A lot of people, women, in particular, are already wary enough of the potential dangers that come with online dating, so it won’t help that law enforcement in the state of Virginia believe they have identified a new serial killer who meets his victims through dating apps and lures them to their deaths.
Officials in Virginia are calling 35-year-old Anthony Robinson the “Shopping Cart Killer” because he allegedly used shopping carts to transport the bodies of his victims from the locations where he allegedly killed them, according to PEOPLE.
Robinson was reportedly taken into custody last month after he was captured by surveillance cameras and accused of killing two women—54-year-old Allene Elizabeth “Beth” Redmon and 39-year-old Tonita Lorice “Nita” Smith. Both women were found dead in Harrisonburg on November 23. During a press conference on Friday, Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said investigators believe Robinson is also responsible for the deaths of a woman they believe to be 29-year-old Cheyenne Brown and another victim who hasn’t been identified. According to ABC News, their bodies were found this week in a wooded area of Alexandria.
After Robinson was arrested in connection with the deaths of Redmon and Smith, Washington’s Metropolitan Police Department contacted the authorities in Fairfax County and informed them that he was Brown’s last known contact. Brown, who still hasn’t been fully identified by examiners, had previously been reported missing.
Police discovered two bodies in a shopping cart near the wooded area and recalled that Robinson was said to have used a shopping cart to take the women he allegedly killed to different locations to get rid of the bodies.
“We have a tattoo that’s been positively identified by her family as Cheyenne’s tattoo, and the reason why we’re not waiting…until we get positive and 100 percent positive DNA or dental verification that it is Cheyenne, is because we believe that there may be other victims in the area and throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia,” Davis said. “And we need to act now.”
Harrisonburg Police Chief Kelley Warner said during the same press conference that Robinson—who is currently charged with two counts of first-degree murder and two felony counts of concealing, transporting or altering a dead body in connection with the deaths of Redmon and Lorice—has not made any statements regarding any of the heinous crimes he’s accused of. As of now, he hasn’t been formally charged with any other deaths. A Rockingham County Jail spokesperson told People he’s being held with no bond.
ABC reported that Davis also noted Robinson has a “remarkable absence” of any criminal history, but Davis believes he’s a serial killer who uses online dating to lure and trap his victims.
“We’re here today to talk about a serial killer, and that is a phrase that I’ve used sparingly in my three decades in this profession,” Davis said. “He preys on the weak and preys on the vulnerable. Our shopping cart killer does unspeakable things with his victims, and it’s our collective duty and responsibility to bring justice and closure to all of our communities.”
Officials expect that Robinson will be facing more charges in the future. He’s scheduled to appear in court on December 27.
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