A man who had not left his apartment in Reston for over three years when he shot and killed his former girlfriend was convicted last week of involuntary manslaughter in the woman's death. Fairfax criminal lawyers for fourty-six-year-old Ron Robertson argued that the killing was an "accident," while prosecutors contended that Robertson's failure to render aid to a dying Karen Deck after shooting her in the head illustrated his intent to kill her.
Deck brought Robertson "food and vodka" on a daily basis, and was said to be his "only connection" to the world that existed outside his apartment. Robertson, whose Virginia criminal attorney described him as a long-time heavy drinker, did not call police after he says Deck was accidentally shot while the defendant attempted to remove a bullet from his 9mm gun on October 23rd, 2009. Robertson called his parents and friends, although he notably did not call 911, to report that he had "shot his girlfriend." After failing to convince his family and friends that he had shot Deck, Robertson passed out until the next day.
On the 24th, another friend visited Robertson to drop off vodka. After the friend left, the defendant again phoned his mother, who finally placed a call to emergency services. At the time of his arrest, Robertson's blood alcohol content was reported to be three times the legal limit for intoxication in Virginia, at 0.245 percent. His Virginia criminal attorney argued that his client's addiction in and of itself would have made him less likely to intentionally kill Deck:
"Why would Mr. Robertson want to kill his lifeline, his link to the world? He needed his alcohol, his drug. Why would he kill her? . . . All of the physical evidence supports Mr. Robertson's version, that it was an accident."
In court on November 19th, a jury in Fairfax rejected the prosecution's request for a first-degree murder conviction, recommending a maximum term of 10 years in prison on the charge of involuntary manslaughter. At a sentencing hearing early next year, Fairfax Circuit Court Judge Robert J. Smith can either impose or reduce that sentence. After the shooting, almost a dozen guns were found in Robertson's apartment, and he could be brought up on federal gun charges for possessing guns as a felon.
This article is presented by Price Benowitz LLP, serving Virginia, Maryland and Washington DC. For more information, please visit our Maryland DUI Lawyer, Washington DC DUI Attorney and Virginia personal injury websites.
