A Fairbanks man accused of gunning down a former accomplice in what prosecutors call a revenge killing went on trial Wednesday, with the defense claiming he acted in panic, not malice.
Kevin Morese Robinson Jr., 24, is charged with felony first-degree murder in the death of 21-year-old Robert Rones on May 27, 2022. Assistant Public Advocate Rachel Duvlea is representing Robinson. The prosecution team includes Deputy District Attorney Andrew Baldock and Assistant District Attorney Katherine Gonsalves.
In her opening statement, Gonsalves argued that Robinson shot and killed Rones because he believed Rones had “snitched” on him in an earlier case.
“Robert Rones ruined the defendant’s life, so the defendant ended his,” Gonsalves told the jury.
Rones and Robinson were both involved in an attempted armed robbery of a McDonald’s restaurant in 2019. Robinson pleaded guilty in 2020, and Rones entered a plea agreement in 2021.
“Robert Rones snitched on the defendant, and the defendant blamed him for his conviction, for making him a felon, for ruining his life,” Gonsalves said.
According to the prosecution, Robinson spotted Rones at the former Holiday gas station on South Cushman Street early on the morning of the shooting. He and Ryan Robinson — who is not related to Kevin — followed Rones through South Fairbanks, eventually boxing him in on 27th Avenue.
Kevin Robinson allegedly exited the passenger side of a vehicle and fired 13 shots from Ryan Robinson’s .45-caliber handgun, striking Rones six times before fleeing the scene.
“The evidence will show that there was no hesitation — that the defendant started shooting immediately when he got out of the vehicle,” Gonsalves said. “Robert Rones took everything from the defendant, so the defendant took his life.”
Defense attorney Duvlea countered that Kevin Robinson did not intend to kill Rones and instead acted recklessly in a moment of fear and confusion.
“This is a very serious case. This is a tragic case,” Duvlea told the jury.
She said Kevin and Ryan Robinson happened upon Rones by chance and decided to follow him for a fistfight — not a shooting.
“He wanted to fight with his fists. That was the intention,” Duvlea said.
According to Duvlea, Ryan Robinson handed Kevin the gun before they confronted Rones, but everything changed when Kevin saw Rones make a sudden movement.
“He immediately sees Robert make a sudden movement towards his glove box, and without reflection everything changes in that moment for Kevin, and he decides to discharge his firearm,” Duvlea said.
She emphasized that her client acted without premeditation and out of fear.
“It was the kind of moment where everything moved too fast — there was fear, there was confusion, no reflection. This was an unplanned consequence,” she said.
Duvlea noted that Rones’ past involvement in an armed robbery made it reasonable for Kevin to believe he might have a gun.
“The prosecution’s going to paint a picture of a calculated, well-thought-out, cold-blooded killing, but that picture leaves out the truth,” Duvlea said. “The truth is this was a sudden, chaotic, unplanned moment.”
Witness Taylar Doughty testified she was living with family on 27th Avenue at the time and was sitting in her brother’s car early that morning when she heard gunshots. They drove toward a vehicle stopped in the middle of the road and called 911 after spotting a man inside who had been shot.
Fairbanks Police Officer Clint Brubeck, the first to respond, testified that Rones — in the driver’s seat — had no pulse. He did not find any weapons in the car.
Paramedic Erik Winkler testified that Rones showed no signs of life despite CPR and other emergency measures. Rones was pronounced dead at the scene.
The trial is scheduled to continue Thursday morning. Ryan Patrick Robinson is set to stand trial on June 2.
Contact Haley Lehman at 907-459-7575 or by email at hlehman@newsminer.com.
