Tallmadge high graduate killed

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by Steve Wiandt

Reporter

One man remains in custody in connection with the Sept. 18 shooting death of a Tallmadge High School graduate in Akron. A second suspect is at large.

Akron police arrested Marc Tyrone Kirksey Jr., 26, of North Hill Sept. 21 and charged him with aggravated murder and aggravated robbery in the death of Joshua M. Robinson, 23, of Hunter's Lake Road in Cuyahoga Falls, according to Akron Police Lt. Rick Edwards.

Edwards said an arrest warrant with charges of aggravated murder and aggravated robbery was issued against another suspect, Travis Elder, 18, of 805 Cole Ave., Akron, in the shooting,

On Sept. 18 at approximately 8 p.m., Mr. Robinson was shot while standing outside an apartment on Ina Court in Akron, according to a release from the Summit County Medical Examiner's Office. Mr. Robinson was later pronounced dead at the scene at 8:28 p.m. on Sept. 18. The Medical Examiner's Office and Akron Police are investigating the homicide.

Kirksey was arrested at approximately 9:45 a.m. Sept. 21 when Akron police found him hiding in an attic crawl space at 132 Roger Ave., Akron, said Edwards.

Mr. Robinson's body was found on Ina Court in Akron Sept. 18. Edwards called Robinson's death "drug-related."

Bond was set Sept. 22 at a $1 million (10 percent) for Kirksey, who remains in Summit County Jail. Kirksey is scheduled to appear in Summit County Common Pleas Court on Oct. 8 at 8 a.m., a criminal clerk at Akron Municipal Court said Sept. 25.

Tallmadge high graduate

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Robinson family," said Superintendent Jeff Ferguson of the 2003 Tallmadge High School graduate. "It's truly a tragedy. Josh was a quiet, fun-loving student and enjoyed many of the business and technology classes we have at the high school."

Robinson's father, Michael, said he was touched by the outpouring of support he and his wife, Denise, received from the community, noting that about 1,500 people attended his son's funeral and several hundred stopped by the family's home in Tallmadge afterward.

Michael and Josh co-owned MJR Landscape and Design and were involved in various projects around the city, including landscaping and building walls around the Circle, according to Tallmadge Public Service Director Dave Kline.

"The funeral was very sad and almost completely full of people," said Kline, a friends of the Robinson family. "Josh was a great young man with a lot of potential. He was always a gentleman and very respectful. He will be missed."

For complete obituary information, see Page 35.

Editor's note: Tallmadge Express Reporter Amanda Harnocz contributed to this story.

E-mail: swiandt@recordpub.com

Phone: 330-688-0088 ext. 3141