Opinion ID: 3152697
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Other Risk Factors

Text: Cunningham knew Robinson used computers and the Internet to perpetrate a number of his crimes of conviction. Nevertheless, he expressed little concern with Robinson's history of computer use in prison because he would be placed in a maximum security setting, which he presumed would offer Robinson little to no opportunity to have 340 unsupervised access to the Internet. Cunningham also observed that Robinson's previous computer activity in prison was focused on software and troubleshooting, not Internet activity. Cunningham admitted, however, that he did not speak to KDOC officials regarding their policy and did not know definitively whether Robinson would have Internet access in its facilities. Cunningham also testified that the violent nature of Robinson's offenses did not increase his propensity for violence in prison. Cunningham highlighted studies conducted by the United States Department of Justice that found that an inmate's conviction for violent crime was not a reliable predictor of prison adjustment and did not correlate with higher rates of prison violence. Cunningham also explained that Robinson had committed violent crimes in the community before entering the prison system, yet he exhibited no propensity for violence while incarcerated. Cunningham admitted that Robinson had a history of deception both inside and outside of the prison setting, and he predicted this behavior would continue. Delo also confirmed that as an inmate ages, he may rely more on manipulation or deception in order to survive and thrive within the prison system. However, Cunningham believed Robinson's use of deceit inside prison was motivated primarily by his desire to secure an earlier release, and Robinson would have no such opportunity with his crimes of conviction. Cunningham could not completely rule out the possibility that Robinson might use deceit and manipulation to further a plan of escape, but he noted that Robinson had shown no propensity for flight and cited data illustrating the extraordinarily low percentage of successful escapes from maximum security prisons. 341 Cunningham also had no serious concerns about Robinson's history of manipulating women inside prison, particularly Bonner. Cunningham explained that Robinson would be placed in a much higher security level, limiting his interaction with and access to prison staff. Also, Cunningham believed that Bonner knew Robinson only as a white collar criminal. In the future, it would be harder for Robinson to manipulate women behind bars because he is widely known for luring, deceiving, and killing multiple women. However, Delo admitted that it is not uncommon for prison staff to form relationships with and fall victim to the manipulation of inmates within the system. Based on his assessment of the key risk factors, Cunningham opined that Robinson would have a positive adjustment to prison free from violence. Delo offered a similar opinion. 3. Residual Doubt In support of mitigating circumstance 6, Robinson argued that there was residual doubt as to whether he acted alone, suggesting that his moral culpability should be diminished by or shared with his cohorts. In closing argument, Robinson's counsel highlighted evidence, including the weight of the barrels housing the bodies and the unidentified fingerprints found on the plastic sheeting inside his Raymore, Missouri, storage locker and on the roll of duct tape stained with Lewicka's blood, as proof of others' involvement.