Naman Shrestha
In the episode titled ‘The Day Akia Disappeared’ of NBC’s ‘Dateline,’ the viewers are provided with a detailed account of the disappearance case of a young pregnant woman named Akia Shawnta Eggleston. As the day of her baby shower arrived in 2017, her loved ones waited for the woman of the hour only to realize that she hadn’t been seen by anyone for about four days. While the investigation was launched, the missing woman’s loved ones also searched for any traces of her in and around her Baltimore residence. Thanks to the exclusive and in-depth interviews with the close ones of Akia in the episode, we learn more about the impact of her disappearance on the community.
Akia Shawnta Eggleston Went Missing a Few Days Before Her Baby Shower
Born on September 6, 1994, Akia Shawnta Effleston was raised by her mother and stepfather, Shawn Wilkinson. Growing up, she was often taken care of by a babysitter, who was the grandmother of her future boyfriend, Michael Robertson. Their first meeting occurred in the 1990s when they were still kids. Before they reconnected in 2016, a lot of things transpired in Akia’s life. She grew to be quite close to her mother and the rest of her family. However, in 2012, her life turned upside down when she lost her mother to breast cancer. According to her stepfather, her mother’s passing changed Akia.
Bearing all the weight on her shoulders, she became distant from some family members and became a more independent woman. Still driven by her desire to help others, she maintained her involvement in the community. However, she began keeping the affairs of her personal life private. In 2015, she entered motherhood for the first time as she gave birth to a daughter. A few years after the tragic demise of her mother, Akia reconnected with Michael Robertson in 2016. As sparks flew between them, they began seeing each other. After a few months, Akia became pregnant with Michael’s child and was excited about the prospect of becoming a mother for the second time.
For weeks and months, Akia planned a baby shower and gender reveal party, inviting her family members and close friends. However, on May 7, 2017, the day of the party, the eight-month pregnant mother failed to show up, causing concern over her well-being and whereabouts. In order to check on her, some of her worried friends went over to her Cherry Hill, Baltimore residence, but she was nowhere to be seen there as well. When there was no trace of her, she was reported missing by her family members. As the police got involved in the investigation, they determined that the missing woman’s last sighting was on the afternoon of May 3, 2017, in a BB&T Bank in downtown Baltimore as she withdrew some money.
Akia Shawnta Eggleston Was Close to the Person Who Killed Her and Her Unborn Child
As part of their investigation, the police interviewed Akia Shawnta Eggleston’s family and friends, including her boyfriend and the father of her unborn child, Michael Robertson. Acting suspicious from the get-go by avoiding police contact for weeks and months between interviews, Michael was interrogated multiple times by the detectives, who noticed that he seemed to be hiding some things. Moreover, the couple seemed to be going through a rough patch at the time of her disappearance, making him look all the more suspicious. On June 15, 2017, he claimed that he last met with his girlfriend on May 1, 2017, when his belongings were packed for him after he returned home from work. He told them, “So I took that as the hint.”
By July 2017, the investigators reportedly came to the conclusion that Akia might have been a victim of foul play. Over the course of the investigation, it was believed that Michael was having an affair with another 22-year-old woman, with whom he allegedly shared two children. On the other hand, the detectives claimed that he was misleading Akia and made her believe that they would move in together and raise their child together. Excited to start a new life with him, she withdrew cash for the down payment on their future home. When Michael was interviewed again in October 2017 and asked about the reason for his new phone number, he claimed that he was receiving threats from Akia’s relatives around the time of her disappearance and had to change his number the day before the baby shower party.
The Killer Was Apprehended on the Basis of Circumstantial Evidence
In the same month, when the case garnered media attention, Michael allegedly searched for some suspicious things on Google, including “where does Baltimore city trash go when picked up,” “baltimore city landfill,” and “BALTIMORE City Dumpster pickup.” This made the evidence against him all the more concrete, enough to obtain an arrest warrant. Finally, after several years of investigation, on February 1, 2022, the police arrested Michael Robertson in Muskegon, Michigan, and charged him with two counts of first-degree murder in the 2017 murders of 22-year-old girlfriend, Akia Shawnta Eggleston, and her unborn child, Anubis.
In July 2023, Michael stood on trial for killing the eight-month pregnant woman in 2017. After a couple of weeks of back and forth between the prosecution and the defense, the jury came to a decision. They returned with a guilty verdict and convicted the defendant of two counts of first-degree murder. A few months later, on October 25, 2023, the convict was sentenced to two life consecutive life sentences for his crimes. Filled with joy and relief after the sentencing, Akia’s family and friends finally got the justice they wanted for the young woman.
Akia’s great-uncle Anthony Wilson stated, “We thank God for this verdict today. That the law works. The law works.” Her aunt Sanobia Wilson also addressed the court, “To know that we know who her killer is and he will be behind bars for the rest of his life — it’s a great thing.” As of today, Michael Robertson is incarcerated at Western Correctional Institution in Cumberland, Maryland.
Read More: Michael Robertson: Where is the Killer Now?
