Mobile County District Attorney Ashley Rich is blaming 38-year-old Hiawatha Robinson for the death of his daughter, Hiawayi Robinson, 8, AL.com reports.
Hiawayi’s body was first discovered behind an abandoned building in September, after relatives reported her missing. Robinson has been charged with murder and first-degree sodomy in his daughter’s death. If convicted of these crimes, Robinson faces up to 99 years in prison for each crime.
“The facts will show that while engaging in sodomy in the first degree, Hiawatha Robinson Jr. caused the death of Hiawayi Robinson,” said Rich.
It has not been disclosed what Robinson revealed to authorities during questioning, but it has been documented that evidence pertaining to the case was also seized from Robinson’s girlfriend’s home during a police search.
“It was not a simple investigation,” Rich said. “It was a collective effort and it took a significant amount of time.”
“This case resonated within this community when we saw a precious little girl who was missing from her very own home,” Rich said. “This arrest is very important today because we have closure, in that we have a person who is in custody today charged in this crime.”
“This doesn’t feel like a win because this does open the wound of a community that’s been hurt,” said Prichard Mayor Troy Ephriam of Robinson’s arrest. “The community is still very fragile, even though there is a great anticipation for justice in this process.”
Federal investigators are still trying to determine whether or not federal charges will be brought against Robinson for his daughter’s death.
