Shivangi Sinha
Lifetime’s ‘The Dating App Killer: The Monica White Story’ follows Monica White, a 53-year-old woman navigating life after her divorce. After enduring personal challenges, she decides to try something new and creates a profile on a dating app, hoping to find companionship. There, she connects with a man who seems charming and attentive, who introduced himself as Anthony Robinson. As they begin speaking regularly, their connection appears promising. However, when he travels to meet her in person, Monica starts to notice behavior that feels unsettling and unfamiliar.
Trusting her instincts, she ends the relationship and assumes she will never hear from him again. That sense of closure is shattered when reports emerge that several women from the same dating app have gone missing, and Robinson becomes the focus of a serial killer investigation. Directed by Elisabeth Röhm, the film effectively captures the tension and anxiety surrounding Monica’s experience. It portrays the shock and fear she feels upon realizing she may have dated someone accused of killing multiple women.
The Dating App Killer Sheds Light on the Harrowing Ordeal of the Real Monica White
As unbelievable and bizarre as it may seem, Lifetime’s ‘The Dating App Killer: The Monica White Story’ is rooted in real events and is part of the network’s “Ripped from the Headlines” series. Writers Miriam Van Emst and David Weaver drew inspiration from a case that came to public attention in November 2021, when a man named Anthony Eugene Robinson was arrested in Harrisonburg, Virginia, after the remains of two women were discovered in a nearby abandoned lot. CCTV footage showing the women entering a motel room he had rented played a key role in identifying him as a suspect. Following his arrest, the case gained wider attention.
In September 2022, Monica White publicly shared her own experience, revealing that she had previously dated Robinson and recounted the encounter that took on far more serious implications. In late 2020, White, who was recovering after a painful divorce, decided she was ready to meet someone new. She joined a dating app called Tagged, where she connected with Anthony Robinson. The first text he sent her read, “Hi beautiful. I’d like to get to know you better.”
From there, their relationship progressed quickly. Monica later shared that he made her feel special, often complimenting her and expressing admiration for her artistic interests and her work as a preschool teacher. She was upfront about wanting a long-term partnership, and he reportedly reassured her that he was interested in the same. She said that he told her that he was drawn to older women because he considered them more mature.
Monica White Alleged She Experienced Troubling Behaviour From Anthony Robinson
At the time, Monica White said Robinson told her he was working in Washington, DC, living with a friend, and had previously worked as a cleaner. He reportedly often video-called her from his workplace. She recalled that he spoke about visiting his mother in Maryland and shared that he had two children. According to him, his young son had passed away at just two years old, and he had a daughter who was around five or six at the time. White said he called her every day, sometimes so frequently that she would choose not to answer. In a later interview, she admitted that the constant communication was not something she particularly liked, but she was feeling lonely at the time and had begun to develop genuine feelings for him.
In January 2021, Robinson traveled to Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, White’s hometown, to meet her in person. White later recalled that something he said during the visit made her uneasy immediately. As per her, he told her, “Please don’t judge me straight off the bat — let’s get to know each other. I don’t like when women reject me.” The comment stayed with her, but she said she still chose to spend the weekend with him. They ordered Chinese food, and she even introduced him to her adult son. Over the course of the visit, she said they were intimate once. However, she later shared that certain aspects of his behavior did not sit well with her. White alleged that he got physically aggressive with her, claiming he attempted to tie her up and also choked her sometimes during the encounter.
While she didn’t believe he intended to kill her, White admitted that his actions felt alarming and left her deeply unsettled. White claimed that she felt spiritually guided during that time and said she believed the Holy Spirit was urging her to remove what she described as an “enemy” from her life. She also alleged that on one occasion, she woke up to find him standing over her bed while she was asleep, an incident that further unsettled her. According to White, Robinson began talking about moving in with her and even mentioned bringing his daughter to live with them. She told him it was all happening too quickly. Despite that, he expressed interest in returning. In February 2021, around the time of White’s 54th birthday, he came back to visit.
Monica White Stopped All Contact With Anthony Robinson After Her 54th Birthday
Monica White said he arrived a week early and surprised her by revealing he had purchased only a one-way ticket. He reportedly told her he had job opportunities lined up in the area and again shared his desire to move in with her. White alleged that Robinson’s behavior at her birthday party raised further red flags. She alleged he made suggestive remarks to her son and some of the other boys who were present, which deeply concerned her family and led her to doubt his intentions. When she allegedly confronted him and asked whether he was bisexual, she claimed he admitted that he was. That night, White stated she allowed him to sleep in her bed but did not become intimate with him. She further alleged that he urinated in her bed, which she viewed as the final straw.
Determined to end things, White gave him $20 to purchase a ticket and leave. However, she said he did not follow through. According to White, an argument broke out between them, and the police were eventually called to the house. She later said he contacted her cousin from a gas station, crying. Even after that, White said he allegedly continued reaching out, messaging her on Facebook and asking her to meet him at his hotel in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. She alleged that to convince her to meet him, he even offered her money and drugs. White said that about a month later, she saw him wandering the streets, appearing disheveled and unkempt.
According to White, that was the last time she ever saw him in person. It wasn’t until December 2021 that a friend sent her a news report about Robinson’s arrest and the investigation into him as a suspected serial killer. She described the period as deeply disturbing and said the revelations had a significant emotional impact on her, leading her into a depression. In the months that followed, she focused on healing. It wasn’t until September 2022 that she publicly shared her allegations and told her story. She later gave several interviews in which she detailed her experiences.
The Lifetime film sticks closely to the case and uses the real names throughout the story. Most of White’s story that she had shared in interviews has been incorporated into the storyline. White herself maintains a low profile now and has not spoken much about either the film or the case in recent times. She is believed to be living outside Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and it seems like she is a grandmother today. ‘The Dating App Killer: The Monica White Story’ exceptionally portrays the fear, aftermath, and confusion she might have gone through, giving her experience a real face and emotional depth while showing how deeply such an encounter could affect someone’s life.
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