Shivangi Sinha
In November 2021, Anthony Robinson was arrested for the murders of two women, Allene Elizabeth Redmon and Tonita Smith. Within days, their remains were discovered in an abandoned lot near a motel where Robinson had been staying. As the investigation progressed, substantial evidence was gathered against him, ultimately leading to his conviction. Lifetime’s ‘The Dating App Killer: The Monica White Story’ dramatizes the events surrounding the case, concluding with Robinson’s arrest in connection with the two murders.
Tonita Smith and Beth Redmon Had Met Anthony Robinson Through a Dating App
In the film, Anthony Robinson is depicted communicating with Tonita Smith through a dating app before meeting her and ultimately strangling her. At the same time, he is shown dating Monica White, who remains unaware of his true nature as the police begin investigating the case. When Robinson is arrested, authorities identify Tonita Smith and Allene Elizabeth “Beth” Redmon as the victims, and he is charged with their murders. In reality, Robinson was arrested in November 2021 in connection with those killings, though the timeline differed somewhat. He had ended his relationship with Monica White in February 2021 and met Beth and Tonita later that year. By the time of his arrest, he was no longer in contact with White, who learned the truth through news reports.
Beth was born on June 30, 1967, to Sharon “Sherry” Vandevander Kisamore and John May, and spent much of her early life in Memphis, Tennessee. She grew up alongside her siblings, Jennings and Sharon, in what was largely a normal upbringing. Beth later married Shannon Redmon Sr., and the couple had two daughters, Amanda and Jessica. After her husband’s passing, Beth went through a deeply difficult period, but the love and support of her family, especially her children and grandchildren, helped her find strength again. By 2021, she felt ready to begin dating and connected with Robinson through a dating app. On October 24, 2021, while living in Virginia, she told her daughter she was heading out to watch a football game with a man named Ant. She never returned home.
Tonita Lorice “Nita” Smith’s story followed a similarly heartbreaking path. She was born on June 23, 1982, to Lolita Smith and grew up with her two brothers, Rodney and Dean, who were always protective and supportive of her. Tonita later became a mother to six children and was a devoted and responsible parent who worked hard to provide for them. On November 19, 2021, Tonita left her home in Charlottesville, Virginia, but she never returned. The case took a major turn just days later, on November 23, 2021, when construction workers discovered human remains on an undeveloped lot near the Howard Johnson motel in Harrisonburg, Virginia.
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Tonita Smith and Beth Redmon’s Remains Had Been Left in a Shopping Cart
The remains were identified as Beth Redmon’s. An autopsy ruled her death a homicide, though officials could not determine whether it resulted from blunt force trauma or asphyxiation. Police later spoke with Beth’s family, who told them she had gone to meet a man the night she disappeared. Investigators obtained her phone records, which showed communication with Anthony Robinson around the time she went missing. Authorities also reviewed CCTV footage from the motel, where Beth was seen entering Robinson’s room around 6 pm. Later, he was captured leaving alone, pushing a shopping cart that carried her remains wrapped in sheets, with her head covered in a plastic bag.
Robinson was taken into custody that same day. Additional CCTV footage showed him meeting Tonita at the same motel on the day she vanished. On November 25, police discovered Tonita’s remains in the same undeveloped lot and area where Beth had been found. Tonita’s death was also ruled a homicide, though officials were unable to determine the exact cause. Like Beth, her remains had been placed in a shopping cart and wrapped in sheets. Phone records revealed that she had been communicating with Robinson through a dating app around the time she disappeared. Along with that digital trail, the surveillance footage became some of the strongest evidence against him.
During his trial, Robinson claimed in his defense that the women had ingested pills in his motel room and died accidentally, and that he disposed of their remains out of fear. However, investigators testified that the evidence did not support his version of events. Robinson was ultimately convicted of 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. He received the maximum sentence for each charge, bringing a measure of justice to Beth and Tonita’s families.
