An Alabama father has been arrested on manslaughter charges following the accidental shooting death of his son's girlfriend, according to authorities.
Incident Details
Jeffrey Scott Towers, 54, was taken into custody by the Trussville Police Department on Monday in connection with the killing of 22-year-old Whitney Robeson, a Virginia native. Police responded to a report of a gunshot victim on a residential block in Trussville, a city just northeast of Birmingham, around 9:30 p.m. on May 7.
Officers located Robeson inside Towers's home and transported her to UAB-St Vincent's East hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 10:49 p.m., according to AL.com.
The Jefferson County Coroner's Office ruled the young woman's death as accidental, but authorities have not released further details about the circumstances of the shooting.
Investigation and Charges
The Trussville Police Department's Criminal Investigations Unit conducted an extensive investigation, leading detectives to obtain and serve an arrest warrant for Towers on Monday. The father was charged with manslaughter and booked into the Jefferson County Jail on a $30,000 bond at 7:02 p.m. He posted bail and was released the same day at 11:32 p.m., according to jail records.
Legal Representation
Towers's attorneys, John Amari and Dain Stewart of the Amari Law Firm, have maintained their client's innocence. In a statement to AL.com, they said: "What happened to Ms. Robeson was a tragic event. While we understand that the justice system must play out, we know that the facts will show that Mr. Towers has no criminal history, has been a productive and upstanding citizen for his entire life and is not guilty of these charges."
A court date has not yet been scheduled for Towers, according to Jefferson County Jail records.
Victim's Background
In her obituary, Robeson was described as having "inimitable grace; keen, quiet attentiveness and loyalty; boundless generosity and an uncanny way of always knowing just what she needed to do." The young woman had recently graduated summa cum laude from Auburn University, where she was a member of the Delta Gamma sorority and earned a degree in interior design.
Just weeks before her death, Robeson had begun working as a trade consultant at Restoration Hardware, aiming to build a career in interior design. "In the precious little time she had been in that role, Whitney's new colleagues and supervisor were instantly taken by her kindness, talent, attentiveness, and integrity," her obituary said.
The Daily Mail has reached out to the Trussville Police Department and the Jefferson County Coroner's Office for additional details.
