Bio 

Wayne Cordell Mitchell was born on October 17, 1977. He lived in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and attended Schenley High School, where he met Robin Little. The two began dating as teenagers. Their son, Malik, was born in January 1997, and Mitchell and Robin married in April 1997, when Robin was 18 and Mitchell was 19.

The relationship was unstable and violent. Robin’s diary described repeated arguments and Mitchell’s violent behavior toward her. In September 1996, Mitchell threatened to kill Robin if she ever left him. Robin continued living with her mother, Debra King, in the Homewood section of Pittsburgh, while Mitchell later stayed with them for a period in 1997.

Robin’s mother testified that the couple often argued about Mitchell’s drinking, smoking, lack of work, and lack of involvement with their baby. In June 1997, Robin told her mother that Mitchell had punched holes in the wall during an argument. By July 1997, Robin ended the relationship and told Mitchell to leave. She briefly moved to Lancaster with her son before returning to Pittsburgh in August 1997.

Before the murder, Mitchell had already sexually assaulted Robin. On September 1, 1997, he raped her after an argument about another man she was seeing. Robin reported the attack to police and went to Magee Women’s Hospital for an examination. Mitchell was arrested and confessed to that rape. Robin later obtained a temporary Protection from Abuse order against him.

Mitchell was released from jail on September 9, 1997, under an arrangement requiring him to seek in-patient treatment for alcohol abuse. He was not admitted for treatment that day. Instead, he contacted Robin repeatedly and went to her home. Later that night and early the next morning, he returned again.

Murder Story

On September 9, 1997, Wayne Cordell Mitchell was released from jail after waiving his preliminary hearing on charges connected to the September 1 rape of Robin Little. He was supposed to seek immediate in-patient alcohol treatment, but he was not admitted to the treatment facility. Instead, he went home and began calling Robin.

That afternoon, Mitchell convinced Robin to let him come to her home. He arrived at about 4:15 p.m. The two argued about another man Robin had been seeing. Mitchell left shortly after 6:00 p.m. and later spent part of the evening drinking with friends.

Around 1:00 a.m. on September 10, Mitchell called Robin again. He apologized and convinced her to let him come back so they could talk about their son. Before going to Robin’s home, Mitchell called Sheila Britton, a former school counselor-type figure who knew both him and Robin. According to court records, Mitchell repeatedly told Britton that he was going to Robin’s house to kill her.

Mitchell went to Robin’s home in the early morning hours. When he arrived, Robin was sitting outside with another man, who left after Mitchell confronted him. Mitchell then argued with Robin again. He struck her, dragged her away from the house, and forced her toward a vacant area near her home.

During the attack, Robin screamed for help. Mitchell covered her mouth and continued dragging her. He saw a knife on a nearby porch, went back to get it, and then stabbed Robin. He also sexually assaulted her during the attack. The medical examiner later concluded that Robin died from multiple stab wounds to the neck and compression of the neck, meaning strangulation.

After killing Robin, Mitchell removed evidence from the scene. He threw Robin’s clothing, the knife, and a bloody rag into a sewer on nearby Kelly Street. He later discarded his own clothing in an abandoned house. Court records state that he told police he knew not to leave evidence behind because he had worked as a security guard.

At about 4:00 a.m., Mitchell called Sheila Britton again. When she asked about Robin, he told her, “Robin Little is no more.” He also said he planned to go to his uncle’s home to create an alibi and still attend the scheduled Protection from Abuse hearing, knowing Robin would not appear.

Later that morning, Robin’s mother became worried when Robin was not home. Police were contacted. Around 10:15 a.m., firefighters discovered Robin’s naked body in a vacant lot near her mother’s home. Her mother ran to the area after seeing police and emergency vehicles arrive.

Police soon learned that Mitchell was at St. Francis Hospital. Detectives went there and asked him to come with them for questioning. Mitchell agreed. At the homicide office, he gave a detailed statement admitting that he had raped Robin on September 1 and that he had raped and murdered her on September 10.

Mitchell was charged with criminal homicide and related sexual assault offenses. On October 1, 1999, he pleaded guilty to rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, and unlawful restraint charges connected to the September 10 assault. His jury trial began on the remaining charges shortly afterward.

On October 12, 1999, Mitchell was found guilty of rape and murder. During the penalty phase, the jury found aggravating factors, including that the killing happened during a felony and that Mitchell was under a Protection from Abuse order restricting contact with Robin. The jury found no mitigating circumstances and sentenced him to death. On December 8, 1999, the court formally imposed the death sentence, along with consecutive prison terms for the September 1 rape and related offenses.

Mitchell appealed, but the Pennsylvania Supreme Court affirmed the conviction and death sentence on July 19, 2006. His later post-conviction efforts were also rejected, including a 2016 decision dismissing his second PCRA petition as untimely. As of the current Pennsylvania execution list, Wayne Cordell Mitchell remains under a death sentence.