An Iowa man has been sentenced to life in prison one year after fatally shooting his ex-girlfriend’s mother and severely injuring her father.
Hamza Smajlovic received the sentence on Friday, Nov. 21, after pleading guilty in October to charges of murder and attempted murder, according to Polk County prosecutors.
Prosecutors said the violence was preceded by an incident in October 2024, when Smajlovic choked his then-girlfriend, Jasmyn Robison, at their home in Des Moines. After that assault, Robison decided to end their relationship, calling it the “final straw” following what she described as a “dreadful nine years.”
On Nov. 1, 2024, Robison’s parents, Tony and Ruth Robison, went to the home to help their daughter move out. During the move, Smajlovic opened fire on them.
Ruth was shot and killed, 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 the sentencing hearing, Jasmyn addressed Smajlovic directly.
“I wish I never met you,” she said. “I will never get the time back with my mother.”
Her sister, Chayse Robison, also spoke, emphasizing their mother’s courage and legacy.
“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.”
