Their bodies were found five days later. the New York Daily News reported in 2015. the Associated Press reported at the time. The Girl Who Escaped: The Kara Robinson Story. Throughout her ordeal, Robinson focused on her abductor and her surroundings to gather information she could use. She freed herself from the constraints Evonitz placed on her while he slept before escaping. Years later, while on the run in South Carolina, he told his sister Kristen that he had abducted and raped a 15-year-old girl, as police charged. pic.twitter.com/PJBCnblMux. On June 24, 2002, 15-year-old Kara Robinson was at a friends house in Lexington County, South Carolina preparing for a day at the lake. The case never went cold, because the task force never stopped working. Bluebeard's wives were curious about the locked room and eventually looked inside. Evonitzs criminal career reportedly started the year before he tied the knot with Bonnie Lou Gower. Escaping Captivity: The Kara Robinson Story,. She joined The Post in 1997 as a two-year intern covering policing and courts in Loudoun County, Va. She later covered local and national education. When Evonitz looked for her, she was not there. The small village, near the border of Pennsylvania, was one of the filming locations used for the Netflix adaptation of Don DeLillo's White . Crowley remained in South Carolina after Evonitzs death. ", But he added, "This is the best lead we've had out of the 12,000 leads to come out.". Officials said he has no other known criminal convictions. Please subscribe to keep reading. Richard Evonitz died on June 27, 2002, at the age of 38. Sensing a connection between the murders, the police theorized that the Spotsylvania County victim had also been raped and killed similarly. "Just like an animal, he stalks his victims, waits for the right time and takes them," Downes said. They argue that many people grow up in toxic surroundings and don't become serial killers. Kati Lisk, her younger sister, was just 12 years old at the time and liked playing the clarinet and painting, according to the local newspaper The Free Lance Star in 2002. Later the authorities would prove he killed at least 3 . The notes contained the addresses of two other young girls and descriptions of them, The Associated Press reported. According to The Associated Press, the notes included the addresses and descriptions of two more young females. Glod previously worked at the Montgomery Journal in Maryland. Evonitz, 38, said he had killed someone and that he had committed "more crimes than he can remember," Richland County, S.C., Sheriff Leon Lott said today. As Spotsylvania detectives await results of DNA and other scientific tests to determine whether Evonitz killed Sofia Silva, 16, in September 1996, and Kati Lisk, 12, and her sister, Kristin, 15, in May 1997, investigators are just now beginning to piece together the past of this seemingly normal man -- a husband who was twice awarded the Navy Good Conduct Medal during an eight-year service career -- to see if he really was a lifelong predator who kept his crimes secret. "We're going to do his whole life's tale," Lott said. She reported the matter to the Richland County Sheriffs Department and took them back to his apartment complex, where a maintenance man helped them identify the residence. By the time he died, he had progressed from indecent exposure to murder. The New York Daily News said that investigators thought the deaths were related to Silvas. The couple was in Mexico to celebrate Silva's 40th birthday when Gere was diagnosed with . As per the news reported, Marie was a loyal wife to her husband. Following my escape, I was able to go to Virginia and meet with the families of the three girls, Robinson said. Police now know that Evonitz spent hours traveling the back roads of South Carolina and Virginia. RELATED: WHERE TO WATCH FORGOTTEN ABDUCTION ON STREAMING; Richard remarried Hope Marie Crowley. Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott describes Evonitz's particular compulsion as "The Monster." However, little headway was made in the case until Robinson led police to Evonitz. Investigators soon found evidence that Evonitz was responsible for the murders of three girls in Virginia:Sofia Silva, 16; Kristin Lisk and her sister Kati Lisk, the Associated Press reported at the time. Her loyalness was reflected when she disagreed with believing her husband's acts. While Richard seemingly remained inactive for the next few years, he struck again in June 2002. He was honorably discharged and received medals, including the Navy Achievement Medal, which is given for leadership. Now, if you wish to know more about the murders Richard committed and his current whereabouts, we have you covered. To avoid confusion with a paternal uncle called Richard, he graduated from Irmo High School in 1980 at the age of 16. At that point, my brain shut off my emotions. According to the Washington Post, he contacted his sister along the way and confessed to killing someone and committed more crimes than he can recall.. In the late 90s, Hope Marie Crowley was a 17-year-old waitress working at a pancake joint in Massaponax, Virginia. On September 9, 1996, Silva, a 16-year-old who had dreams of going to cosmetology school, sat on her family's doorstep doing homework when Evonitz kidnapped her. Kara said the driver didnt seem creepy or scary as he approached her and asked if her parents were home. She would have recognized the souvenir. Kara Robinson was abducted by serial killer Richard Evonitz from her friend's yard in 2002. Today, 19 years after her harrowing ordeal, Kara Robinson Chamberlain is married with two sons -- and 219,700 fans on TikTok, where she seeks to spread hope and encouragement to other survivors, she notes at kararobinsonchamberlain.com. When he abducted Kara, he did so only after placing his wife and mother on a plane for Walt Disney World. By Daniel S. Levine - February 26, 2023 03:04 pm EST. He forced her to watch the evening news to see if there was a report of her kidnapping. What do you think about Karas amazing story? The footlocker also contained pornographic tapes and many pairs of female underwear, all sizes, from infant to adult. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). ago. Crowley was working as a waitress at Aunt Sarah's . Richard Marc Evonitz born July 29, 1963 was a serial killer, kidnapper and rapist responsible for the deaths of three girls in Spotsylvania County, Virginia and the abduction and rape of a 15-year-old girl in Richland County, S.Carolina. Authorities said Evonitz has lived or traveled in California, Virginia, Florida and Texas. They are recounted here in detail that some may find disturbing. Evonitz was sentenced to three years of probation for this offense. Two days after Robinsons bold escape, she found out that Evonitz had killed himself. whod been taken from their homes in Virginia years earlier: Sofia Silva, 16, in 1996, and sisters Kristin, 15, and Kati Lisk, in 1997. Police records in Clay County say he "confessed both orally and written to his guilt. Birth date from SSDI as Marc E Evonitz, SSN 251-04-4170. As they released a police dog, he put the gun in his mouth and pulled the trigger.. Nevertheless, she embraced a life of privacy and continues to do so even today. She never misses Jeopardy and alternately wishes she lived in Beast's castle or was making the Kessel Run in the Millennium Falcon. Keep supporting great journalism by turning off your ad blocker. Age, Family, Husband, Net worth, Wiki, Bio, Height, Birthday, Following Robinsons escape, Evonitz left his residence and traveled to Florida. Evonitz's wives were curious about the blue trunk, yet never opened it. Other houses in the area where he lived will also be searched, he said. On June 27, 2002, police finally caught up with him in Florida, where he led them on a high-speed chase, and finally cornered him, wrote the New York Daily News. In broad daylight, Robinson was abducted by a stranger who had pulled up in his car and approached her, ostensibly to hand her some magazines . Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! You have permission to edit this article. Two Richland County deputies and one FBI agent formed a team today that will work full time to reconstruct Evonitz's life. Inside Evonitzs apartment, authorities made a chilling discovery. Members of the task force have tracked down some of the tag numbers he mentioned in notes and will be interviewing their owners to see if anyone remembers seeing him. "But with us, there was a level of trust. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Lexington County Sheriff James R. Metts said Evonitz tied the girl up and raped her. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. "We'll take it from the time he was born and go forward. Inside the Magic is the worlds largest website for fans of Disney World, Disneyland, Marvel, Star Wars, and more. The sisters disappeared from their yard on May 1, 1997. Evonitz's criminal career reportedly started the year before he tied the knot with Bonnie Lou Gower. After his time in the U.S. Navy ended, he settled down in South Carolina and began. When she explained that her friends mum wasnt home, Evonitz moved closer and said he was handing out brochures. According to the New York Daily News, her elder sister was inside but had not heard anything. Meanwhile, discovering her escape, Evonitz fled to Florida. Robinson has publicly spoken about the terrifying ordeal, years before the Lifetime true crime movie aired. Only when he was ready did the safe Henry Jekyll become the wicked Edward Hyde. Police initially treated it as a missing persons case instead of an abduction -- until Silva was found about five weeks later, dead in a swamp. r/standwithusa 5 min. Does She Have Kids? They prefer a much simpler label: predator. Two men she stopped in the parking lot took her to a sheriff's station. RELATED: WHERE TO WATCH FORGOTTEN ABDUCTION ON STREAMING; Richard remarried Hope Marie Crowley. The man held a gun to her head and threatened to shoot her if she screamed. As he drove from his South Carolina home to Georgia and into Florida last week, Richard Evonitz knew he was only a few steps ahead of police trying to arrest him in the rape of a 15-year-old. "He would not even discuss it with her," said Capt. The Associated Press stated at the time that investigators quickly discovered proof that Evonitz was responsible for the killings of three girls in Virginia: Sofia Silva, 16, Kristin Lisk, and her sister Kati Lisk. Her sister Kati Lisk was just 12 and enjoyed playing the clarinet and drawing, local outlet The Free Lance Star reported in 2002. Richard T. EvonitzRichard Thomas Evonitz, 73, of Fredericksburg died on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2014, at his residence surrounded by his family.Survivors include his wife, Barbara Evonitz; son Richard W. Bluebeard hid the bodies of his murdered wives behind one of the locked doors in his castle. Read More: Who is Kara Robinsons Husband? Three years after Bonnie Lou Gower left Richard Evonitz, he remarried Hope Marie Crowley. Sofia Silva, 16; Kristin Lisk and her sister Kati Lisk, Kristin Lisk was a 15-year-old who was finishing up her first year of high school and like playing soccer. Investigators soon found evidence that Evonitz was responsible for the murders of three girls in Virginia: Sofia Silva, 16; Kristin Lisk and her sister Kati Lisk, the Associated Press reported at the time. When police interviewed Hope Evonitz after her husband's death, they said she was controlled and emotionless. Another strange DNA quirk happened with the case. This confirmed to the police that Richard was the one who had sexually assaulted and killed Silvia, Kristin, and Kati in 1996 and 1997. Kristian Bruun stars as Richard Evonitz in the terrifying film. There is not any information on how he spent his early day. Richard served as a Sonar Technician for eight years before receiving two Good Conduct Medals and an honorable discharge. His belongings connected him to the abduction and murder of three girls whod been taken from their homes in Virginia years earlier: Sofia Silva, 16, in 1996, and sisters Kristin, 15, and Kati Lisk, in 1997. At this point, Evonitz was serving in the US Navy and the couple were based between California and Maine. A serial killer abducted 15-year-old Kara Robinson in 2002, forced her into his vehicle and restrained her inside his Columbia, South Carolina, home.. According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the majority of children are abducted by someone they know. But due to the lack of evidence, both cases remained cold for several years until June 24, 2002, when Richard abducted 15-year-old Kara Robinson at gunpoint from her friends front yard in Columbia. Evonitz married Bonnie Lou Gower from 1988 to 1996, and then his second wife Hope Marie Crowley from 1999 till his death. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! The conversation took place before he killed himself after a police chase in Florida. "He was somebody who felt everything closing in on him. Kara Robinson Chamberlain, a kidnapping survivor, now reaches thousands of viewers on TikTok with her advice about overcoming trauma. After graduating high school and briefly working as a Manager for Jiffy Lube, he joined the Navy. I didnt look back for a second. Robinson sprinted toward a car in the parking lot and pleaded with the people inside to bring her to the police station. Her decomposed body was found a month later in a creek off State Route 3 in King George County. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); Actor: Arno Greeff Age, Parents, Brother, Wikipedia -Biography, Ethnicity, Family, Height, Net worth, Birthday, Who is Vessa Rockliff -Daly Cherry Evans Wife? He also will host an FBI "working group" on Evonitz next year. The information shed stored in her head proved invaluable in confirming his identity. We focus on bringing you all things fun so you can plan your theme park vacation, enjoy Disney at home, and more. The abduction became the biggest mistake of Richard Evonitz's criminal career when Robinson escaped and eventually sent police down his path. But what happened to the man who abducted her? When he kidnapped Kara, he was married to his second wife, Hope Marie Crowley, and she unknowingly played a crucial role in helping the teenager identify Richard. With his wife gone and their Columbia apartment empty, he could play out his fantasies of domination and control. Screenshot from True Crime Daily YouTube, Teen survives abduction by serial killer, now thrives in law enforcement. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features NFL Sunday Ticket Press Copyright . At that point, my brain shut off my emotions. His mother described the moment she realized he had betrayed her: With her son on the run, she returned from Disney World to her home in Columbia. He had at least two handguns, a plastic tub for his victims, a pair of handcuffs that he reinforced with wire, and a 2-by-4 with ropes and eyebolts that he used for bondage. She was 17 years old at the time and Evonitz was 36. Maria Glod is the deputy Metro editor at The Washington Post. Created in 2005, what started as a tiny central Florida-based website and short weekly podcast that allowed our audience to visit Walt Disney World virtually has grown into the publishing company it is today. When she led police back to Evonitz's apartment, he was gone. When it came to his net worth, he was just like the rest of us. His violence didn't burst from within him unexpectedly. The case was first regarded as a missing person case rather than an abduction until Silva was discovered dead in a marsh five weeks later. Evonitz hid the souvenirs of his crimes in a locked footlocker in his bedroom. "He was someone who just blends in. Steve Dempsey of the King George County Sheriff's Office and a member of the task force that investigated the 1996 and '97 slayings of three Spotsylvania County girls: Sofia Silva and Kristin and Kati Lisk. In 2010, Robinson graduated from the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy, reported WISTV.com. When arrested a month later, he pleaded no contest to the charge of a charge of lewd and lascivious behavior in the presence of a child and was ordered three years of probation. A 15-year-old kidnap survivor's escape led police to a serial killer: Richard Evonitz. While her friend got ready, Robinson was watering the front lawn. They could not determine if it had been stolen or purchased. Through evidence discovered after Robinsons brave escape, Evonitz was tied to the Silva and Lisk murders. The footlocker also contained a white dress shirt, carefully folded. Also Read: Actor: Arno Greeff Age, Parents, Brother, Wikipedia -Biography, Ethnicity, Family, Height, Net worth, Birthday. #onthisday pic.twitter.com/OIcfpFebnS Murderific True Crime Podcast (@MurderificBPC) July 29, 2019 Who is Kara Robinsons Husband? His name appeared on only one list, a list of newly issued Spotsylvania County business licenses. Later, he worked at companies that manufactured compressors and grinding equipment. He forcefully held Kara in his She was 17 years old at the time and Evonitz was 36. Richard Evonitz had a pattern of committing crimes while his wives were absent. She and other family members met with police the next morning at the Richland County police headquarters. Evonitz was cornered by police in Florida where he then killed himself. On September 9, 1996, Evonitz kidnapped 16-year-old Sofia Silva from the front steps of her house in Virginia. WARNING: Content of a disturbing nature ahead. A high-speed car chase followed to catch Richard, resulting in him running over spike strips on the highway and being attacked by a police dog. Have something to tell us about this article? . In May 1997, 15-year-old Kristin Lisk and her 12-year-old sister, Kati, vanished from their front yard in Spotsylvania. Her older sister was inside but hadn't heard a thing, according to the New York Daily News. Kristin Lisk was a 15-year-old who was finishing up her first year of high school and like playing soccer. You can view a clip below: Today, Kara runs a website, where she offers hope and encouragement to other survivors.. Sensing that there was no escape, he began calling relatives with cryptic confessions. In the late 90s, Hope Marie Crowley was a 17-year-old waitress working at a pancake joint in Massaponax, Virginia. Richard Marc Edward Evonitz was born on July 29, 1963, at Providence Hospital in Columbia, South Carolina, to Joseph Evonitz and Tess Ragin Evonitz. When Kara Robinson escaped her captor, Richard Evonitz, she helped police uncover a serial killer. In the two years since his death, federal, state and local investigators have tried to link Evonitz to other crimes, compiling an inch-thick timeline of his life. During that time, she met 36-year-old Richard Marc Evonitz of Columbia, South Carolina, and love quickly blossomed between the two. Evonitz was born on July 29, 1963 meaning he was around 25 years old when he was married to Gower. So he deviated from his plan. Inside a lockbox in the apartment, they found the hints to the Lisk killings. She was 17 years old at the time and Evonitz was 36. "They knew if they did [open the trunk], bad things were going to happen.". "End of Trial Fails To End Uncertainty; Family Seeks Justice in '96 Va. Killings, While Man Wants to Clear His Name" Washington Post, September 4, 2005 Ian Shapira and Maria Glod, List of serial killers in the United States, "As Police Closed In, Evonitz Admitted Crimes to Sister", "Lifetime Partners Again with Elizabeth Smart on "The Kara Robinson Story", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Richard_Evonitz&oldid=1142021837, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Pages using infobox person with multiple spouses, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, The Spotsylvania Serial killer, Lisk/Silva Killer, Bonnie Lou Gower (1988-1996), Hope Marie Crowley (1999-his death), This page was last edited on 28 February 2023, at 03:03. He entered a plea of no contest and was sentenced to three years' probation. None of it contained telling DNA evidence. Investigators were able to track the serial killer to Sarasota, Florida, where a high-speed chase ensued. Throughout her multi-day abduction, Kara gained her captors trust by learning details about him, including: finding out he was in the Navy, memorizing the addresses of his dentist and doctor from magnets on his fridge, and realizing a woman lived in the apartment with him. On June 24, 2002, Robinson, then 15, was watering the plants at a friend's home in Colombia, South Carolina, when her friend went inside. 20052023 JAK Schmidt, Inc. All rights reserved. We are not able to find his account on social media platforms such as Twitter and Instagram. He filed for bankruptcy in 1997 after a divorce left him unable to pay his expenses, and the property was foreclosed on in 1999 after a failed business endeavor, although Evonitz had been working at an air-compressor firm since moving to South Carolina a few years before his death. After Kara escaped from Evonitz in Columbia, police realized that they had never heard his name before. Richard Evonitz was reportedly married to Bonnie Lou Gower from 1988 to 1996. He would not be able to join them, he said, because he had to work. she asked. Later, they checked to see if they had overlooked him during their long investigation. Evonitz took Robinson to his apartment, where he restrained her, drugged her, and sexually assaulted her. He then sexually assaulted and strangled them to death, dumping their bodies in the South Anna River. After his crimes, Fredericksburg never seemed as safe. It seemed that Evonitz delighted in outsmarting police, in making his crimes as daring as possible. He took her to his apartment, raped her, forced her to smoke marijuana, and tied her to his bed. Inside the pocket was trace evidence that connected Evonitz to the Lisk sisters. He took her to his home before raping her repeatedly, then tied her to the bed before falling asleep, allowing her to the opportunity to escape and alert authorities. Dawn was breaking when Evonitz fell asleep and Robinson recognized her chance to flee. Does She Have Kids. He chose strangers to abduct and kill. If she had picked the simple lock, as police later did, she would have found evidence of her husband's crimes. After gagging her, he repeatedly raped Kara over the next eighteen hours and forced her to smoke marijuana. [4], Following his stint in the Navy, Evonitz worked steadily at businesses that sold compressors and grinding equipment. He was a stranger to them. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. They will interview friends, co-workers and relatives and track Evonitz's frequent travels from state to state in a search for links to similar unsolved crimes in those areas. From 1988 to 1996, Evonitz married Bonnie Lou Gower, and from 1999 till his death, he was married to Hope Marie Crowley. In the past few years, he returned to South Carolina and recently moved into a small garden apartment with his 19-year-old wife. Kristen and Jennifer, his two daughters, were born in 1968 and 1971, respectively, and he was the first of three children. Police think while his 20-year-old wife was on vacation, Mr. Evonitz kidnapped a 15-year-old girl at gunpoint on June 24, forced her to his vehicle, drove her to his Columbia apartment and. I just went into survival mode, she told. Sensing no way of escape, Richard shot himself dead before he could be arrested. Authorities found the fingerprints of Krista Lisk inside one of his vehicles, further incriminating him in the heinous murders. Along the way, he called his sister and confessed to killing someone and committing "more crimes than he can remember," according to the Washington Post. During that time, she met 36-year-old Richard Marc Evonitz of Columbia, South Carolina, and love quickly blossomed between the two. Inside his apartment they found a locked foot-locker with newspaper clippings about the unsolved murders of three girls: Sofia Silva and sisters Kati and Kristin Lisk. [2], After high school, Evonitz worked briefly as the manager of a Jiffy Lube, before joining the United States Navy. l "Escaping Captivity: The Kara Robinson Story. The footlocker was symbolic of the control that Evonitz had over his two wives, said Gerard F. Downes, a criminal profiler with the FBI. However, they found a lead in May 1997 when two sisters were found dead in Hanover County. To learn more about Kara Robinson, watch Escaping Captivity: The Kara Robinson Story, on Oxygen. Was it some sort of uniform that he wore when committing his crimes? He spoke about Evonitz last year at a meeting of the International Homicide Investigators Association in Las Vegas. Watch Escaping Captivity: The Kara Robinson Tale for more information on this case and Robinsons story. [2], In January 1987, Evonitz exposed himself and masturbated in front of a 15-year-old girl in Orange Park, Florida. Metts said the girl led detectives to the apartment and picked Evonitz out of a photo array. According to the New York Daily News, Evonitz pulled up and began conversing with her under the guise of selling magazines, before brandishing a gun at her and forcing her into a Rubbermaid container in the back of his car. Who is Kara Robinsons Husband? Their bodies were found five days later in the South Anna River. After an 18-hour ordeal, the girl heard Evonitz snoring and was able to escape, authorities said. Thankfully, Kara exhibited immense bravery despite her trauma and managed to escape Richards house the following day. We don't know if this is our guy. But perhaps that pain will be bearable if these newly revealed facts help us to understand how a man capable of performing these misdeeds could live among us. Youve undoubtedly heard of Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy, Dennis Rader, Richard Ramirez, and Eileen Wuornos some of the most well-known serial killers in American history but there are also less well-publicized serial murderers, and one of them has a bizarre Disney connection. They hope to understand him and connect him to other crimes he may have committed. National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. This made Richard a primary suspect in the murder investigation. They learned later that Bonnie, his first wife, had the blanket in California. At 15, the Spotsylvania High School freshman played soccer and had an affinity for ladybugs. But inside Evonitz's apartment, detectives found a Fredericksburg, Va., newspaper from the day after the Lisk abductions and notes about the girls, along with directions to a location near their home.