TEXARKANA, Texas–A man facing a capital murder charge in the death of his 5-year-old stepson and his wife – who is also accused in the child’s death – were charged Tuesday for the alleged abuse of the boy’s three younger sisters.
Terry Don Robinson Jr., 35, and Destiny Lynn Culvahouse, aka. Destiny Robinson, 24, are accused of abuse and neglect involving three girls ages 1, 2 and 3 years, according to court records. Following the Sept. 27 death of their brother, 5-year-old Zaydon Robinson, the girls were placed in state care and evaluated by experts at a Dallas hospital, according to a probable cause affidavit.
The results of those evaluations led to a half-dozen new charges for both Robinson and Culvahouse, including first-degree felony charges of injury to a child, two counts apiece of third-degree injury to a child and three counts each of child endangerment, court records show.
All of the children had allegedly been beaten repeatedly by Robinson with a black rubber hose. Scarring on the buttocks of the children was allegedly the result of diaper rash that was so severe they had caused skin abscesses, a sign of neglect, according to a probable cause affidavit.
A girl who was born in December of 2021 was covered in fading bruises and had suffered numerous rib fractures, according to the affidavit. The oldest, a girl born in January of 2021, showed signs of physical abuse and neglect as well as issues which may be indicative of not having been regularly fed.
While being evaluated in the hospital, the oldest of the girls was eating a lot of food and would “become very upset” if food that fell to the floor was thrown away, the affidavit said.
“The doctor advised that this behavior is consistent with a child that has not had consistent access to food,” the affidavit said. “The doctor advised she would need therapy to help her understand” when she is hungry and when she has had enough to eat.
Robinson faces death or life without the possibility of parole if convicted of capital murder in Zaydon’s death. If convicted of first-degree injury to a child by omission for failing to protect Zaydon, Culvahouse faces five to 99 years of life in prison.
Both Robinson and Culvahouse face five to 99 years or life if found guilty of a second first-degree felony count of injury to a child involving one of the girls and two to ten years in prison if convicted of injury to a child involving the other two.
Robinson and Culvahouse are both charged with three counts of child endangerment, each of which is punishable by six months to two years in a state jail.
Robinson’s bail is set at $5 million on the capital murder charge. Bails on the other charges total $120,000. Culvahouse’s bail on the charge involving Zaydon’s death is set at $1 million. Bails on the other charges total $120,000. Both have been in custody since the day of Zaydon’s death.
