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Who Killed Chinlee Robinson? Prison Death Now a Homicide as Autopsy Reveals Strangulation
St John’s, Antigua and Barbuda – The death of 23-year-old Jamaican national Chinlee Robinson at His Majesty’s Prison is now being treated as a homicide, after a post-mortem examination revealed he was strangled.
Robinson, who had been remanded in December 2024 over the alleged theft of a mobile phone, was discovered unresponsive in his cell just weeks later.
An initial assumption of natural causes has since given way to a full-blown criminal investigation following autopsy findings of trauma to the neck and cardiac arrest.
Superintendent of Prisons Trevor Pennyfeather confirmed the cause of death in a recent interview.
“It looks like anoxia, trauma to the neck, and cardiac failure… very possibly it’s strangulation,” he said, noting that the matter is still under police investigation.
The revelation has raised troubling questions about conditions and oversight within the prison. Robinson shared a cell with another inmate, believed to be the prime suspect, who has reportedly been released from custody—weeks before the autopsy results were made public.
The prison’s lock-off period begins at 4:30 p.m., and officers conduct routine nightly checks. However, Pennyfeather admitted that without electronic surveillance in each cell or a constant physical presence, detecting such an incident during the night would be difficult.
“Unless officers are stationed at every division or we have full electronic monitoring, we must rely on mobile checks,” he said.
Robinson was found during the early morning wake-up rounds, around 5:15 a.m.
The circumstances surrounding his detention have also drawn sharp criticism. Attorney Wendell Alexander, speaking on behalf of the family, said Robinson should never have been held in the first place.
“This man was in custody on remand for stealing a cell phone—something that may not even warrant a custodial sentence,” Alexander said. “He didn’t have a passport, and that was used as justification to deny bail. That is nonsense.”
Alexander said he has contacted the Commissioner of Police to formally request a homicide investigation and insisted that a coroner’s inquest should also proceed.
“If Chinley Robinson had been from a wealthy family, we wouldn’t be asking these questions. There’s a systemic problem here, and it’s time the entire criminal justice system—courts, police, prison—faced real reform,” he added.
As new recruits prepare to bolster the prison’s staffing, broader issues remain unresolved. For Robinson’s family, especially his brother, the search for justice is far from over.
One central question remains: Who killed Chinley Robinson—and why was no one there to stop it?
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Condolences to his family hope they find the answers they seek
This is really sad on so many levels, i suspect there was foul play. Alot of things dont add up! Condolences to this young man
So a man dies in prison and you free up his cellmate without knowing how the man died? What if the man already left the island? screaming for justice for Chinlee. We know what injustice is about. This one is really sad
Come on….
Sad when we have to listen ro these kinds of stories. Families are hurting. So much has happened. People are so cruel. Alot of things have gone on that only God most high see.
This will just fly by like all those murders that went by!! No investigation nothing.
Strangled? Could this be by the hands of a prison officer? Haha. He was only in jail a phone and now look at this. Who shall we hold accountable?
Important question! I mean, who could’ve strangled this man? And why no investigation was done? No foul play suspected at first then boom foul play
Well he was killed in the state care so you guys are responsable for him, i hooe the mother go all out even if she have to go dark
Another masterpiece by AntiguaNewsRoom Guys, seriously! Keep this up. When the media plays the fool, we give them blows, but when they do well, we should praise them. This young lady’s voice is so wonderful. This is very long, but necessary. Again, congratulations.
Go to bed?
Are you serious? Come on…
The entire system failed and resulted in the death of this young man.
Bail was granted.
Passport was not readily available.
Held in a prison cell.
Who in their right mind would abscond from Antigua because of a larceny charge of a phone?????
The passport could have been taken to the court after his release.
There was absolutely no need for this young man to have been further detained simply because his passport was not readily available.
Then he is found dead in his cell and without a complete and thorough investigation those responsible ruled his death unsuspicious.
Let me give this little piece of advice to those who will accept it.
Every sudden death must be deemed a homicide until proven otherwise.
Our police are too quick to rule every death natural only to come after and and say that the death was as a result of murder.
@ Straight Shooter: I agree 👍 💯