Couple charged in death of one child and accused of abusing three others

TEXARKANA, Texas – A man charged with murdering his 5-year-old stepson and his wife – who is also responsible for the child's death – were charged Tuesday with alleged abuse of the boy's three younger sisters.

Terry Don Robinson Jr., 35, and Destiny Lynn Culvahouse, aka. Destiny Robinson, 24, is accused of abusing and neglecting three girls, ages 1, 2 and 3, according to court documents. After the death of their brother, 5-year-old Zaydon Robinson, on Sept. 27, the girls were taken into state care and examined by experts at a Dallas hospital, according to a probable cause affidavit.

The results of those investigations led to a half-dozen new charges against Robinson and Culvahouse, including one count each of first-degree felony injury to a child, two counts each of third-degree felony injury to a child and three counts each of child endangerment. Court records show.

All of the children were repeatedly beaten by Robinson with a black rubber hose. The scars on the children's buttocks were allegedly the result of a diaper rash so severe that it had caused skin abscesses, a sign of neglect, an affidavit said.

A girl born in December 2021 was covered in fading bruises and had suffered numerous broken ribs, according to the affidavit. The eldest, a girl born in January 2021, showed signs of physical abuse and neglect, as well as problems that could indicate that she was not being fed regularly.

During the examination at the hospital, the eldest of the girls ate a lot of food and would become “very upset” if food that fell on the floor was thrown away, the affidavit said.

“The doctor indicated that this behavior was due to a child who did not have consistent access to food,” the affidavit states. “The doctor advised she needed therapy to understand when she was hungry and when she had eaten enough.”

Robinson faces death or life without the possibility of parole if convicted of Zaydon's murder. If convicted of first-degree injury to a child by omission for failing to protect Zaydon, Culvahouse faces five to 99 years to life in prison.

Both Robinson and Culvahouse face five to 99 years or life in prison if convicted of a second, first-degree felony count of injury to a child involving one of the girls, and two to 10 years in prison if convicted of injury to one child, in which the other two were involved, will be sentenced.

Robinson and Culvahouse are each charged with three counts of child endangerment, each punishable by a sentence of six months to two years in state prison.

Robinson's bail on the murder charge is set at $5 million. Bail for the other charges totals $120,000. Culvahouse's bail in connection with Zaydon's death is set at $1 million. Bail for the other charges totals $120,000. Both have been in custody since the day of Zaydon's death.