Inset: Ruth Sue Ann Robison (Polk County Sheriff”s Office). Background: Hamza Smajlovic at sentencing hearing for murdering Robison and wounding her husband (KCCI).
In a tragic turn of events, a man from Iowa has been handed a life sentence after committing a horrific act of violence against his former partner’s family. Hamza Smajlovic, aged 25, will spend the remainder of his days in prison without the possibility of parole, following his conviction for the shooting that claimed the life of Ruth Robison and severely injured Tony Robison.
The shooting occurred last year as the Robisons were in the process of helping their daughter move out of the home she had shared with Smajlovic. The Polk County Attorney’s Office confirmed that Ruth, 45, succumbed to her injuries, while her husband, Tony, was left battling life-changing consequences. Smajlovic had earlier confessed to charges of first-degree murder and attempted murder.
Jasmyne Robison, the daughter of the couple and the former girlfriend of Smajlovic, delivered a poignant victim impact statement during the sentencing. Recounting her painful experiences over a tumultuous nine-year relationship, she cited an incident in October 2024, when Smajlovic attempted to choke her, as the catalyst for her decision to leave him.
“I wish I never met you,” she conveyed to Smajlovic in court. “I will never get the time back with my mother,” expressing the depth of her loss and regret.
The tragic incident unfolded on November 1, 2024, at a residence located in the 200 block of NW 51st Place in Des Moines. As Ruth and Tony Robison were assisting their daughter with her belongings, Smajlovic confronted them with a firearm.
During his guilty plea, Smajlovic recounted the grim events to District Judge Joseph Seidlin, admitting, “I grabbed the 9-millimeter and shot Ruth in the head. I believe after Ruth, I pointed the gun at Tony, and I shot him in the head as well.” His chilling admission underscores the brutality of the attack that has left a family shattered.
Polk County Sheriff’s deputies arrived and found the pair inside with gunshot wounds. Paramedics rushed the victims to the hospital, where doctors pronounced Ruth Robison dead.
At the sentencing hearing, Smajlovic acknowledged the impact his actions had on the Robison family.
“My life wasn’t the only one that was ruined. Many, many lives got ruined,” he said.
Chayse Robison said Smajlovic isolated her sister from the rest of the family, but their mother never stopped trying to rescue her. Her mother was protecting her daughter when she died.
“Her memory is stronger than the man that killed her will ever be. His actions will define him and his family name with shame, but my mother, Ruth Robison, her legacy will be defined by honor,” Chayse Robison said. “She gave her life protecting Jasmyne, and she did so without hesitation.”
The plea deal called for Smajlovic to receive life in prison. The 25-year sentence for attempted murder was set to run concurrently as part of the plea deal, but the judge had other plans. Though it was largely symbolic, Seidlin ordered the sentences to run consecutively.
“By running these counts concurrently, I believe it symbolizes that the unsuccessful attempt to commit murder doesn’t count,” he said, according to local CBS affiliate KCCI. “I can count on one hand the times that I have not gone along with a plea agreement, but I cannot go along with this one.”
