Alabama Man Charged with Reckless Manslaughter in Shooting Death of Son's Girlfriend

An Alabama man faces charges two months after he allegedly shot and killed his son's 22-year-old girlfriend, a recent Auburn University graduate who had landed her dream job as an interior designer.

Whitney Harlow Robeson, a 22-year-old Virginia native, died on March 7 from a gunshot wound at a home on Deer Trail in Trussville, Alabama, about 15 miles northeast of Birmingham. Police responded around 9:30 p.m., and first responders rushed her to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead just over an hour later.

This week, Trussville police announced that an extensive investigation led to the arrest of her boyfriend's father, Jeffrey Scott Towers, 54, on a charge of reckless manslaughter. Public records show that Towers and his son, also an Auburn alumnus, both live at the Deer Trail address.

Court records do not reveal details of the shooting or evidence surrounding the charges against Towers, other than to allege he shot Robeson.

Towers' attorneys, John Amari and Dain Stewart, called Robeson's death a tragic event in a statement. "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," they wrote.

Robeson's death was initially reported as accidental to the Jefferson County Coroner/Medical Examiner's Office, according to AL.com.

An online obituary from Robeson's family noted that she had wanted to work in interior design since childhood, inspired by HGTV shows. After graduating summa cum laude from Auburn's interior design program, she took a job as a trade consultant for RH, formerly Restoration Hardware.

She grew up in Richmond, where she worked as a lifeguard and a clerk at boutique shops downtown, the obituary said.