Harvey Miguel Robinson | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 6, 1974 Allentown, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Criminal status | Incarcerated |
| Conviction(s) | First degree murder (3 counts) Attempted murder Burglary |
| Criminal penalty | Death |
| Details | |
| Victims | 3 |
Span of crimes | 1992–1993 |
| Country | United States |
| Location(s) | Pennsylvania |
| Weapons | Knife |
Date apprehended | December 6, 1993 |
| Imprisoned at | SCI Phoenix |
Harvey Miguel Robinson (born December 6, 1974) is an American serial killer currently imprisoned on death row in Pennsylvania. He was 18 when he committed his violent spree, killing three and injuring two.
Robinson's father was an alcoholic who physically and emotionally abused Robinson's mother and she eventually left the family. His father was later incarcerated for beating his mistress to death.[1]
Robinson's rape and murder victims were:
Between the murders of Burghardt and Schmoyer, Robinson was arrested for burglary and served eight months in prison. After the murder of Schmoyer, he was almost apprehended when he was pulled over for a speeding violation. But Robinson received his speeding ticket and left.
Denise Sam-Cali was one of three of Robinson's victims who survived. The other was a five-year-old girl Robinson stalked for days; Robinson broke into her home, raped and choked her, and left her for dead, but she survived. Sam-Cali managed to break free of Robinson's grip and run outside. Robinson attempted to attack her again but she fled. Eventually, the police used Sam-Cali as bait to lure Robinson in order to capture him. A shootout erupted between Robinson and a police officer, Brian Lewis. Robinson fled, but he was wounded. He went to the hospital, where he was arrested.[3]
In November 1994, Robinson was sentenced to death for his crimes. As of April 2006, Robinson's execution had been stayed. He was later resentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Joan Burghardt because he was 17 when the crime was committed.[4] On December 14, 2012, Robinson agreed to waive his appeal rights in the Schmoyer case in exchange for a life sentence.[5] In December 2013, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court upheld Robinson's death penalty in the Fortney murder.[6] In October 2019, a Pennsylvania judge urged Robinson to consider donating his brain to science, calling it 'the one gift you can give.[7] He is currently incarcerated at SCI Phoenix. [8]
The story of Robinson's crime spree was depicted in the 1996 film titled No One Could Protect Her, with Joanna Kerns playing the part of surviving victim Denise Sam-Cali.[9]
Part of the story of Robinson's crime spree had also been told in the Investigation Discovery series Your Worst Nightmare.[10]
He was also depicted on A&E's Killer Kids[11] and Investigation Discovery's Most Evil and Dead of Night.[12]