Hampstead man peads guilty to killing his family

Friday, December 12, 2025 - A Hampstead man accused of k!lling his mother, sister, and son has been sentenced after pleading guilty.

Wilbert Lamont Robinson, 44, pleaded guilty in New Hanover County Superior Court on Wednesday, December 10, for charges in connection with a triple homicide at a Wilmington shopping center that occurred in January 2022. 

Robinson was charged with three counts of first-degree murd£r in connection with the deaths of his mother, Diretta Robinson, 65, his sister Trina Robinson, 48, and his 13-year-old son, Isiah Hansley.

Assistant District Attorney Sean Spiering said all three victims were found in a car with gunshot wounds, and Wilbert Robinson was found on the pavement behind the car with a self-inflicted gunshot wound and a 9mm pistol by his side.

Hansley was the only victim to suffer multiple gunsh0t wounds.

Shell casings at the site matched the pistol found at the site, and Wilbert Robinson later told investigators he owned the same gun, Spiering noted.

Spiering said multiple witnesses saw and heard the incident. One witness even helped treat Wilbert Robinson behind the vehicle after checking the victims' pulses.

The state requested to charge Wilbert Robinson with three counts of second-degree murd£r, dropping the original three counts of first-degree murder and one charge of discharging a weapon into an occupied vehicle.
 
Wilbert Robinson is a veteran who was living with his mom and working for an electric company at the time, Spiering explained. He also shared custody over Hansley, Spiering added.

Before the shooting, the defendant took a leave of absence for a "drug problem," Spiering said. Despite the problem, the attorney said the defendant's former employer defined Robinson as a "good employee" who kept to himself.

After witnesses called 911 dispatchers shortly after 4 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022, Wilmington police arrived at Landfall Shopping Center and found the victims in a parking lot outside the Dollar Tree on Military Cutoff Road, per previous reporting.

During interviews shortly after the incident, Robinson claimed he did not remember the incident and that he would not answer questions about the moment of the shooting, Spiering said. The attorney told the court that records show the defendant tried to call his mom, one of the victims, the day after the sh0oting.

Asked why he would shoot his family, Spiering said Wilbert Robinson responded that he would not have because they were there for him.

After complaining of auditory hallucinations and further investigation into Wilbert Robinson, a psychiatric doctor diagnosed him with schizoaffective disorder, a mental disorder that impairs decision-making and the ability to think rationally.

A jury trial was slated to begin late March 2026, but Wilbert Robinson believes going to trial would be traumatic for both him and the family, Moore said. He feels "incredibly remorseful," said Moore, stating he knows and believes the incident happened.

After hearing the factual basis presented and family impact statements, Judge Jessica Locklear gave Wilbert Robinson three sentences for second-degree murd£r in favor of the plea agreement with each sentence being a minimum of 20 years and maximum of 25 years in the state's adult correction facility.

"The court takes this very serious... I am so sorry for your loss," said Locklear before thanking the victims' family for being in court.

Wilbert Robinson has served a total of 1,424 days.

Locklear also recommended the defendant complete a mental health assessment.