Suspected ‘Shopping Cart Killer’ arrested after gruesome murders

Police in Virginia are investigating a man they believe to be a serial killer dubbed the “Shopping Cart Killer,” because he used carts to transport his alleged victims’ remains after doing “unspeakable things” to them.

During a press conference on Friday, Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said the suspect, Anthony Robinson, 35, was in custody on suspicion of killing four women. Robinson allegedly found his targets on dating sites – with Davis stating that he “preyed on the weak [and] vulnerable.”

“After he inflicts trauma to his victims and kills them, he transports their bodies to their final resting place literally in a shopping cart – and there’s video to that effect,” Davis said, adding that Robinson would meet his victims at motels. 

Robinson was arrested last month and charged with first-degree murder for the killing of two women in Harrisonburg whose bodies were found in a deserted lot, police said. He is also a “person of interest” in the murder of two more women. Their remains were discovered on Wednesday in a large plastic container near a shopping cart, local outlets reported.

Three of the victims have been identified, with Davis noting that the fourth body was in an advanced state of decomposition. Authorities also said they are “working backwards” to investigate the murders and find other victims along the East Coast, where Robinson has lived at multiple locations.

We have a serial killer. The good thing is he’s in custody. The challenge that remains is identifying other victims.

“There is no doubt in my mind that these are not the only women,” said Davis. He added that Robinson had lived in New York, Maryland, and Washington, DC. The suspected serial killer is currently housed in Rockingham-Harrisonburg Regional Jail.

The three identified victims had all gone missing in the last few months. Since Robinson had met them via dating apps, police believe delving into his relationship history could provide clues into other potential victims. 

“That’s what worries us. He didn’t suddenly turn into who he is three months ago,” Davis said