DES MOINES, Iowa (Court TV) — An Iowa man was sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to shooting his ex-girlfriend’s parents, killing one and critically injuring the other.
Hamza Smajlovic appears in court at his sentencing hearing on Friday, Nov, 21, 2025. (Court TV)
In October, 25-year-old Hamza Smajlovic pleaded guilty to charges of first-degree murder and attempted murder in connection with the November 1, 2024, shooting that killed Ruth Robison and critically injured her husband, Tony Robison.
Smajlovic’s plea happened moments before jury selection was scheduled to begin in his trial.
On Friday, Smajlovic was sentenced to life in prison without parole for the murder of Ruth and a consecutive sentence of 25 years for the attempted murder of Tony.
According to police, the Robisons were at a Des Moines home helping their daughter, Jasmyne Robison, pack her belongings when Smajlovic opened fire. In court, Smajlovic admitted to shooting Ruth and Tony in the head with the intent to kill.
Jasmyne, who lived at the home with Smajlovic, was not injured in the shooting. In her victim impact statement, Jasmyne alleged years of abuse suffered at Smajlovic’s hands and called him a “f******g loser.”
Tony read a poem to his late wife during the sentencing hearing, describing her as a devoted mother who had been looking forward to future milestones with her family.
Other family members and friends also spoke about the alleged abuse Jasmyne suffered during their relationship and the impact of losing Ruth.
In handing down his sentence, the judge said he could count on one hand the number of times he had gone against a sentence proposed in a plea agreement. Prosecutors had proposed that Smajlovic’s sentences run concurrently in their plea agreement. The judge rejected that and sentenced Smajlovic to consecutive sentences.
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