Judge frees one defendant in girl's stabbing death

‘Virtually no evidence presented,’ Spaeth says

Rashon Martin, 18, appeared Monday, March 8, in front of Butler County Common Pleas Judge Keith Spaeth in Hamilton. On Tuesday, Spaeth dismissed a complicity to murder charge against Martin, saying there was insufficient evidence against him.

Staff photo by Nick Daggy Rashon Martin, 18, appeared Monday, March 8, in front of Butler County Common Pleas Judge Keith Spaeth in Hamilton. On Tuesday, Spaeth dismissed a complicity to murder charge against Martin, saying there was insufficient evidence against him.

ENLARGE PHOTO

Man drowns in Caesar Creek Lake
Updated 1 min. ago
CHCA students win Math Olympics awards
New 19 min. ago
Lakota to discuss open enrollment proposal
12:30 p.m.
Beach Waterpark sued for failure to deliver
12:25 p.m.
Road closing for railroad repairs
11:51 a.m.
> More headlines

By Lauren Pack, Staff Writer Updated 9:50 AM Wednesday, March 10, 2010

HAMILTON — Rashon Martin, one of two young men charged in the September stabbing death of 15-year-old Amber Robinson, is now free.

A single charge of complicity to murder was dismissed by Butler County Common Pleas Judge Keith Spaeth on Tuesday, March 9, after the prosecution rested its case. Spaeth ruled that the state had not presented enough evidence to convict Martin or send it to the jury for a decision.

“There has been insufficient evidence, virtually no evidence, presented,” Spaeth said.

Martin and 19-year-old co-defendant, Khrendon Gray, who is charged with murder, have been behind bars since days after the Sept. 10 stabbing of the Lakota West High School sophomore at the North Pointe Townhomes complex off Muhlhauser Road in West Chester Twp.

After Spaeth ordered Martin released immediately, the young man turned to hug his mother and father, who were crying.

Across the courtroom, Robinson family members and supporters also cried.

Extra court security officers and Hamilton police were on hand to assure everyone left the courtroom without incident. Tempers had flared Monday in the lobby between supporters on both sides, with Amber’s mother, Tascha Robinson, stepping up to plead for peace.

Defense attorney David Washington said the judge’s decision was “courageous.”

Washington argued that the charge against Martin, who was 17 at the time of the stabbing, should be dismissed because evidence had not been presented “that my client had any interaction with Amber Robinson. There is nothing to support he assisted with anything or even handled or touched a knife.” The attorney added, “there is not one bit of evidence that he (Martin) had anything to do with this stabbing.”

But Assistant Prosecutor Lance Salyers pointed to the testimony Monday of Chris Baker, who said Martin rooted through a backpack and then appeared to hand something to Gray before Robinson was stabbed.

Salyers unsuccessfully argued that the prosecution’s “inference” that the item was a knife should be left to the jury to resolve.

The trial continues at 8:30 a.m. today with Gray’s defense.

Share this article