Family says Phoenix mother was stabbed to death near children days before police arrived

PHOENIX – A Valley family desperately searches for answers after a mother was brutally murdered in her Phoenix apartment.

Shavone Robinson was found stabbed to death last month in her apartment near 19th Avenue and Camelback Road.

While the 30-year-old mother’s body was found on May 17, investigators now assume that she was killed at least three days earlier.

Relatives tell ABC15 that she was repeatedly stabbed while her two toddlers and four-week-old baby were in the apartment.

“It makes it worse. It makes us so sad,” said Kika Robinson, Shavon’s older sister.

Kika tells ABC15 that it is clear that the children suffer from trauma after the gruesome murder and are stuck in the apartment with their deceased mother.

“They get a lot of advice, but it’s really traumatizing for them. And we feel kind of helpless to ourselves,” she said. “All we can do is hug and hold her and try to calm her down, but that’s still a void that we can’t feel no matter how hard we try.”

Officers were called to the scene after two toddlers were seen crying on the balcony.

“I don’t know what the kids are doing these days. It breaks my heart that they have been there and seen this, and I know that these pictures will never leave your head,” said Kika.

“It really is that you are no longer sad, just angry,” said Fajah Fox, Shavone’s niece.

Shavone’s six older siblings, as well as their nieces and nephews, now have so many questions and theories.

“In my opinion there was someone else in there [after the murder]“Said Kika.

“Because [the kids] weren’t malnourished when they found her, “said Danielle Williams, Shavone’s niece.

To date, Phoenix police detectives have not made any arrests. They issued a breastfeeding witness flyer and a reward.

Relatives are frustrated with investigators, especially after family members discovered Shavone’s cell phone days after the crime scene was cleared.

“It’s like, ‘What did you guys do?'” Danielle wondered.

Now the big family comes together to look after the small children.

“We just hug her and love her as much as we can. The little baby grows, she eats more, she makes her little baby noises. So we try to focus on positive things, ”said Kika.

Part of their focus remains on the killer who they hope will soon be tried.

“You took something out of these children’s lives that is irreplaceable,” said Kika. “If you know something, just speak up.”

If you have information on this case, call Silent Witness at 480-948-6377 or send a tip to silentwitness.org.