An Alabama man is facing charges two months after allegedly shooting his son’s 22-year-old girlfriend, who was a recent Auburn University graduate and had just landed her dream job as an interior designer.
Whitney Harlow Robeson, a 22-year-old Virginia native, died on March 7 from a gunshot wound at a home on Deer Trail in Trussville, Alabama, about 15 miles northeast of Birmingham.
Police responded around 9:30 p.m. First responders rushed her to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead just over an hour later.
This week, Trussville police announced an “extensive investigation” led them to the arrest of her boyfriend’s father, Jeffrey Scott Towers, 54, on a charge of reckless manslaughter. Public records indicate he and his son, also an Auburn alumnus, both live at the Deer Trail address.
Court records have not revealed details of the shooting or evidence surrounding the charges against Towers, other than to allege he shot Robeson.
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In a statement, Towers’ attorneys John Amari and Dain Stewart called Robeson’s death a “tragic event.”
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“We know that the facts will show that Mr. Towers has no criminal history, has been a productive and upstanding citizen for his entire life and is not guilty of these charges,” they wrote.
Robeson’s death was initially reported as accidental to the Jefferson County Coroner/Medical Examiner’s Office, according to AL.com.
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In an online obituary, Robeson’s family revealed she had wanted to work in interior design since her childhood, inspired by shows on HGTV.
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After graduating summa cum laude from Auburn’s interior design program, she got a job as a trade consultant for RH, formerly known as Restoration Hardware, doing just that.
She grew up in Richmond, where she had been a lifeguard and a clerk at boutique shops downtown, according to the obituary.
Towers has been freed after posting $30,000 bail. He’s due back in court on July 22.
