Justice for Akia Eggleston and her unborn son

Six years. That's how long the family of Akia Eggleston waited for justice. While the legal battle is over, and the Baltimore man convicted of murdering the young mother and her unborn son will spend the rest of his life in prison, for her loved ones the court victory is bittersweet.

Investigators never found Akia's body, leaving her loved ones in limbo and unable to say goodbye.

Akia Eggleston vanished on May 3, 2017.

​​​I've covered Akia's case since 2017. Sadly, it's one of many stories of young, pregnant women who disappear only to be met with a tragic ending. More often than not, investigators know who's responsible, but it's not what they know. It's what they can prove. Murder cases without a body can be difficult to bring to trial but not impossible. 

In July, a jury convicted Robertson of two counts of first-degree murder for killing the pregnant mom in 2017. On Wednesday, a judge sentenced Robertson to two consecutive life terms with the possibility of parole. The 42-year-old maintains his innocence and refuses to disclose what he did with the remains of his ex-girlfriend and their unborn son. 

Akia's stepfather, Shawn Wilkinson, told me via a text message he's grateful Robertson didn't get away with murder.

"We are thankful that they were able to charge him, try him, and finally convict him!"

​Baltimore City State's Attorney Ivan Bates also released a statement on the sentence:

“This sentence ensures that Michael Robertson will no longer be a threat to the safety of others and will spend the rest of his life behind bars for the egregious violence he inflicted upon Akia Eggleston and her unborn child. My prayers are with Ms. Eggleston’s family, who had to wait such a long time to see justice done. It was the vigilance of our Homicide Division, ASA Kurt Bjorklund, the Baltimore Police Department, and our partners in law enforcement, including Missing Persons and the FBI, that made this conviction possible. My gratitude is with them for ensuring that this defendant was held accountable.”
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​May 3, 2017

​Akia, 22, was eight months pregnant when she disappeared on May 3, 2017, four days before her baby shower. According to prosecutors, Robertson told the young mother he wanted to move in together and convinced Akia to withdraw money from her account for a down payment on a house. But Robertson was already in a relationship with another woman who had just given birth to the couple's second child. According to a statement of probable cause, prosecutors believe Robertson killed Akia and, based on his Google searches, disposed of her body in a landfill. Not long after, Robertson moved to Michigan. 

Convicted killer Michael Robertson

​Because there was no DNA, prosecutors had to build the case with circumstantial evidence, including phone records, bank statements, telephone records, interviews, and social media messages. U.S. Marshals arrested Robertson in Michigan, in February 2022.

Three generations gone

Although the legal case is over, life will never be the same for Akia's family. She left behind a daughter who is now eight years old. She will want to know what happened to her mother and brother. Akia's siblings will never see their eldest sister again, and were robbed of the opportunity to meet their nephew. For the maternal grandparents and aunts, it's another tragic, untimely loss. Akia's mother died of cancer in 2012. Three generations gone.

Robertson gets to live. He'll get three meals daily and have a roof over his head. He'll get to see his family if they choose to visit him. He'll get to stay in touch with his children IF they and their mothers want to. Let's not forget his children are also victims of their father's actions. They'll have to live with the stigma of his crimes. 

Robertson had a chance to come clean. He could've said what he did with Akia and her baby's remains. The least Robertson should've done was allow the family to give them a proper goodbye. Instead, Robertson cowardly kept that information to himself. ​Perhaps he was betting on that old phrase, "Nobody, no crime."

While Akia's family, stepparents, friends and everyone who loved her will forever carry the heartache and pain, they'll hopefully find solace in knowing that Robertson will spend the rest of his days locked up.