TRUSSVILLE, Ala. — A Jefferson County grand jury has indicted a Trussville man on a reckless manslaughter charge in the March shooting death of a 22-year-old Auburn University graduate from Virginia.
Jeffrey Scott Towers, 55, faces a reckless manslaughter count. Court records show the Aug. 28 indictment accuses him of causing Whitney Harlow Robeson’s death by firing a gun under circumstances the grand jury deemed reckless. He remains free on $30,000 bond.
Whitney Harlow Robeson
Robeson, of Henrico, Virginia, was fatally wounded about 9:30 p.m. March 7 inside Towers’ home in the 7700 block of Deer Trail. Trussville police responded to a report of a person with a gunshot wound. She was taken to UAB St. Vincent’s East Hospital and pronounced dead at 10:49 p.m. Jefferson County Chief Deputy Coroner Bill Yates later certified the manner of death as homicide.
Defense attorney Johnny Amari said the incident was a heartbreaking tragedy, but Towers is not guilty of the charge.
“We fully expected Mr. Towers to be indicted, but an indictment is not a conviction,” Amari said. “Mr. Towers has no criminal history, and there was no alcohol or drugs in his system at the time of this terrible tragedy. From the beginning, we have maintained that the evidence does not establish that Mr. Towers is guilty of this offense, and our position has not changed.”
“This was a heartbreaking tragedy, but tragedy alone does not equal criminal guilt,” he said. “We look forward to presenting the facts and evidence in court and ensuring that Mr. Towers receives the fair process to which he is entitled.”
Towers, the father of Robeson’s boyfriend, was arrested May 11 after what police described as an extensive investigation by the department’s Criminal Investigations Division. He was taken into custody without incident and released the same night after posting bond.
A civil case is also pending. On May 15, Robeson’s parents, Carin G. Robeson and J. Matthew Robeson, filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Jefferson County Circuit Court on behalf of their daughter’s estate. The complaint alleges Robeson was visiting the home when Towers began showing her and his son, Brandon Towers, a collection of antique firearms in the attic. It says Towers was handling a .22-caliber revolver when the gun discharged and a single shot struck Robeson in the upper left chest.
The lawsuit accuses Towers of negligence and wantonness, alleging he failed to inspect the firearm, determine whether it was loaded or handle it safely around others. An autopsy cited in the complaint found the wound caused fatal injuries to the left lung, heart and aorta. Toxicology testing found no drugs or alcohol in Robeson’s system. The family also left room to sue an unidentified firearm manufacturer, alleging the weapon may have been defective or lacked basic safety features. Damages were not specified. The family has requested a jury trial.
Robeson graduated from Auburn in May 2025 with a degree in interior design and had recently started work in Birmingham as a trade consultant with Restoration Hardware.
In late July, the defense waived a preliminary hearing that had been set for Aug. 5 before District Judge Tanita Cain, sending the case to the grand jury. Waiving that hearing was not a plea of guilt.
The criminal case now proceeds in circuit court. Both the indictment and the civil lawsuit remain pending.
