Marcus Reymond Robinson (April 2, 1973 – June 9, 2022) was an African-American convicted and sentenced to death in Cumberland County Superior Court for the June 1991 death of Erik Tornblom.
North Carolina Superior Court judge Gregory Weeks found that the Act was applicable in Robinson's case after his lawyers cited a study from Michigan State University indicating that qualified black jurors were systemically excluded from jury service, both generally in North Carolina and at Robinson's trial.
[1][2][3] The Racial Justice Act was repealed in 2013, and two years later the North Carolina Supreme Court vacated the North Carolina v. Robinson ruling on procedural grounds, because the prosecutors had not had enough time to prepare for the hearing.
[6] Robinson died of an apparent suicide after he was found unresponsive in his cell at 12:14pm on June 9, 2022.
Prison first responders performed live-saving measures until paramedics arrived, and pronounced him dead at 12:35pm.