Whitney Robeson Death-Some people walk into a room and the whole energy shifts. Whitney Harlow Robeson was that kind of person. She didn’t need to be the loudest voice or the center of attention. She was the one who noticed the person struggling in the corner, who left a note on a friend’s mirror at just the right moment, who remembered birthdays, showed up without being asked, and smiled in a way that made everyone around her feel like things were going to be okay.
Whitney Robeson was 22 years old when she died on March 7, 2026. She had just started the career she’d dreamed about since childhood. She had a whole future stretching out in front of her. And then, in the span of one evening in a quiet Alabama suburb, that future was gone.
This is her story.
Who Was Whitney Robeson?
Born and Raised with Grace in Richmond, Virginia
Whitney Harlow Robeson was born on August 1, 2003, in Richmond, Virginia. She grew up in a home defined by love, laughter, and deep faith. Her parents, Carin “Carrie” Grunkemeyer Robeson and J. Matthew Robeson, raised her alongside her brother Griffin Brinck Robeson and her sister Payton Grace Robeson.
She was, by all accounts, a natural-born caregiver. As a teenager, she worked as a babysitter and a lifeguard. She also worked in Richmond boutique shops and spent meaningful time with LovEvolve, a nonprofit organization where her longtime boss and mentor Sunny Goode became something like family to her. These weren’t just resume-padding jobs. They were windows into Whitney’s character. She gravitated toward work that let her take care of people and make things beautiful.
She loved the beach with her family. She loved a good book in the sun. She loved children, quiet gestures of kindness, and the kind of loyalty that never needed to announce itself.
A Faith-Filled Foundation at St. Bridget Catholic School
Whitney attended St. Bridget Catholic School from kindergarten all the way through eighth grade. Her family said that foundation of faith gave her a kind of inner security that you could feel when you were around her. She didn’t wear her beliefs as a badge. She lived them quietly, in the way she treated people, in the way she showed up, in the way she never, not once, made someone feel unseen.
Her family shared a moment that captures this perfectly. A close friend of Whitney’s in college was going through something really hard but had never spoken about it to anyone. Somehow, Whitney just knew. She started checking in on her friend every single day. One afternoon, she slipped a note onto her friend’s bedroom mirror with a verse from the New Testament: “You may not understand now what I am doing, but one day you will.” John 13:07.
She never told anyone she did it. The only thing that gave her away was her handwriting. It was, as her family described it, characteristically immaculate and artful.
Her Years at The Collegiate School
Athlete, Scholar, and Natural Leader
After St. Bridget, Whitney enrolled at The Collegiate School in Henrico County, one of Virginia’s most respected private schools. She didn’t just blend into the place. She thrived in it.
She played field hockey, lacrosse, and competed on the swim team. But winning wasn’t really what sports were about for Whitney. Her family said she treasured the camaraderie and the teammates far more than the trophies. That’s the kind of athlete she was. The kind who lifts everyone else up.
Graduating with Honors and Setting Her Sights Higher
Whitney graduated from Collegiate with honors in 2021. She already knew exactly what she wanted to do next. Interior design had been her calling since she was a little girl watching HGTV with her family. She had a clear vision, a determined heart, and faith in where she was headed.
She set off for Auburn University and she never looked back.
Whitney Robeson at Auburn University
Pursuing Her Dream in Interior Design
Auburn was Whitney’s first choice, and it’s easy to see why it felt right. She enrolled in the interior design program, which gave her the structure to develop what she already had instinctively: an eye for beauty, an understanding of space, and a sensitivity to how environments make people feel.
Her family said she arrived at Auburn with clarity that most 18-year-olds don’t have. She knew what she wanted, she knew how to work for it, and she had the kind of faith that doesn’t waver when things get hard.
Delta Gamma, Study Abroad in Italy, and a Life Fully Lived
College wasn’t just about classes for Whitney. She pledged Delta Gamma and found a second family there. Her sorority sisters remember her as someone who was always smiling, always genuinely happy to see you, and always ready for a coffee run or a “Dancing with the Stars” watch party or a spontaneous cooking night.
Her close friend Emily Grigsby later said that even the most ordinary moments felt meaningful with Whitney around. “It’s just those simple moments that you really appreciate and you’ll always remember,” Grigsby said.
In her junior year, Whitney went further. She spent a semester abroad in Ariccia, a small town just outside of Rome. She traveled widely through Italy and beyond, falling in love with the richness of the Old World, its architecture, its craftsmanship, its layers of history. She came back with a worldliness that sharpened her design instincts and, apparently, an ability to make what her family called “the world’s best latte.”
But for all the beauty she found in Europe, Whitney treasured nothing more than simple beach trips with her family. That was the real luxury for her. Being together.
Graduating Summa Cum Laude and Launching Her Career
In May 2025, Whitney Harlow Robeson graduated summa cum laude from Auburn University with a bachelor’s degree in interior design. Summa cum laude is the highest academic honor a graduating student can receive, awarded only to those who maintain a GPA typically at or above 3.9 throughout their entire undergraduate career.
For Whitney, it wasn’t a surprise to anyone who knew her. She had arrived at Auburn with a plan. She left having executed it to perfection.
The Dream Job That Was Just Beginning
Trade Consultant at Restoration Hardware in Birmingham
Weeks after graduation, Whitney landed a position as a trade consultant at RH, the company formerly known as Restoration Hardware, in Birmingham, Alabama. This wasn’t just any job. RH is considered one of the premier luxury home furnishings brands in the country, and a trade consultant role works directly with interior designers, architects, and developers to help bring high-end design visions to life.
It was, in every sense, exactly what Whitney had been working toward.
What Colleagues Said About Her in Those First Weeks
She’d only been there a short time. But in that brief window, she had already made an impression that her family said was impossible to miss. Her new colleagues and her supervisor were, according to the family’s statement, instantly taken by her kindness, her talent, her attentiveness, and her integrity.
“This marvelous, independent woman was on the cusp of her successful career in interior design,” her family wrote.
It had just begun. And it was already becoming something remarkable.
How Did Whitney Robeson Die?
The Night of March 7, 2026 in Trussville, Alabama
On the evening of March 7, 2026, police in Trussville, Alabama, received a call just after 9:30 p.m. reporting that a person had been shot at a home on the 7700 block of Deer Trail. Trussville is a city in Jefferson County, about 15 miles northeast of downtown Birmingham.
Officers arrived to find Whitney Harlow Robeson, 22, with a gunshot wound. She was rushed to a nearby hospital. Just before 11 p.m. that same night, she was pronounced dead.
The initial report to the Jefferson County Coroner and Medical Examiner’s Office described the shooting as accidental.
What the Investigation Revealed
The case didn’t close there. Trussville police launched what they described as an extensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding Whitney’s death. That investigation continued for over two months, during which detectives worked to establish exactly what had happened on Deer Trail that night.
The findings eventually led them to someone who had been in that home.
Jeffrey Scott Towers and the Manslaughter Charge
Who Is Jeffrey Scott Towers?
Jeffrey Scott Towers, 54, is a resident of Trussville, Alabama. He is the father of Whitney Robeson’s boyfriend at the time of her death. Public records indicate that both Towers and his son, who is also an Auburn University alumnus, lived at the Deer Trail address where the shooting took place.
He has no prior criminal history, according to statements from his legal representatives.
The Arrest and What Charges He Faces
On Monday, May 11, 2026, after detectives obtained an arrest warrant, Jeffrey Scott Towers was taken into custody without incident just after 5:00 p.m. He was charged with reckless manslaughter in connection with Whitney Robeson’s death.
He is currently being held at the Jefferson County Jail on a $30,000 bond pending further court proceedings.
Towers’ attorneys have issued a public statement defending their client. “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,” the statement read.
Court records have not yet revealed the specific evidence or the detailed circumstances surrounding the charge. The investigation is described as ongoing.
The Whitney Robeson Love Legacy
LovEvolve and the Love Swaddle Mission
One of the causes closest to Whitney’s heart was LovEvolve, an organization built around supporting new mothers and their newborns from the very beginning. Through its Love Swaddle Mission, the program provides swaddles and essential resources to new families at one of the most tender and vulnerable moments of their lives.
Whitney wasn’t just a passive supporter of this mission. She worked with LovEvolve and connected with it through her relationship with Sunny Goode, who had been both her boss and her mentor for years. The work meant something to her personally.
In the wake of her death, the initiative was transformed into a living tribute. It’s now called “Wrapped in Whitney’s Love” or Whitney’s Love Legacy, and every swaddle donated in her name goes directly to a new family beginning their journey together.
How You Can Donate in Her Memory
Whitney’s family asked that in lieu of flowers, anyone wishing to honor her memory make a donation to the Love Swaddle Mission through LovEvolve. You can contribute directly through her legacy page at lovevolve.com/pages/whitney-robesons-love-legacy.
It’s one of the most fitting tributes imaginable for someone who, her whole life, was wrapping other people in warmth without ever asking for recognition in return.
How Friends and Family Remember Whitney Robeson
A Woman Who Always Knew What to Do
Her family described her as someone with an “uncanny way of always knowing just what she needed to do.” That’s a rare thing. Most people, when they see someone struggling, feel helpless or unsure. Whitney didn’t hesitate. She acted. And she did it quietly, without fanfare, in ways that only revealed themselves later.
She lived, as her family put it, with inimitable grace. That grace wasn’t about how she dressed or carried herself, though by all accounts both were impeccable. It was something deeper. It was the kind of grace that makes people feel held.
Tributes from Sorority Sisters and Classmates
Emmy Ferris, a Delta Gamma sister and Auburn classmate, said Whitney was someone whose positivity was constant and effortlessly present. “She was always smiling, always down to have fun,” Ferris said. “Every time you saw her, she had a smile on her face.”
Ferris added that Whitney was someone who built connections easily and was loved across different groups on campus, not just within the sorority. She was a friend to everyone, across every boundary.
Delta Gamma’s official tribute described Whitney as someone who brought joy and light to the chapter. “We are incredibly grateful to have shared in her friendship, and our chapter will forever cherish the memories we made together,” the sorority wrote.
The Collegiate School, her high school alma mater, also paid tribute. “She was known not only for her talent and dedication, but also for her kindness, integrity and deep faith,” the school wrote. “Whitney’s life, though far too short, reflected a spirit of generosity and purpose.”
Whitney Robeson’s Funeral and Memorial Service Details
A visitation was held on Friday, March 20, 2026, at Bliley’s Funeral Home, 3801 Augusta Avenue, Richmond, Virginia, from 4 to 6 p.m. True to Whitney’s spirit, her family asked everyone who attended to wear their favorite bright colors in her honor. She had, as they said, lived her life in full color.
A Memorial Mass was held the following day, Saturday, March 21, 2026, at noon at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 9505 Gayton Road, Richmond. Burial followed immediately at Mt. Calvary Cemetery, 1400 Randolph Street.
Funeral home services were provided by Bliley’s Funeral Home Central Chapel.
Whitney Robeson’s Surviving Family Members
Whitney is survived by her parents, Carin “Carrie” Grunkemeyer Robeson and J. Matthew Robeson; her brother Griffin Brinck Robeson; her sister Payton Grace Robeson; her grandparents Patricia Barton Grunkemeyer, Franklin “Bud” Robeson, and Adele Brinck Robeson; her aunts and uncles Kathleen Grunkemeyer Mayfield, Kevin Grunkemeyer, Meghan Grunkemeyer, Jean Robeson Montag, and Lindsay Robeson Landers; and her cousins Madeline Mayfield, Michael Mayfield, Lucas Landers, Margaret Montag, and Margot “Dottie” Grunkemeyer.
She is preceded in death by her grandfather Michael Lee Grunkemeyer; her cousins Sydney and Brooks Landers; and her beloved family dog, Tucker.
“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,” her family wrote. “We will take her memory and indelible impact wherever we go.”
Frequently Asked Questions About Whitney Robeson
How did Whitney Robeson die?
Whitney Robeson died on March 7, 2026, from a gunshot wound she suffered at a home on Deer Trail in Trussville, Alabama. She was rushed to a local hospital and pronounced dead just before 11 p.m. that evening. The shooting was initially described as accidental, but a months-long police investigation eventually led to a manslaughter arrest.
Who shot Whitney Robeson?
According to Trussville police and court records, Jeffrey Scott Towers, 54, the father of Whitney’s boyfriend, fired the shot that killed her. Towers was arrested on May 11, 2026, and charged with reckless manslaughter. He is currently out on bond while awaiting court proceedings.
Where did Whitney Robeson go to college?
Whitney attended Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama, where she graduated summa cum laude in May 2025 with a bachelor’s degree in interior design. She was also a member of the Delta Gamma sorority during her time there.
What was Whitney Robeson’s job when she died?
Whitney had recently started working as a trade consultant at RH (formerly Restoration Hardware) in Birmingham, Alabama. It was her first professional role after graduation and aligned directly with her longtime passion for interior design.
Where was Whitney Robeson originally from?
Whitney was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia. She attended St. Bridget Catholic School for elementary and middle school and then graduated from The Collegiate School in Henrico County with honors in 2021.
What is the Whitney Robeson Love Legacy?
The Whitney Robeson Love Legacy, formally called “Wrapped in Whitney’s Love,” is a charitable initiative through LovEvolve’s Love Swaddle Mission. It was created in her memory after her death. Donations go toward providing swaddles and support resources to new mothers and their babies. You can give at lovevolve.com/pages/whitney-robesons-love-legacy.
When was Whitney Robeson’s memorial service?
A visitation was held on March 20, 2026, at Bliley’s Funeral Home in Richmond. A Memorial Mass followed on March 21, 2026, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Richmond, Virginia, with burial at Mt. Calvary Cemetery.
What charges does Jeffrey Scott Towers face?
Jeffrey Scott Towers was charged with reckless manslaughter in connection with Whitney Robeson’s death. He was arrested on May 11, 2026, by Trussville police following an extensive two-month investigation. He was released on a $30,000 bond and is awaiting further court proceedings.