JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Duval County judge has ordered that 21-year-old Steven Dodson Jr. be held without bond on a second-degree murder charge in the shooting death of two-year-old A’mahri Robinson.
Police say the toddler was shot and killed during a domestic dispute inside a Valencia Way apartment. Dodson was not in the courtroom for his first appearance as the charges were read through.
Family members filled the courtroom, grieving and demanding justice.
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“He needs the death penalty. You took my sister’s heartbeat,” Rayniah Wilson, the baby’s aunt, said.
As the case begins to move through the court system, records show Dodson has a history of violent arrests dating back to when he was 18.
In December 2022, he was charged with robbery after police said he and others lured a 16-year-old under the guise of filming a music video, then beat and robbed him.
In February 2023, he was arrested again. Police say he climbed through his girlfriend’s window, punched her in the face, and knocked out her two front teeth.
He later pleaded no contest to both the robbery and battery charges and was sentenced to 10 months in jail, followed by 30 months of probation.
While on probation, he was arrested again in June 2024 for possession of a loaded 9MM handgun. That arrest violated his probation and led to a 20-month prison sentence. He served about a year before being released in November 2025.
A criminal defense attorney not connected to the case says that pattern matters.
“Based on his history, based on the fact that he just got out of prison, he is going to be sentenced in a much more significantly serious way. He’s most likely going to spend the better part of his life in prison if not all of it,” attorney Michelle Suskauer said.
For A’mahri’s family, the focus remains on accountability.
“He needs to fry. He took our life away from us. We’re hurting. That baby didn’t deserve none of that,” Virginia Dunbar, the toddler’s aunt, said.
Dodson’s next court appearance is scheduled for April 15. A GoFundMe has been created to support A’mahri’s family as they continue to grieve.
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