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$1M bond set in fatal home invasion

Pretrial hearing set for Sept. 15 in case of robbery suspect shot by homeowner.

John Eric Robinson

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By Lauren Pack, Staff Writer Updated 2:16 AM Thursday, September 9, 2010

HAMILTON — Bond was set at $1 million Wednesday, Sept. 8, during an arraignment for a suspect in a home invasion last month in which a man died.

John Eric Robinson, who lists addresses in Lebanon and Hamilton, according to detectives and court documents, was wheeled into Butler County Common Pleas Judge Craig Hedric’s courtroom in a wheelchair, wearing a hospital gown.

Robinson, who was shot multiple times during an alleged robbery attempt Aug. 8, told Hedric he was going to hire his own attorney. Hedric set a pretrial hearing for Sept. 15 and told Robinson to return with his attorney.

The 27-year-old man was indicted on murder, aggravated robbery and aggravated burglary charges in connection with an attempted robbery of Gregory K. Gabbard’s home on Beissinger Road in Hanover Twp. and the resulting death of Steven Deshaun Davis, who authorities say was involved in the robbery attempt.

The incident, which occurred about 1:45 a.m., left Robinson and Davis with multiple gunshot wounds. Davis, of Middletown, was pronounced dead at University Hospital in Cincinnati. Robinson was recently released from the hospital. According to Ohio law, if a death occurs as the result of an offender committing or attempting to commit a violent felony offense, the person may be charged with murder.

The prosecutor’s office and Butler County sheriff’s deputies determined that Gabbard broke no laws, and was defending property and protecting himself.

The two men broke into Gabbard’s home to rob him, according to detectives. Robinson, who was wearing a mask, searched the house for items to steal, while Davis held Gabbard at gunpoint, according to deputies.

Gabbard was compliant with the intruders’ demands, but “felt imminent danger coming his way,” according to Chief Deputy Anthony Dwyer. That’s when Gabbard went to another room and returned with a 7.62 mm caliber semiautomatic rifle.

At least one round was fired by one of the suspects from a small-caliber handgun, and Gabbard fired several rounds.

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