Shivangi Sinha
In November 2021, police discovered the remains of Allene Elizabeth Redmon and Tonita Smith in an undeveloped, wooded lot in Harrisonburg, Virginia, behind a Howard Johnson motel. Investigators turned to CCTV footage in the area, which ultimately led to the identification of Anthony Robinson as the suspect. Authorities suspected that he had lured the women through dating apps and later used a shopping cart to transport and dispose of their remains in the lot. He was also suspected of involvement in other murders in the area. Lifetime’s ‘The Dating App Killer: The Monica White Story’ presents a fictionalized account of Robinson’s life and the events that led to his conviction.
Monica White Alleged Anthony Robinson Wanted to Move in With Her Days After Meeting Her
Anthony Robinson was born on September 3, 1986. He did not come from significant means and spent periods of his life experiencing homelessness, moving between cities such as New York City, Maryland, and Virginia. At times, he worked in waste management and, prior to later cases, did not have a criminal record. He had two children, a son who had passed away when he was just 2 years old and a daughter who was about 5 or 6 years old in 2021. In late 2020, he was active on a dating app called Tagged, where he connected with a woman named Monica White. In January 2021, he traveled to visit her in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. Monica said that after meeting him in person, she quickly felt he was not her type and became uncomfortable with certain behaviors.
She alleged that during moments of physical intimacy, some of his actions unsettled her. His statements like “I don’t like when women reject me” unsettled her. Monica alleged that Robinson expressed a desire to move in with her, but she was not comfortable with the idea. Although he initially left, he returned the following month to celebrate her birthday. According to her account, he claimed he had found jobs in the area and again suggested that he wanted to live with her. She said she gave him $20 to travel back, but he did not leave. Instead, she alleged that he later called and asked her to meet him at a hotel in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, offering her $500 to do so. The request did not sit right with her, and she chose to cut off contact.
On November 23, 2021, police discovered the remains of Allene Elizabeth Redmon in an undeveloped, wooded lot behind the Howard Johnson motel in Harrisonburg, Virginia. She had been missing since October 24, 2021, and had told her family she was going on a date with a man named Anthony. Her remains were later found inside a shopping cart, covered with blankets and sheets. The exact cause of death was disputed, with investigators considering blunt force trauma or asphyxiation. Because the discovery site was so close to the motel, police obtained access to the CCTV footage. The surveillance showed Redmon entering the hotel around 6 pm, heading into a room that Robinson had rented.
Anthony Robinson’s Activities After the Killings Were Captured on CCTV
At approximately 4 am, cameras captured Anthony Robinson exiting the room while pushing a shopping cart that contained Allene Redmon’s remains. Investigators also identified footage of him discarding her shoes along the way, which were later recovered by authorities. In addition to that footage, police uncovered similar surveillance involving Tonita Smith, who had been reported missing since November 19, 2021. Cameras showed her entering a motel room with Robinson, and later captured him transporting her remains out of the room in a similar manner. The police theorized that he met the two women through dating apps and had called them over to his hotel to kill them.
On November 23, 2021, authorities arrested Robinson and charged him with two counts of first-degree murder, along with two felony counts of concealing, transporting, or altering a dead body. It was on November 25, after his arrest, that Smith’s remains were discovered in the same wooded lot. While Robinson remained incarcerated, investigators made another discovery. On December 15, 2021, the remains of Cheyenne Brown and Stephanie Harrison were found in Fairfax County, Virginia, in a wooded area near the Moon Inn motel. Police alleged that phone records and dating app history linked Robinson to both women. However, due to the advanced state of decomposition, the exact causes of their deaths could not be determined, and he was not formally charged in connection with those cases.
Anthony Robinson is Awaiting His Sentencing in Virginia Today
In 2024, Anthony Robinson’s defense team attempted to present an insanity plea, citing alleged mental health diagnoses dating back to 2014. The court rejected that argument. His trial began in January 2025. Robinson had previously claimed that he met the victims through dating apps and that they came to his motel room voluntarily. He alleged that both women ingested pills that led to their deaths and that he only disposed of their remains out of fear that he would be held responsible.
Prosecutors challenged that narrative, presenting medical evidence that the substances found in the victims’ systems were not present at lethal levels. After reviewing the evidence, the jury found Robinson guilty on two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of aggravated murder for multiple killings within three years, and two counts of concealing a dead body. The jury recommended four life sentences, an additional five years for each concealment charge, totaling 10 years, and $400,000 in fines. His formal sentencing remains pending.
Several other cases have also been linked to him. In September 2024, prosecutors stated that DNA evidence linked Robinson to the remains of Sonya Champ, discovered in Washington, DC, in September 2021, and he remains a person of interest. He is also considered a suspect in the 2018 death of his ex-fiancée, Skye Allen. While her cause of death was determined to be cardiac arrhythmia, her family members have expressed suspicions in relation to his proximity to her at the time. However, it is imperative to note that no charges have been filed against him in this case. Robinson remains in custody with the Virginia Department of Corrections.
