ROCKINGHAM — Two men awaiting murder trials were charged earlier this month with having weapons in the Richmond County Jail.
According to a warrant, 58-year-old Christopher Mark Robson, on Nov. 16, was found in possession of an ink pen “with no internal components with a lead pencil protruding from the end.”
Deputies say the weapon was “concealed and intended to be used to cause serious injury or physical harm to others.”
Robson is also accused of refusing to be removed from a cell block by Detective Marcus Brown. According to the warrant, Robson was “physically resisting and fighting with officers authorized to restrain him.”
At the time, Brown was “assisting in moving and searching inmates,” according to the warrant.
The following day, 21-year-old Emmanuel Qurshad Gillis was also reportedly found with a shank.
Both Robson and Gillis are charged with possession of a weapon by a prisoner. Robson is also charged with a count of resisting a public officer. Each was given an additional $25,000 secured bond and both are scheduled to appear in court Dec. 16.
Robson has been in jail awaiting trial since August of 2017. He is accused of shooting and killing Joseph and Katherine Cassidy and leaving their bodies in a vehicle on Lee Thee Church Road. An infant child was found alive inside the vehicle.
In addition to the two counts of murder, Robson was charged with: fleeing to elude arrest with a motor vehicle; reckless driving to endanger; possession of a firearm by a felon; larceny of a firearm; possession of a stolen firearm; discharging a firearm into an occupied property; and assault with a deadly weapon in the presence of a minor.
Later that year, Robson was also charged with simple affray.
Jail records show the charges of simple affray and assault with a deadly weapon in the presence of a minor have been dismissed.
Robson is being held without bond on the murder charges and has a combined $425,000 secured bond on the other charges, according to jail records.
Gillis is one of two men charged in the Aug. 2019 murder of Nijamel Jaque Goodwin in Hoffman, according to records from the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office.
Records show Gillis with addresses in both Parkton and Pinebluff.
According to the incident report from the sheriff’s office, Gillis and Kiaya Carlton Jackson, of Pinebluff, robbed Goodwin — who lived in Hamlet — of $5,000 and shot him in the neck around 10 p.m. on Aug. 13, 2019.
Jackson was arrested and charged three days later; Gillis was arrested Feb. 5, 2020.
In addition to murder, Gillis and Jackson are charged with robbery with a dangerous weapon.
Jail records show both Gillis and Jackson were charged on Oct. 15 with possession of a weapon by a prisoner.
Gillis is being held under a combined $550,000 secured bond.
All defendants facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
