A tragic case that shocked the St. Louis community has come to a close with the sentencing of 37-year-old Timothy Robinson, who was handed an 18-year prison term after pleading guilty to the brutal killing of his girlfriend’s 3-year-old son, Emmanuel Ware.
The incident occurred on December 10, 2021, when police officers were called to a residence on Rutger Street after reports that a child had been hit by a car. However, upon arrival, officers found young Emmanuel inside the home — unconscious, not breathing, and covered in bruises. The boy was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was sadly pronounced dead.
Robinson, who was not the child’s biological father, had been left in charge of Emmanuel for a few hours while his mother, Shanice Moore, attended a job interview. According to Moore, she left her son in Robinson’s care at around 11 a.m. and returned just after 2 p.m. to find her child unresponsive with visible head injuries. Robinson initially claimed the child had been struck by a vehicle.
“He told me he got hit… and I believed him at first,” Moore told investigators. “But when the police asked what happened, I just told them what he told me, because I didn’t know what else to say.”
However, police quickly determined that Robinson’s version of events did not match the evidence. There was no sign of a traffic incident in the area, and surveillance footage from a nearby dollar store revealed that Robinson and Emmanuel never entered the location. An autopsy further revealed internal injuries inconsistent with a pedestrian accident — instead pointing to signs of severe physical trauma.
Robinson fled the scene before police arrived and was arrested three days later on an unrelated robbery charge. While in custody, he maintained his story, claiming Emmanuel had been struck by a black Monte Carlo while crossing Park Avenue. But the absence of supporting evidence dismantled that claim.
The investigation took a darker turn when it was revealed that Robinson was also involved in a violent robbery just days after Emmanuel’s death. He admitted to assaulting a woman as she exited a Metro Bus in the Lindenwood Park area, punching her to the ground and stealing her purse.
As part of a plea agreement, Robinson pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and child abuse or neglect resulting in death. He also confessed to the robbery. The plea deal included an 18-year sentence for Emmanuel’s death and a concurrent 15-year sentence for the robbery. Circuit Judge Madeline O. Connolly accepted the agreement, sparing Robinson from a trial that was scheduled to begin the following month.
Emmanuel Ware’s tragic death has left a lasting impact on the local community, serving as a grim reminder of the vulnerability of children left in the care of untrustworthy individuals.
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