Shanae Robinson could be found throughout Indianapolis — at the roller skating rink she frequented with her sister, the barbershop she’d worked at for years or simply in and around the community where she dedicated her time to helping friends and family.
But now, Robinson, 36, won’t be found skating at the roller rink every Thursday and Sunday night. Her booking page at the barbershop will no longer overflow and her friends won’t spot her smiling face, manicured nails and fresh hair and makeup around Circle City.
On the evening of June 24, police found Robinson’s body in a semi near the Petro Travel Center in New Paris, Ohio, near the Indiana-Ohio border. She was pronounced dead at Reid Health in Richmond, Indiana, and the Wayne County Coroner’s Office confirmed her death on June 26.
Investigators confirmed foul play in Robinson’s death. Robinson had recently started dating the 38-year-old Mississippi man now accused of her killing. He remained in the Preble County Jail in Ohio on June 29 on criminal charges, including murder, tampering with evidence and resisting arrest.
Preble County Sheriff Mike Simpson told reporters the driver of the semi indicated he was responsible for her death. According to prosecutors, he admitted to strangling her while parked outside the travel center. He is also accused of crashing the semi in an attempt to cover up the cause of Robinson’s death.
“She was very, very, very loved,” older sister Shaneice Robinson said. “Definitely didn’t deserve what she got.”
The two sisters grew up roller skating, Shaneice Robinson said, taking after their mother, Edith Robinson, who also skated. The sport served as a therapeutic release, and the sisters would hit the rink together every Thursday and Sunday night. The sisters even traveled across the country for occasional “skate parties,” where they met up with fellow enthusiasts.
Shanae Robinson frequented Skateland, her sister said, almost never missing a skating session.
Robinson’s longtime friend Talya Walker — who first met her at the roller rink in 2009 — had just flown into Indianapolis to skate with her friend. The pair was supposed to go skating together on June 25, the day after Robinson was found dead.
Though Walker moved to Arizona a couple of years ago, she said she and Robinson remained close, and that she would visit her in Indianapolis as often as she could. The two attended barber shop school together in 2016, which Walker said solidified their friendship.
Robinson worked at All Stars Barber Shop and had been cutting hair for a decade, her sister said. When she was younger, Robinson — who grew up watching her mother run a salon — began to do her own hair. Her interest eventually grew into a passion, and she decided to pursue what she loved doing most.
“She followed in my mom’s footsteps, except on the other side of the coin,” Shaneice Robinson said. “Instead of doing women’s hair, she chose to do men’s hair.”
Shanae Robinson had a knack for making her clients feel confident, her sister said, and her books at All Stars were always full.
Beyond being a talented barber, Walker said, Robinson used her connections to help everyone around her. She would get to know her clients on a personal level and spend her free time helping them at their own businesses.
Robinson dedicated much of what free time she had left to taking care of her mother and her friends, Walker said. She recalls how Robinson helped her find her identity again after the births of her two children, and how Robinson always came to the children’s birthday parties with a smile on her face and gifts in hand.
“She’s just going to show up and be a support to everyone in any way that she can,” Walker said.
Now those who knew Robinson are showing up for her family by donating to a GoFundMe campaign to help them with funeral expenses. When arrangements are finalized, information will be available at Indiana Funeral Care.
Mia Thurow is the breaking news and criminal justice reporting intern for the Indianapolis Star. She can be reached at mthurow@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indianapolis mourns local barber, skater found dead near state border
Reporting by Mia Thurow, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Mia Thurow, Indianapolis Star | USA TODAY Network
