What should have been the beginning of a bright new chapter for 22-year-old Whitney Robeson instead turned into a devastating tragedy.
The Auburn University graduate had reportedly just landed her dream job when she lost her life inside a home in Trussville, Alabama, on March 7 earlier this year.
Two months later, in a surprising development, authorities arrested and charged the 54-year-old father of her boyfriend with manslaughter following an extensive investigation on May 11.
Highlights
- Whitney Robeson had just begun her childhood dream career when her life was tragically cut short earlier this year.
- Months after the fatal incident, authorities arrested and charged her boyfriend’s father with manslaughter following an extensive investigation.
- “We mourn Whitney not only as the daughter, sister, and friend she was to us, but also as a woman in the full bloom of her youth…” shared her grieving family.
While prosecutors move forward with the charges, authorities have not yet publicly disclosed the motive, as the accused man’s attorneys described him as an “upstanding citizen,” calling the incident “a tragic event.”
Whitney Robeson was found with fatal firearm injuries earlier this year after authorities responded to a distress call
Image credits: lovevolve_/Instagram
Whitney graduated from Auburn University in May 2025 with a degree in interior design. She was also a member of the Delta Gamma sorority.
Just weeks before the tragedy, she had moved to Birmingham to begin her childhood dream career as a Trade Consultant for luxury home furnishings retailer Restoration Hardware.
On March 7, at around 9:30 p.m., the Trussville Police Department responded to reports of a gu**hot wound at a residence, where officers discovered Robeson.
Image credits: Whitney Robeson/Facebook
According to reports, she was rushed to a local hospital but was later pronounced deceased.
At the time, preliminary findings from the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office reportedly indicated that the sh**ting appeared accidental based on the evidence initially collected at the scene.
However, more than two months after the fatal incident, authorities announced in a public press release that Whitney’s boyfriend’s father, whose son’s identity has not been publicly disclosed, had been arrested.
In a shocking turn of events, her boyfriend’s father, Jeffrey Scott Towers, has now been arrested and charged with manslaughter
Image credits: Jefferson County Sheriff's Office
The statement noted, “Following an extensive investigation conducted by the department’s Criminal Investigations Division, detectives obtained an arrest warrant on May 11, 2026, through the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office…”
It continued, “Towers has been charged with manslaughter… The Trussville Police Department served the arrest warrant… and took Towers into custody without incident.”
Authorities have not yet publicly disclosed whether the fatal incident is believed to have been accidental or intentional.
Additionally, police and prosecutors have withheld details regarding what allegedly transpired immediately before the g*n was fired.
Towers’ legal team, comprised of John Amari and Dain Stewart of the Amari Law Firm, issued a joint statement to local news outlet AL.com.
The attorneys stated, “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.”
“Mr. Towers has no criminal history, has been a productive and upstanding citizen for his entire life…” Jeffrey’s legal team stated
Image credits: Carrie Robeson/Facebook
Following his arrest, Jeffrey reportedly posted a $30,000 bond and is currently free while awaiting the formal scheduling of his initial court appearance and further legal proceedings.
As of this writing, a fixed court hearing date has not yet been announced in the case.
Amid the ongoing proceedings, Whitney’s obituary, shared by her family through Bliley's Funeral Home, honored her as a vibrant, generous, and accomplished young woman whose career in interior design was only beginning.
Image credits: lovevolve_/Instagram
Part of the obituary read, “We mourn Whitney not only as the daughter, sister, and friend she was to us, but also as a woman in the full bloom of her youth and the fantastic mother and aunt she had the potential to become.”
It continued, “But it was not to be-and we cannot begin to understand why. We will take her memory and indelible impact wherever we go.”
“And we will take comfort in knowing that she had no doubt in her mind that she is forever loved.”
In an emotional obituary, Whitney’s family reflected on her “keen, quiet attentiveness and loyalty [and] boundless generosity”
Image credits: wrobeson/Instagram
Describing her, grieving relatives wrote, “Whitney lived with inimitable grace; keen, quiet attentiveness and loyalty; boundless generosity and an uncanny way of always knowing just what she needed to do.”
They also shared that while Whitney had dreamed of becoming an interior designer “since she was a little girl watching HGTV,” she had previously worked “as a babysitter and as a lifeguard.”
“To have known Whitney, no matter where, how, why, or for how long, is to have been touched and transformed by her radiant soul,” the obituary continued.
Image credits: lovevolve_/Instagram
Her family also established a memorial campaign through LovEvolve, a nonprofit organization that provides tools and support to new mothers and their babies.
The family created a dedicated donation fund titled “Whitney’s Legacy of Love” to help continue her passion for supporting children and families.
The initiative held special meaning for loved ones, as Whitney had reportedly been among the first retail employees hired by the organization and had become deeply connected to its mission during her time there.
“Whether intentional, accidental, or a fatal mistake... Unfortunately he is responsible,” one netizen wrote online
