willrobinson47.com

By Tim Sturrock
TELEGRAPH STAFF WRITER

The Georgia Supreme Court reinstated Monday the death penalty against a man convicted in 1997 of killing a Baldwin County sheriff’s deputy.

Robert Wayne Holsey, now 41, is back on death row for the 1995 killing of 26-year-old deputy William Robinson IV.

Sheriff Bill Massee said he is pleased with the decision and that Robinson’s murder had a huge impact on the community.

“It was a very personal case with everyone involved,” Massee said. “Everyone in the community has watched this case closely.”

Robinson was killed in December 1995 while trying to arrest Holsey in connection with an armed robbery. Holsey was found guilty and sentenced to death in 1997.

Last May, Superior Court Judge Neal Dickert of the Augusta Judicial Circuit overturned the death sentence, citing ineffective defense counsel. The judge ruled that Holsey’s defense did not go far enough in detailing his troubled family background or mental health issues before the jury.

In the appeal, evidence was submitted about the defendant’s “limited intelligence, his troubled and abusive home life, his positive contributions at home and elsewhere, and his mother’s and sister’s mental health issues.”

But in a unanimous decision released Monday, the state’s high court ruled that the additional information wouldn’t have made a significant difference in the case.

Frank Robinson, William Robinson’s brother, said he was ecstatic about the reinstatement of the death penalty for Holsey. He said waiting for a resolution in the case has been difficult, but not as difficult as not having his brother around.

“He was an all-American guy, I guess, smart, fun to be around. He was a good friend and a good brother,” Frank Robinson said.

Massee said William Robinson’s death was like the unexpected loss of a family member.

“The loss is not only immediate, but it is a continuing loss,” he said.

Fred Bright, the Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit district attorney, said if the Georgia Supreme Court had not reinstated the death penalty, his office would have retried the case.

Holsey can file several other appeals, which could take years to resolve, said Russ Willard, spokesman for the state Attorney General’s Office.

The Associated Press
contributed to this report.
To contact Tim Sturrock, call 744-4347 or e-mail tsturrock@macontel.com.

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