Pike man to spend life in prison for child's murder

STAFF WRITER

The “baby killer” did it, and he'll spend “life” in prison thinking about it.

A jury found James Robinson guilty of murdering his stepdaughter Friday after listening to four days of testimony.

“I hope little Holly can rest in peace,” Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Elizabeth Burchett emotionally said after the jury handed down the verdict and recommended a life sentence.

Circuit Judge Eddy Coleman closed the courtroom to the media and family members Friday morning, after Robinson caused a disturbance as he was being transported from the jail to the courtroom. Witnesses said it took six to eight deputies to get him under control.

Coleman told media representatives that Robinson didn't “need an audience.”

Before the delayed proceedings began, Coleman ordered deputies to remove the jury from the courtroom if Robinson created problems again. When it was time for the penalty phase, Robinson verbally resisted being shackled to his chair in the courtroom. He gripped and pushed his chair toward the bailiff, telling him to get out of his way.

“What makes them think that I'm guilty of anything?” Robinson asked his attorney, Melissa Goodman, when he was given the opportunity to make a statement on his behalf after the verdict was handed down and the jurors were preparing to decide how much time he should serve. He said he was innocent.

The jury deliberated for more than two hours, pondering whether Robinson was innocent or guilty of murder, second-degree manslaughter, reckless homicide or complicity for each of those three charges.

The last words prior to deliberations from both the prosecution and defense painted bleak pictures of the life of 23-month old Holly Grace Lockard, who was murdered on November 2, 2005.

This week, the evidence has shown that Lockard sustained at least 26 bruises on her face, head and neck, two skull fractures, a broken arm and two broken wrists. Some of the injuries had healed or partially healed, indicating that the abuse occurred over a period of time. Kentucky Medical Examiner Christen Roth said she died because of inter-cranial bleeding, a secondary condition of blunt force trauma or shaken baby syndrome. The baby had been given Xanax and phenegren.

Attorney Melissa Goodman, blamed the child's mother, Amber Robinson, who is currently serving a life sentence for murder. She confessed to the crime and talked about it this week in court and a deputy, who spent time with her during the delivery of her last child, testified that Amber Robinson said she was going to take the fall for her husband.

Amber Robinson wanted to get an abortion when she was pregnant with Holly, Goodman said, and James Robinson, who has paid child support since he was 16, wanted to adopt the child.

Jurors heard testimony this week from a witness who saw Amber Robinson grabbing and jerking the child in 2005.

Goodman described both Holly and her sister Haley, the daughter of James Robinson, as “Daddy's babies,” a term Amber Robinson used when described her husband. Goodman also reminded the jury that Amber Robinson said she “flew off the handle” and beat the child.

Referring to the prosecution's argument that Holly was abused over a period of time, Goodman told jurors that no evidence indicated that Robinson ever hit the child. She outlined the months prior to the murder to explain how busy Robinson was, dealing with the death of two family members - one that occurred the day after the couple got married. She also told the jurors about the people who saw Holly Lockard in the weeks and months before the murder.

Burchett pointed at those people when she described how the system failed Holly Lockard. Social service offices in South Carolina and Kentucky failed Holly Lockard, she said, explaining a long list of things that could have prevented the murder. That list included Robinson's decision to bring Amber Robinson and the children from South Carolina to Kentucky, against social services orders and the fact that Lisa Blevins “faked” a urine test to trick the social services. If only someone in Pike County district court would have noticed, Burchett said, that the child was “limp as a rag doll” on the day she was killed, if only Robinson hadn't drugged her, if only Amber Robinson hadn't gone to school and left the child alone with her stepfather.

Burchett told the jury that Robinson's father, Frank Robinson, who was kicked out of the courtroom earlier this week because he talked to a juror, manipulated Amber Robinson so that his son could get away with murder.

She said Amber Robinson was “dumb as a rock” and Frank Robinson, whom she called “the architect,” convinced her to take the fall for his son. Frank Robinson paid attorney Robby Wright $10,000, Burchett said, and she pleaded guilty, without a plea bargain and without going over the discovery or the evidence in the case. Amber Robinson, who “richly deserves” her life sentence, thought she was getting 10 to 12 years, Burchett said.

Frank Robinson, who had 20 years of experience as a deputy coroner, called “his life-long friend and lodge brother” Mike Hall, and not the police, when Holly Lockard died, Burchett said, because he thought Hall would declare that she died from natural causes. He manipulated Amber Robinson by keeping funds for her at the jail and by bringing her daughter over to see her every weekend at the detention center. Regardless of the jury's verdict, Amber Robinson will not see her daughter again, Burchett said.

Burchett called James Robinson the “baby killer,” and explained that he didn't want Holly Lockard or his wife, who he married, she said, because she was pregnant. To Robinson, the child and his wife were “extra baggage,” Burchett said.

Before finally closing, Burchett held up a family portrait that the defense used to portray the “happy family.”

“Look at the baby's face,” she said. “Is she happy? She's terrified. She's sitting in this picture with a broken arm and the beating that's going to end her life is about to occur.”

Even though Goodman officially expressed her disappointment in the jury's verdict and sentence recommendation, Goodman said they were dedicated and took the case seriously.

“At the end of the day, there is no good resolution anyway,” she said, “cause little Holly Lockard did lose her life.”

Robinson will be formally sentenced on March 16.