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The parents of an Auburn University graduate who police say was shot and killed by her boyfriend’s father a few weeks after getting her interior design job are suing him and a yet-to-be-identified gunman in a wrongful-death case, according to court documents.
Whitney Robeson, a 22-year-old from Richmond, Virginia, died on the night of March 7 after being shot in the chest, according to the lawsuit. He was pronounced dead at the hospital an hour later.
The shooting was initially reported as an accident, and the investigator’s early discovery was an “accident” based on the limited information available at the time. Defense attorney Johnny Amari has repeatedly described the incident as a “horrible accident” and a “horrible accident.”
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A separate photo shows Auburn alumni Brandon Towers and Whitney Robeson, left, and Jeffrey Towers, Brandon’s father, right. The elder Towers is accused of “inadvertently” firing the gun, which led to Robeson’s death at his home in Alabama. (Brandon Towers/Instagram, Courtesy of Amari Law Firm)
Police in Trussville, about 15 kilometers northeast of Birmingham, arrested her boyfriend’s father, Jeffrey Towers, 54, on a charge of involuntary manslaughter last week, nearly two months after the incident.
“Innocent until proven guilty is not just a holy rule, it’s a legal standard,” said Amari, one of Towers’ criminal defense attorneys. “Our point is that he does not have a crime against him.”
Towers has yet to apply. He was released on a $30,000 bond, which is the highest amount for a Class B felony, such as murder, Amari said. He will appear in court again on July 22.
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Whitney Robeson, a 22-year-old graduate of Auburn University in Richmond, Virginia, was shot and killed on March 7 at a home in Trussville, Alabama. (Instagram/@whitneyharlowdesign)
“Nothing we do or say as a crime prevention group…undercuts the fact that a life was lost here — and a special life,” Amari told Fox News Digital. “This girl was special to my client, she was special to my client’s family.”
Robeson and Towers’ son, Brandon Towers, 22, attended Auburn University together and were dating at the time of his death. A few weeks before the shooting, he had just started an interior design job at RH, then known as Restoration Hardware.
“We believe that even if something goes wrong, you have the right to defend yourself against a crime, you have the right to compel the state to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt, and that’s all we’re doing,” Amari said. “It in no way mitigates the loss of life that we know is important.”
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Amari’s law firm was representing Towers in the civil case as of Tuesday morning.
Although the prosecutors’ case has not yet been disclosed, the lawsuit alleges previously unseen details about Robeson’s final moments.
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Towers was in the basement of her Deer Trail home with her son and Robeson, showing them “a collection of vintage guns,” according to the lawsuit. While holding a .22-caliber revolver, he “inadvertently” discharged a round, which caused serious damage to Robeson’s heart and left lung.
“Whether or not Defendant Towers is known, the gun in his possession was loaded, and when he pointed the weapon at Whitney and her son, one of the shots went off without aim,” the lawsuit states. “The bullet hit Whitney Robeson, 22, in the upper left part of the chest.”
Brandon Towers and Whitney Robeson in an undated family photo. Towers’ father, Jeffrey Towers, is accused of “inadvertently” firing the antique gun, which injured and killed his son’s girlfriend, Robeson, a 22-year-old recent graduate of Auburn University who had just started a career in interior design. (Brandon Towers/Instagram)
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The lawsuit alleges that he handled the weapon negligently and that the gun’s designer produced a revolver with design flaws that made it “unfit for its normal purpose.”
“Defendant Towers, with reckless disregard for consequences and the safety of others, participated in the unsafe handling of a firearm without ensuring that the weapon was loaded,” the lawsuit states.
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He later said he handled the gun “with absolutely no knowledge of gun safety, gun repair, or how to handle guns safely.”
Although the lawsuit does not name the gunman, it includes 14 unnamed co-defendants who were later identified under Alabama law.
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Whitney Robeson, 22, studied interior design at Auburn before landing a job at RH, then known as Restoration Hardware. (Instagram/@whitneyharlowdesign)
Robeson’s parents, Carin and Matthew Robeson, relied on the Extended Manufacturer’s Liability Doctrine to further allege that the gun was defectively manufactured, “unfit for its intended purpose,” and lacked adequate safety features “to prevent accidental discharge.”
“In reality, this case involves the tragic and unnecessary death of a 22-year-old young woman who was terminated immediately,” their attorney, Andrew Moak, said in a statement. “Whitney was a daughter, a loved one, and a member of her community, and that should never be lost in the discussions surrounding this case.”
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He said the family wants justice and accountability. The lawsuit does not specify the monetary damages sought.
In a statement posted online, Robeson’s family revealed that she had wanted to work in interior design since her childhood, inspired by HGTV shows. After graduating summa cum laude from Auburn’s interior design program, she landed a job as a commercial consultant for RH, formerly Restoration Hardware, doing just that.
