5 chilling revelations in the horrific murder of 8-year-old Hiawayi Robinson at the hands of her own father

Hiawayi Robinson was an 8-year-old girl from Prichard who disappeared on September 16, 2014. Hiawayi was returning from school and was last seen on a surveillance camera of a convenience store around 4 p.m. She left the store, but did not reach home.

It was on September 18, 2014, when the body of Hiawayi Robinson was found dumped in a trash pile at an abandoned lot on Rebel Road. See No Evil, season 6, episode 13, explores the complete investigation behind finding the killer of the young girl.

The episode titled, A Candy Run released on July 31, 2025, at 6 p.m. EST on Investigation Discovery. The official synopsis reads,

"A family's nightmare begins in September 2014 when 8-year-old Hiawayi Robinson leaves her apartment."

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5 key details about the murder of Hiawayi Robinson

1) Hiawayi Robinson was found in a trash pile

The body of Hiawayi Robinson was found at a pile of trash (Image via Pexels)

As reported by WKRG News, on September 16, 2014, Hiawatha got off the school bus with her cousin and was on her way back home. Reportedly, Hiawayi's birthday was coming up, and her grandmother had called her to talk about the present.

She was last seen alive on the surveillance camera of a convenience store. Hiawayi entered at 4:00 p.m. and came out six minutes later. However, she never made it back to her residence.

Reportedly, it was two days later, on September 18, 2014, when an employee with the City of Prichard found Hiawayi's body. The body was found in a pile of trash at an abandoned lot off Rebel Road.

When investigators scrutinized the surrounding area, they found other evidence around the body, including duct tape, two hair beads, a piece of sheetrock, two zip ties, a green wrapper, a metal bucket, and an empty box of shotgun shells. Additionally, an inverted cross was found painted near the victim's body.

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2) Investigators discovered that Hiawayi Robinson was se*ually abused before her death

Forensics revealed that Hiawayi Robinson died due to asphyxiation and was se*ually abused before murder (Image via Pexels)

As reported by WKRG News, after Hiawayi's body was retrieved and sent for autopsy, it was revealed that she died due to positional asphyxiation. This indicated that Hiawayi Robinson was choked to death by the killer.

When the body of Hiawayi Robinson was sent for autopsy, it was revealed that she had been r*ped before her murder. Her body was found, with her legs and arms bent. Most of Hiawayi's body was bare.

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3) Father of the victim, Hiawatha Robinson became the prime suspect

Investigators tracked down Hiawatha's SUV from the surveillance camera records of the convenience store (Image via Pexels)

As reported by WKRG News, deputies working with the Mobile County Sheriff's Office retrieved the surveillance camera footage from the convenience store, where Hiawayi was last seen alive. From the video footage, investigators tracked a Chevy Tahoe vehicle in the vicinity, which entered and left the premises.

Investigators soon discovered that the victim's father, Hiawatha Robinson, was also driving the same kind of vehicle on the day Hiawayi disappeared. Additionally, it was revealed that Hiawatha Robinson also worked in the same building, on the lot where the body of Hiawatha Robinson was found.

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4) Investigators with the FBI obtained a search warrant at the residence of Hiawatha Robinson's girlfriend

Police officers obtained a search warrant in the residence of Hiawatha Robinson's girlfriend (Image via Pexels)

As reported by WKRG News, detectives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation obtained a search warrant for the residence of Hiawatha Robinson's girlfriend. The surveillance camera footage revealed that the alleged suspect left the residence at 3:20 p.m. and didn't return until 7:01 p.m. The house surveillance footage showed him taking out two pieces of clothing from his SUV and putting them in the laundry.

The DNA test from the crime turned inconclusive (Image via Pexels)

The FBI soon brought in Hiawatha Robinson for interrogation. He admitted that he drove to the convenience store, but denied having Hiawayi with him. An anal swab that was tested came back positive for the seminal fluid. However, the DNA test results were inconclusive because it was contaminated.

However, the piece of duct tape found inside Hiawatha's car matched the tape found at the crime scene. With the existing set of evidence, Hiawatha was arrested and charged with the r*pe and murder of Hiawayi Robinson.

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5) Hiawatha Robinson was sentenced to 100 years behind bars

Hiawatha was sentenced to 100 years in prison for the murder of Hiawayi Robinson (Image via Pexels)

As reported by WKRG News, during the trial of Hiawatha Robinson, the defence team argued that the See No Evil culprit was connected to a ritualistic cult. The attorney claimed that the victim's legs were positioned like the number seven. Additionally, an inverted cross was painted at the crime scene.

Hiawatha's mother, Yosha, had multiple sexual partners who visited her home. During this time, many unknown men had seen and interacted with Hiawayi Robinson, and anyone could be responsible for the murder. Reportedly, on the fifth day of trial, Hiawatha fainted in the courtroom due to stress and anxiety.

It was reported that the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency convicted Hiawatha of accidentally killing his daughter, Hiawatha Robinson. As reported by WKRG, it was on October 12, 2016, when Hiawatha Robinson was found guilty of murder. He was sentenced to 100 years behind bars.

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Edited by pratigya dhali