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Family members grateful arrest made in brother's shooting death

By Mark Barber
By Mark Barber

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Family members are grateful after an arrest has been made in the murder of a man in southeast Charlotte late last year.

Officers told Channel 9 last month that they believed the murder of Thomas McDonald was random, and his relatives told Eyewitness News that they were worried the case was going cold.

[IMAGES: Man shot to death at southeast Charlotte apartment complex]

Police arrested 19-year-old Martin Robinson after he was found in Tennessee last week. Investigators said he randomly shot and killed McDonald nearly two months ago as McDonald was bringing food back to the Sardis Place Apartments.

"That was really hard to even grieve when you this in the back of your mind that you don't know what happened," said McDonald's sister Aubrey Toscano.

[Arrest made in homicide at SE Charlotte apartment complex]

For weeks McDonald’s family put up fliers promising a $6,000 reward, but after no new information came in, detectives released a key clue -- a shoe that was left at the scene -- that they hoped would lead them to the killer.

Detectives also told the family to reach out to Channel 9 and Eyewitness News aired updates on the story, including news of Robinson’s arrest.

(Martin Robinson)

Police said that an anonymous tip finally led them to McDonald's accused killer.

"You really honestly gave us peace when there wasn't any peace and hope where there wasn't much joy left, so I just want to say thank you from us," Toscano said. "We thank the Charlotte community, there are good, good people out there and we just want to say thank you."

McDonald’s family hopes that others will become motivated to come forward and speak up about other unsolved cases.

As for Robinson, police still do not know why he shot McDonald. Police said the two men didn't know each other.

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