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The parents of an Auburn University graduate who police say was shot and killed by her boyfriend’s father weeks after landing her dream job in interior design have accused him and a yet-to-be-identified gunmaker in a wrongful death lawsuit, according to court filings.
Whitney Robeson, a 22-year-old originally from Richmond, Virginia, died on the evening of March 7 after a gunshot tore through her upper chest, according to the lawsuit. She was pronounced dead at a hospital about an hour later.
The shooting was initially reported as an accident, and the coroner’s early finding was “accident” based on limited information available at the time. Defense attorney Johnny Amari has repeatedly described the incident as a “tragic” and “terrible accident.”
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Police in Trussville, about 15 miles northeast of Birmingham, arrested her boyfriend’s father, 54-year-old Jeffrey Towers, on a manslaughter charge last week, roughly two months after the shooting.
“Innocent until proven guilty is not just a sacred rule, it’s a legal standard,” said Amari, one of Towers’ criminal defense attorneys. “Our position is he’s not guilty of the offense that he’s charged with.”
Towers has not yet entered a plea. He was released on $30,000 bond, the highest amount for a Class B felony like manslaughter, Amari said. He is due back in court on July 22.
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“Nothing that we do or say as a criminal defense team…diminishes the fact that a life was lost here — and a special life,” Amari told Fox News Digital. “This girl was special to my client, special to my client’s family.”
Robeson and Towers’ 22-year-old son, Brandon Towers, attended Auburn University together and were dating at the time of her death. Weeks before the shooting, she had just started a job in interior design at RH, formerly known as Restoration Hardware.
“We believe even when a mistake is made, you have the right to your criminal defense, you have the rights to force the state to prove their case beyond reasonable doubt, and that’s all we’re exercising,” Amari said. “It doesn’t in any way diminish the loss of life that we know is valuable.”
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Read the lawsuit:
Amari’s law firm was not representing Towers in the civil case as of Tuesday morning.
Although the prosecution’s version of events has not yet been made public, the civil lawsuit alleges previously unseen details about Robeson’s last moments.
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Towers was in the attic of his home on Deer Trail with his son and Robeson, showing them “a collection of antique firearms,” according to the lawsuit. While handling a .22-caliber revolver, he “inadvertently” discharged a round, which caused the fatal injuries to Robeson’s heart and left lung.
“Whether known or unknown to Defendant Towers, the firearm being handled was loaded, and as he displayed the weapon to Whitney and his son, a single shot was inadvertently discharged,” the lawsuit states. “The discharged bullet struck 22-year-old Whitney Robeson in the upper left side of her chest.”
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The lawsuit alleges that he handled the weapon negligently and that the gunmaker produced the revolver with design flaws that made it “unfit for its ordinary purpose.”
“Defendant Towers, with reckless indifference to the consequences and a conscious disregard for the safety of others, engaged in the unsafe handling of a firearm without verifying whether the weapon was loaded,” the lawsuit alleges.
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It later claims he handled the gun with “a complete lack of knowledge of firearm safety, firearm mechanics, or how to safely handle firearms.”
Although the lawsuit doesn’t use the gunmaker’s name, it includes 14 unnamed co-defendants who can be identified later under Alabama law.
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Robeson’s parents, Carin and Matthew Robeson, are relying on the state’s Extended Manufacturer’s Liability Doctrine to additionally allege that the firearm was defectively designed, “unfit for its ordinary purpose,” and lacked adequate safety features “as to prevent inadvertent discharge.”
“At its core, this matter involves the tragic and unnecessary death of a 22-year-old young woman whose life was cut short far too soon,” their attorney, Andrew Moak, said in a statement. “Whitney was a daughter, loved one, and member of her community, and that should never be lost in the discussion surrounding this case.”
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He said the family is seeking justice and accountability. The lawsuit does not specify monetary damages being sought.
In an online obituary, Robeson’s family revealed she had wanted to work in interior design since her childhood, inspired by shows on HGTV. 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.
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