Mercer teacher charged with murder as juvenile now facing child abuse charges

Oct. 11--PRINCETON -- A Mercer County special education teacher who was charged with stabbing a schoolmate to death while a juvenile has now been indicted on child abuse charges involving students at her school.

Marlene Sexton Robinson, 58, of Freeman, was indicted this week on three counts of felony child abuse, Detective Steve Sommers, with the Mercer County Sheriff's Department said.

The incident resulting in one charge occurred at the end of the 2017-2018 school year and was investigated by the West Virginia State Police.

Sommers

"The State Police arrested her and she was on bond during the summer for felony child abuse. She was on bond when the other incidents occurred." -- Detective Steve Sommers, with the Mercer County Sheriff's Department said.

Summers said he then received a complaint in late September regarding incidents that occurred on Sept. 12 and Oct. 1. Robinson was subsequently indicted on all three charges.

All three incidents occurred at Bluewell Elementary School.

"The State Police arrested her and she was on bond during the summer for felony child abuse," Sommers said. Robinson continued to teach when classes resumed in the fall. "She was on bond when the other incidents occurred."

According to a criminal complaint filed by West Virginia State Police Trooper A.S. Reed, the victim in the first incident was a 5-year-old child.

Reed states in his complaint that he watched a surveillance video showing Robinson grab the 5-year-old victim by his arm.

"The child fell to the ground at which time the accused drug the victim by the arm while the child was on his belly for a long distance, the victim was dragged on the belly by the arm for approximately three minutes," the complaint states. "The accused then left the child in the cafeteria floor and dropped his book bag on him before leaving the scene."

Sommers said the victim in his case was a different student, but one who was also 5 years old. His victim was a student in Robinson's class.

In October of 1972, Robinson, then Marlene Sexton, was charged with first-degree murder for stabbing a schoolmate in Bramwell to death. She was 12 years old at the time.

In July 1973, Sexton-Robinson pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and was placed on probation for three years. -- Daily Telegraph news and archives clerk Ginger Boyles contributed to this report.

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