An Iowa man has been sentenced to life in prison one year after fatally shooting his ex-girlfriend’s mother and critically injuring her father.
Hamza Smajlovic received the life sentence on Friday, Nov. 21, after pleading guilty in October to charges of murder and attempted murder, according to Polk County prosecutors.
Prosecutors said that in October 2024, Smajlovic choked his ex-girlfriend, Jasmyn Robison, at the home they shared in Des Moines, Iowa. Following the assault, Robison decided to end their relationship.
Robison later described the incident as the “final straw” after what she called a “dreadful nine years,” prosecutors said.
On Nov. 1, 2024, Robison’s parents, Tony and Ruth Robison, went to the couple’s home to help their daughter move out. During the move, Smajlovic shot both of them.
Ruth was killed in the attack, while Tony sustained critical injuries.
“I grabbed the 9-millimeter and shot Ruth in the head,” Smajlovic told a judge, according to prosecutors. “I believe after Ruth, I pointed the gun at Tony, and I shot him in the head as well.”
At Smajlovic’s sentencing hearing, Jasmyn addressed him directly in court.
“I wish I never met you,” she said. “I will never get the time back with my mother.”
Jasmyn’s sister, Chayse Robison, also spoke, honoring their mother’s memory.
“Her memory is stronger than the man that killed her will ever be,” she said. “His actions will define him and his family name with shame, but my mother, Ruth Robison, her legacy will be defined by honor. She gave her life protecting Jasmyne, and she did so without hesitation.”
