VA - "Shopping Cart Killer" - SK - 4 bodies found, LE suspects more along east coast, 2021 *arrest*

[Marg from Oz]

Well thank God they caught him. It is always sad that so many women must lose their lives before the perpetrator is caught. With no criminal history he must of thought he would never be caught. MOO

 

[otto]

I agree, I think he's responsible for mor that 4 murders. If he's killed 4 since August, who knows how long he's been doing this and how many he's killed!

Three - four murders since August is a lot of bodies. The victims were piled up in the same location after using the same MO to lure them to the same hotel.

Serial killers like Bundy and Green River Killer eventually left more than one body in the same area because they'd been getting away with it too long and they got sloppy.

Here, we have a serial murderer who was discovered only because he got sloppy. No connection was ever made between bodies to suggest that a serial killer was active in the area. I'm not convinced that there would be a history of rape, but instead, like Bundy and other serial murders, he always wanted to torture and murder.

"Ten days later, on Wednesday, Dec. 15, police received new information and returned to Route 1 to expand their search. Homicide detectives found something in a wooded area near the Moon Inn.

“Remembering that the victims in the Harrisonburg murders were transported by using a shopping cart, detectives observed a shopping cart in the wooded area not far from the Moon Inn. Beside the shopping cart was a lone container,” said Ed O'Carroll, commander of the major crimes unit in Fairfax County."
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"The bodies of Redmon and Smith were found a short distance from each other in a lot in a commercial district of Harrisonburg on Nov. 23."
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Google Maps

‘Shopping Cart Killer' Investigated in Virginia, Remains Found in Fairfax Co.

 

[everybodhi]

The way that detective said that ... It definitely caught my attention. The shopping cart aspect seems brazen. It made me wonder if perhaps he was homeless although that's not necessarily the picture I'm getting from available info and he was also using dating apps.

I think he was probably homeless and staying in motels, camps, or wherever he could find someone to take him in temporarily. Jmo
Homeless people pushing a loaded and covered grocery cart are not out of the ordinary in many areas, unfortunately.

Cops Fear Virginia Serial Killer Is Behind Spree of Dating Site Murders

Police are still trying to learn more about Robinson who Davis described as “transient” on Friday

 

[otto]

I think he was probably homeless and staying in motels, camps, or wherever he could find someone to take him in temporarily. Jmo
Homeless people pushing a loaded and covered grocery cart are not out of the ordinary in many areas, unfortunately.

Cops Fear Virginia Serial Killer Is Behind Spree of Dating Site Murders

Police are still trying to learn more about Robinson who Davis described as “transient” on Friday

Transient, and one of the victim's told her brother that he was in their mother's house because he needed something - like a place to stay. The brother told him to leave their mother's house.

The brother identified the suspect, and police have a body with a tattoo similar to her near the Moon Inn.

 

[otto]

If he was a transient, how did he lure several women to the Moon Inn? He must have had a vehicle. His stays were 2 days. Did he offer women a weekend getaway with nature hike surprise? Lottery money, tied up inheritance?

How would a transient lure a woman to a hotel for a couple of days?

Or did he kidnap a woman during a date when no one knew who she was with or that she had started dating? What are we looking at here? Social media to meet in person grooming? Did he know that her mother was away the week; the week that her brother told a man that he was not supposed to be in his mother's house.

That victim has a 7 year old son, and she was a few weeks pregnant.

This serial murderer was not deterred knowing that she was pregnant.

 

[everybodhi]

Transient, and one of the victim's told her brother that he was in their mother's house because he needed something - like a place to stay. The brother told him to leave their mother's house.

The brother identified the suspect, and police have a body with a tattoo similar to her near the Moon Inn.

I just read some reviews of the inn on Google maps, the top used words are, “smell, door, sheets”. Lol. Most of the doors not only won’t lock, they don’t even fully close. It’s some of the worst reviews I’ve ever read for a motel and no one has even commented on the serial killer guest yet.
This one is kind of funny, especially the response. 10% off what?

I pass this place often while eating at 5 guys. It has the appearance of a “hooker hotel”. I was wondering if there have been any incidents of solicitation and/or prostitution. I say this because the hotel does not match the rest of the area and is in a easy to access location. Thank you Moon Inn.

Moon Inn hotel owner:
You Are very welcome Sir , welcome any time with 10% off. Mangment

 

[Yemelyan]

If he was a transient, how did he lure several women to the Moon Inn? He must have had a vehicle. His stays were 2 days. Did he offer women a weekend getaway with nature hike surprise? Lottery money, tied up inheritance?

How would a transient lure a woman to a hotel for a couple of days?

Or did he kidnap a woman during a date when no one knew who she was with or that she had started dating? What are we looking at here? Social media to meet in person grooming? Did he know that her mother was away the week; the week that her brother told a man that he was not supposed to be in his mother's house.

That victim has a 7 year old son, and she was a few weeks pregnant.

This serial murderer was not deterred knowing that she was pregnant.

Some articles said he met some victims on dating apps, correct? Sometimes dating apps attract a sub-population of people who are not looking for romance so much as transactional business of another kind (drugs or other related transactions). This could explain why women who didn't know him well were willing to go to motels with him. Just a theory.

 

[otto]

Some articles said he met some victims on dating apps, correct? Sometimes dating apps attract a sub-population of people who are not looking for romance so much as transactional business of another kind (drugs or other related transactions). This could explain why women who didn't know him well were willing to go to motels with him. Just a theory.

I don't get the impression that the victims were prostitutes. One of the victims, a 57 year old, had recently lost her husband - the love of her life - and no one knew she was using dating apps.

One victim that is being checked is a schitzophrenic who was off her meds who flew from California to the Moon Inn. Her children and grandchildren have not seen her since.

One victim had 6 children.

Were earlier victims prostitutes? I wonder how many years back police are looking.

 

[everybodhi]

If he was a transient, how did he lure several women to the Moon Inn? He must have had a vehicle. His stays were 2 days. Did he offer women a weekend getaway with nature hike surprise? Lottery money, tied up inheritance?

How would a transient lure a woman to a hotel for a couple of days?

Or did he kidnap a woman during a date when no one knew who she was with or that she had started dating? What are we looking at here? Social media to meet in person grooming? Did he know that her mother was away the week; the week that her brother told a man that he was not supposed to be in his mother's house.

That victim has a 7 year old son, and she was a few weeks pregnant.

This serial murderer was not deterred knowing that she was pregnant.

He must have had some charm, or maybe drugs, to lure women into his trap.
About the other suspected victim who’s body was found with Brown’s body, that could have been the result of motel room doors that are not secure. Jmo.
The Moon Inn is much different than the photos in their ads, that’s why it’s always good to read some reviews and check out photos posted by guests before booking and pre-paying for someplace you don’t know, online. Especially motels that have a reputation of no refunds which leaves low budget travelers with no options.

‘Shopping Cart Killer' Investigated in Virginia, Remains Found in Fairfax Co.

Police tell News4 that Robinson could also be connected to the death of 48-year-old Stephanie Harrison.
Her sister, Joei Harrison, says Stephanie flew from California to D.C. to go sightseeing. She checked into the Moon Inn in Fairfax County in August and then disappeared.
Joei says Robinson and Stephanie were staying in separate rooms at the hotel. She says they did not know each other.
Stephanie had three adult children and three grandchildren. Her remains have not been identified. Joei has agreed to provide a DNA sample to assist with the investigation of her sister's death.

 

[everybodhi]

I don't get the impression that the victims were prostitutes. One of the victims, a 57 year old, had recently lost her husband - the love of her life - and no one knew she was using dating apps.

One victim that is being checked is a schitzophrenic who was off her meds who flew from California to the Moon Inn. Her children and grandchildren have not seen her since.

One victim had 6 children.

Were earlier victims prostitutes? I wonder how many years back police are looking.

All possible vulnerabilities that he preyed upon.

 

[otto]

He must have had some charm, or maybe drugs, to lure women into his trap.
About the other suspected victim who’s body was found with Brown’s body, that could have been the result of motel room doors that are not secure. Jmo.
The Moon Inn is much different than the photos in their ads, that’s why it’s always good to read some reviews and check out photos posted by guests before booking and pre-paying for someplace you don’t know, online. Especially motels that have a reputation of no refunds which leaves low budget travelers with no options.

‘Shopping Cart Killer' Investigated in Virginia, Remains Found in Fairfax Co.

Police tell News4 that Robinson could also be connected to the death of 48-year-old Stephanie Harrison.
Her sister, Joei Harrison, says Stephanie flew from California to D.C. to go sightseeing. She checked into the Moon Inn in Fairfax County in August and then disappeared.
Joei says Robinson and Stephanie were staying in separate rooms at the hotel. She says they did not know each other.
Stephanie had three adult children and three grandchildren. Her remains have not been identified. Joei has agreed to provide a DNA sample to assist with the investigation of her sister's death.

He wasn't particular about age? Were two of his victims older than he is?

What do we know about the age of his victims for now?

 

[otto]

Suspect

Anthony Robinson
Age: 35
Home: Washington D.C., Prince George’s County, Maryland, and New York
Arrested: Rockingham County D.C.

Victims:

Elizabeth Redmon
Age 54
Home: Harrisonburg
Found: Nov. 23, 2021, Harrisonburg

Tonita Lorice Smith
Age 39
Home: Charlotteville
Found: Nov. 23, 2021, Harrisonburg

Cheyenne Brown
Age: 29
Home: Southeast D.C.
Date of Disappearance: Sept. 30
Found: Dec. 15, 2021

Stephanie Harrison
Age: 48
Home: California
Date of Disappearance: August
Location: Moon Inn m Fairfax County

‘Shopping Cart Killer' Investigated in Virginia, Remains Found in Fairfax Co.

 

[Yemelyan]

I don't get the impression that the victims were prostitutes. One of the victims, a 57 year old, had recently lost her husband - the love of her life - and no one knew she was using dating apps.

One victim that is being checked is a schitzophrenic who was off her meds who flew from California to the Moon Inn. Her children and grandchildren have not seen her since.

One victim had 6 children.

Were earlier victims prostitutes? I wonder how many years back police are looking.

I don't know if they were either - or if they could have been looking to use drugs - it's just a thought that pertains to why they were willing to meet up with him specifically. I do know that for at least one known victim, LE weren't originally sure who she was or if she was ever been reported missing. So this could be a situation where she's a person who leads a high risk lifestyle and is out of contact with friends and family who may keep tabs on her.

Keep in mind, too, that not every person who engages in sex work does it "full time" - some do it situationally, some do it specifically to access drugs, there are lots of constellations of circumstances. Many people who you would not think of as "a prostitute" are interacting with this lifestyle on some level and many keep it a secret from their friends and families, just like there can be drug addictions that are secret and well hidden. MOO

Of course, and I should probably clarify - nothing about any victim's choices or lifestyle excuses or mitigates what he did to them. It might explain how he was able to get access to them and gain their trust, however - which would be important to know.

 

[Beans]

I’m pretty sure I’ve found him on socials and he has a whole bunch of connections in the relevant states. Virginia and Maryland seem to be places he knows well. Thank goodness they’re being extremely thorough, he sounds like a very dangerous man.

 

[Kristin Esq.]

I’m pretty sure I’ve found him on socials and he has a whole bunch of connections in the relevant states. Virginia and Maryland seem to be places he knows well. Thank goodness they’re being extremely thorough, he sounds like a very dangerous man.

I'm glad they are being thorough as well. I am also super intersted in learning what they find out in those other states. Though, I am hoping he didn't kill many more (though I figure that may not be the case).

 

[sakuntze]

I don't know if he ever lived as far as Masssachusetts but I wondered about this set of murders:
Unsolved: Using genealogy to unlock series of murders, rapes in Brockton

A strange coincidence is that the Brockton killer also dumped two victims who were killed at different times at the same wooded site, which is somewhat unusual IMO.

I was thinking the SAME thing as soon as I heard about this case and the suspects range of possible locations up the east coast!

 

[Kristin Esq.]

Daughter of 'shopping cart' killer's victim hopes 'there are no more bodies' to be found

WASHINGTON D.C. (7News) — For weeks, Amanda May did not get a call or a text from her mother, who she lived with in Harrisonburg -- What struck her as odd, though, was that her mother, 54-year-old Allene Elizabeth "Beth" Redmon, was also unheard of on social media.

The silence was unnerving -- Then, on Nov. 23, May got a call.<modsnip: copyright rule>

Daughter of 'shopping cart' killer's victim hopes 'there are no more bodies' to be found

 

[cvaldez1975]

I don't know if he ever lived as far as Masssachusetts but I wondered about this set of murders:
Unsolved: Using genealogy to unlock series of murders, rapes in Brockton

A strange coincidence is that the Brockton killer also dumped two victims who were killed at different times at the same wooded site, which is somewhat unusual IMO.

yes! this one is what i was thinking

 

[otto]

Daughter of 'shopping cart' killer's victim hopes 'there are no more bodies' to be found

WASHINGTON D.C. (7News) — For weeks, Amanda May did not get a call or a text from her mother, who she lived with in Harrisonburg -- What struck her as odd, though, was that her mother, 54-year-old Allene Elizabeth "Beth" Redmon, was also unheard of on social media.

The silence was unnerving -- Then, on Nov. 23, May got a call. <modsnip: copyright rule>
Daughter of 'shopping cart' killer's victim hopes 'there are no more bodies' to be found

The most unfortunate line in that article is that when her daughter asked who she was with and what room she was in, she said "none of your business." Perhaps she felt shy about telling her daughter that she was at a hotel with a man she met on a dating site, but her daughter asked the right questions. Had the victim been forthcoming, the suspect would have been identified sooner. Buddy system is so important.

 

[Kristin Esq.]

The most unfortunate line in that article is that when her daughter asked who she was with and what room she was in, she said "none of your business." Perhaps she felt shy about telling her daughter that she was at a hotel with a man she met on a dating site, but her daughter asked the right questions. Had the victim been forthcoming, the suspect would have been identified sooner. Buddy system is so important.

We can't blame her though. She couldn't have known that the man she met on a dating site was going to do this to her.