The parents of Whitney Robeson, a 22-year-old Auburn University graduate, have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Jeffrey Towers, the father of their daughter’s boyfriend, following her fatal shooting on March 7 at a home in Trussville, Alabama.
Robeson, originally from Richmond, Virginia, sustained a gunshot wound to her upper chest and was pronounced dead at a hospital approximately one hour later. The incident occurred just weeks after she had begun working in her dream position as an interior designer at RH, formerly known as Restoration Hardware.
Jeffrey Towers, 54, was arrested last week on manslaughter charges, roughly two months after the shooting took place. The delay between the incident and the arrest reflects the time required for investigators to gather evidence and present their findings to prosecutors.
Johnny Amari, representing Towers in the criminal matter, has characterized the shooting as an inadvertent discharge of a firearm resulting in what he describes as a “devastating tragedy.” The defense maintains that the incident was accidental in nature.
“Innocent until proven guilty is not just a sacred rule, it’s a legal standard,” Amari stated. “Our position is he’s not guilty of the offense that he’s charged with.”
Towers has not yet entered a plea to the manslaughter charge, classified as a Class B felony under Alabama law. He was released on a $30,000 bond, which represents the maximum amount permitted for this category of offense. His next court appearance is scheduled for July 22.
The wrongful death lawsuit filed by Robeson’s parents names both Towers and an as-yet-unidentified firearms manufacturer as defendants. This civil action proceeds on a separate track from the criminal case and carries a lower burden of proof.
Initial reports characterized the shooting as accidental, and the coroner’s preliminary finding reflected this assessment based on the limited information available in the immediate aftermath. However, the subsequent criminal charge indicates that investigators determined sufficient evidence existed to support allegations of criminal negligence.
Robeson and Towers’ 22-year-old son, Brandon Towers, were both Auburn University alumni and were in a dating relationship at the time of the shooting. The incident occurred at the elder Towers’ residence in Trussville, located approximately 15 miles northeast of Birmingham.
Amari acknowledged the profound loss represented by Robeson’s death while defending his client’s right to a vigorous defense. “Nothing that we do or say as a criminal defense team diminishes the fact that a life was lost here, and a special life,” he said. “This girl was special to my client, special to my client’s family.”
The defense attorney emphasized that exercising constitutional protections does not minimize the tragedy. “We believe even when a mistake is made, you have the right to your criminal defense, you have the right to force the state to prove their case beyond reasonable doubt, and that’s all we’re exercising,” Amari explained.
The case now moves forward on dual fronts, with criminal proceedings determining whether Towers bears criminal responsibility for Robeson’s death, while the civil lawsuit seeks monetary damages for the loss suffered by her family.
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