First-degree murder case goes to jury Friday

During the final day of testimony in Archie Robinson’s first-degree murder trial Thursday, jurors viewed surveillance footage that appeared to show Robinson just minutes before the shooting death wearing a shoe at a gas station that was later found at the crime scene.

Archie Lamont Robinson

Robinson, 30, is charged with first-degree murder during the commission of an inherently dangerous felony and aggravated burglary. Prosecutors allege that Robinson kicked in the door to Patrick Roberts’ Lawrence home on March 8, 2014, with co-defendant Dustin Walker, tried to steal money or marijuana from Roberts, 39, and shot him when he didn’t comply.

Detectives testified earlier this week that a left tennis shoe, which witnesses said Tuesday did not belong to anyone in the home, was found in the living room of Roberts’ duplex. The right shoe to the pair was found about three weeks later in the lobby of a nearby apartment complex.

On Thursday, Lawrence police detective M.T. Brown testified that the shoe appeared identical to the shoes Robinson wore on video footage taken from Presto gas station, 2330 Iowa St., less than 10 minutes before the shooting.

In the still images from the video footage, Robinson is seen entering the convenience store at about 3 a.m. March 8 in clean clothing and tennis shoes. Brown testified that police were dispatched to the shooting around 3:11 a.m., and shortly after, Robinson and Walker were arrested after they were found running in bloodstained clothing about a half mile from the crime scene. Robinson was also barefoot at the time of his arrest.

In the video stills, Robinson approaches the counter to purchase a tobacco product, then leaves. In the images, Robinson appeared relaxed, talking on the phone with a smile on his face.

On Wednesday, jurors viewed a videotaped police interview with Robinson that took place about two hours after the shooting. In it, Robinson told Lawrence police detective Lance Flachsbarth that he had never met Roberts and that the blood on his clothing was from a fight in Topeka months prior. Flachsbarth also asked why Robinson wasn’t wearing shoes when he was arrested, and Robinson said he left them in his girlfriend’s car when they got in a fight earlier that morning.

Robinson denied his involvement in the crime in the video.

Kansas Bureau of Investigations forensic scientist Amanda Misencik testified Thursday that cuttings of Robinson’s bloodstained clothing collected after his arrest matched Roberts’ DNA. After consulting a national database, Misencik said she concluded that the odds of someone having the same DNA as the blood found on the shirt would be one in 27 quintillion.

Misencik said on Thursday that she also tested the handgun used to shoot Roberts. The DNA evidence on the firearm was of “insufficient quality” for her to determine whether Robinson had held the gun, she said.

Both the state and the defense rested their cases Thursday afternoon. Jurors will return to court at 8:30 a.m. Friday for closing arguments and deliberation.

Robinson remains in the Douglas County Jail on a $1 million bond.