the 2021 death of Sonya Champ, 40, of Northwest Washington, D.C. Robinson has not been charged in the case.
Defense attorneys had argued the judge should exclude the DNA evidence because they learned of it just 18 days before Robinson’s first trial was scheduled to begin, according to WTOP. Statute requires defense attorneys to receive it at least 21 days before trial.
Robinson was also been linked to two other deaths after Fairfax County Police found two badly decomposed bodies on Dec. 15, 2021, in a large plastic container near a shopping cart in the Alexandria area.
Police identified the victims as Cheyenne Brown, 29, of D.C., and Stephanie Harrison, 48, of Redding, California. Robinson has not been charged in their deaths.
Police said they believe the women were victims of the “Shopping Cart Killer” because the person used shopping carts to move and dump murder victims’ bodies in remote areas.
The Washington Post also reported that police are re-examining the 2018 death of a Maryland woman who Robinson was engaged to marry. The woman could be Robinson’s sixth victim, according to reports.
Skye Allen, 30, died on Valentine’s Day in 2018 when she and Robinson, who she planned to marry, were living with Allen’s mother in Glenarden, The Washington Post reported.
Stacey Allen told Prince George’s County Police she found her daughter barely breathing in the bedroom the younger Allen shared with Robinson. Skye Allen died a short time later at an area hospital.
Her death was found to be caused by “fatal cardiac arrhythmia,” according to a copy of her death certificate obtained by The Post.