In the autumn of 2021, the community of Harrisonburg, Virginia, was shaken by the disappearance of a lifelong resident, Allene Elizabeth 'Beth' Redmon. A 54-year-old mother and grandmother, Beth was last seen in the downtown area on or around October 24. Concern grew when she failed to contact her family, missed work, and did not return to her apartment, which was described as being out of character for her.
The search for Beth came to a tragic end on November 23, 2021, when her body was
discovered in an undeveloped lot near the junction of Route 33 and Interstate 81 in Harrisonburg. In a grim twist, the remains of another woman, 39-year-old Tonita Lorice 'Nita' Smith of Charlottesville, were found in the same area. Investigators determined that the two women had died at different times and it was not immediately clear if they had any connection to each other.
The investigation into the two deaths quickly led to a suspect, Anthony Robinson, a 35-year-old man from Washington, D.C. He was arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder, as well as two felony counts of concealing, transporting, or altering a dead body. Robinson was subsequently held without bond at the Rockingham County Jail.
As the investigation broadened, a more sinister picture began to emerge. Authorities revealed that Robinson was a person of interest in the disappearance of another woman in Washington, D.C. It was later alleged that he used shopping carts to transport his victims' bodies, leading law enforcement to dub him the 'Shopping Cart Killer.' Investigators have expressed concerns that there may be more victims connected to Robinson and the multi-agency investigation remains ongoing.
