Naman Shrestha
In Investigation Discovery’s ‘Feds: Hired to Kill,’ detectives from the Philadelphia Police Department recount their investigative journeys when a string of murders sent shockwaves across the entire community. The detectives had to handle the killings of Eric Robinson and Khayyan Fruster, both of whom worked in the same tow truck company. When Shawn Small was also killed the following year, the investigators found a shocking link between all three murders.
Eric Robinson, Khayyan Fruster, and Shawn Small Were Killed Execution Style in Philadelphia
The resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Eric Robinson, was in the middle of moving to the south with his longtime girlfriend, Khadija Harrell. While Khadija worked at a local bar, Eric worked at a tow truck company called A Bob’s Auto. On the fateful night of January 12, 2017, the couple was talking about their exciting future at a new place outside a local bar on the 4500 block of Melrose Street when an armed man approached them and fired multiple rounds at Eric, who died at the scene.
More tragedy befell Philadelphia the following night when another Bob’s Auto employee, 28-year-old Khayyan Fruster, was killed right outside his home on the 6600 block of Hegerman Street in the neighborhood of Tacony. Born around 1989, Khayyan shared a close bond with his grandmother, Marie Fruster, and cousin, Najeera Johnson. He was also a doting father to two sons, Khayyan Jr. and Kayden. Although he worked at the tow truck company, he had dreams of becoming a Philadelphia Police Department officer. Moreover, he worked as a bail bondsman at night so as to afford a new house, where he intended to live with his sons and his girlfriend.
On the fateful night of January 13, 2017, Khayyan was with his co-worker when both men were shot inside the car. While his co-worker survived multiple gunshot wounds, Khayyan succumbed to his injuries. Nearly two years later, on the early morning of September 1, 2018, the police received a 911 call informing them about a shooting incident at a parking lot. When the authorities rushed to the scene, they found Shawn Small dead in the parking lot. The cause of his death was a fatal gunshot wound to the side of the head.
Khayyan Fruster’s Grandmother Played a Crucial Role in the Investigation
After Eric Robinson’s shooting death, the authorities immediately launched a homicide investigation. As they reviewed the surveillance footage of the store near the crime scene, they spotted the suspect clearly in the video moments before he fired multiple rounds at Eric. Complications arose in the investigation when they learned that Khayyan Fruster, who was killed the following night, was also employed at A Bob’s Auto. The police confirmed that the two homicides were connected after the ballistic evidence from both crime scenes proved that they were committed using the same gun. In an effort to identify the suspect in the security footage, the authorities also released the images to the public.
However, the case stalled for a year or so as the detectives were unable to find any leads. In 2018, Khayyan’s grandmother, Marie Fruster, took matters into her own hands and began her own investigation. Marie informed investigators of her belief that Khayyan had a prior dispute with a man named Arthur Rowland, AKA Bo, alleging that Arthur had threatened him with a gun. She further claimed that Khayyan was set to testify regarding the alleged incident the day after he was killed. After Marie relayed the information to the authorities, they dug deeper into him and learned that he was in the drug trade. But the detectives couldn’t connect him to Eric Robinson in any way. He was ultimately eliminated as a direct suspect in the murders, as he had legitimate alibis for both murders.
The Killer Claimed That He Was Hired by a Drug Trafficker
About a week after Shawn Small’s killing, the investigators spotted the suspect in the security footage of the nearby area where the murder took place. The previous evening, the suspect was also at a local bar with Shawn and a couple of other men. Thanks to the surveillance footage, the suspect was identified as Ernest Pressley, who was arrested in connection with Shawn’s death on September 7, 2018. It turned out that he also resembled the suspect who was responsible for killing the two tow truck drivers of A Bob’s Auto in January 2017. The detectives got a break in the case when Ernest visited the FBI Philadelphia Office in April 2019 to speak with them. During his interview, he admitted to killing Eric Robinson, Khayyan Fruster, Shawn Small, and a couple of others.
As per the show, Ernest reportedly alleged during the investigation that Arthur Rowland had hired him, claiming Khayyan was the primary target, while Eric was killed to disguise the motive. He further alleged that it was to prevent Khayyan from taking the stand about a prior incident against him. However, these claims were never substantiated by prosecutors, and Arthur has never been charged in connection with the homicides. In total, Ernest confessed to being involved in six murders. Thus, he faced multiple charges, including murder, conspiracy, and weapons charges. At the time, Arthur was already in custody of the police due to several drug and firearm charges. In the early hours of December 14, 2018, Arthur was arrested and charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute about nine pounds of methamphetamine, and possession of two AK-47 style assault type weapons and a semi-automatic handgun while being a felon.
Arthur and Ernest Are Currently Incarcerated at a Georgia and Florida Prison Respectively
In May 2022, Arthur “Bo” Rowland was found guilty of the multiple narcotic charges against him. He was also convicted of being a felon-in-possession of a firearm. Due to his involvement in the drug conspiracy, he was sentenced to 40 years in prison. On the other hand, in September 2022, Ernest Pressley admitted to killing four individuals in exchange for money during his plea. Several months later, on May 16, 2023, he received five consecutive life sentences for the murders he had committed.
Since Ernest declined to cooperate further with the authorities, he didn’t testify against Arthur. As a result, no one, including Rowland, has been charged with orchestrating the murder-for-hire plot. Thus, today, 44-year-old Arthur is held at the Federal Correctional Institution, Jesup in Jesup, Georgia, with his release date scheduled for February 2052. Meanwhile, 46-year-old Ernest is serving his sentence at the United States Penitentiary, Coleman I in Wildwood, Florida.
