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When she led police back to Evonitz's apartment, he was gone. He was the first of three children; two sisters, Kristen and Jennifer, followed him in 1968 and 1971. Kara now a 35-year-old motivational speaker miraculously escaped, ultimately leading police to the would-be murderers Columbia, South Carolina apartment. I wanted to gather as much information as I could to figure out where I was and who he was to identify him later., Related:Iconic Disney Trains Left Brilliantly Vandalized at EPCOT. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Furthermore, the police found a lockbox containing news clippings and notes related to Kati, Kristin, and Sofias murders, along with writings mentioning the locations near their houses. 2d ago Watch Escaping Captivity: The Kara Robinson Tale for more information on this case and Robinsons story. I just went into survival mode, she told. Learn more about Kara Robinsons story here: True Crime Daily, Copyright 2022 Crime Museum, LLC - All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy |. When Virginia officers looked through his Columbia, S.C., apartment, they searched for an afghan they knew he owned in Spotsylvania. "From what we've been able to discern, there were no signals, no signs," Lott said. Evonitzs criminal career reportedly started the year before he tied the knot with Bonnie Lou Gower. Eventually, the Columbia native tied the knot with Hope Marie Crowley in 1999. After his time in the U.S. Navy ended, he settled down in South Carolina and began. 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. An article about Kara's harrowing ordeal noted that she was outside watering flowers for a neighbor: Evonitz made scouting trips and careful notes of what he saw. Most children are kidnapped by someone they know, per the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The kidnapper took Robinson to his apartment, where he repeatedly sexually assaulted her and held her captive for 18 hours. Eventually, the Columbia native tied the knot with Hope Marie Crowley in 1999. November 18, 2021 . 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. According to the New York Daily News, her elder sister was inside but had not heard anything. On June 24, 2002, Hope and Richards mother were away on vacation at Disneyland, California. In the late 90s, Hope Marie Crowley was a 17-year-old waitress working at a pancake joint in Massaponax, Virginia. [4], Following his stint in the Navy, Evonitz worked steadily at businesses that sold compressors and grinding equipment. To her, they were harmless sightseeing trips. According to the Associated Press, one of the females depicted in the notes told The Free Lance-Star, Its sort of alarming that this person was out there staring at me. Im curious as to why he didnt see me. There were additional guns, ropes, and other murder equipment discovered, as well as notes indicating that Evonitz was on the lookout for other victims. Later, authorities identified him as the LiskSilva killer. Through evidence discovered after Robinsons brave escape, Evonitz was tied to the Silva and Lisk murders. I just went into survival mode, she told Oxygen. His belongings, connected him to the abduction and murder of three girls. She freed herself from the constraints Evonitz placed on her while he slept before escaping. In 1987 he ran into trouble with the law when he exposed himself to a 15-year-old girl and he was arrested one month later when his ship returned to port. The 39-year-old killed himself following a police chase in Florida that same year. Later, when he fled from police after Kara's escape, he stole license plates and shaved his goatee to hide his identity. ", ON THE WEB: For previous stories in this series, visit fredericksburg.com, To reach JIM HALL: 540/374-5433 jhall@freelancestar.com. Antisemitic man threatened to kill Jewish pols, Michigan AG says she Keep supporting great journalism by turning off your ad blocker. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Who is Kara Robinsons Husband? Photo Illustration by Luis G. Rendon/The Daily Beast/ReutersAlex Murdaugh, the once-prominent member of a legal dynasty in South Carolina's Lowcountry, has been convicted of murdering his wife and son in June 2021.Murdaugh, 54, was found guilty of all four counts against him on Thursday in connection with the deaths of his 52-year-old wife, Maggie, and their 22-year-old son, Paul, near the . [4], On September 9, 1996, Evonitz abducted 16-year-old Sofia Silva from her front yard near Loriella Park in Spotsylvania County. We don't want to rush things. Lifetimes thriller movie The Girl Who Escaped: The Kara Robinson Story chronicles how Kara courageously escaped her captors home after being abducted and assaulted for eighteen hours, eventually helping the police identify him and his past crimes. Richard served as a Sonar Technician for eight years before receiving two Good Conduct Medals and an honorable discharge. Evonitz was the most dangerous of all predators--an invisible one. PRIVACY POLICY. He believed he could do whatever he wanted. She was reportedly 17 years old. After his crimes, Fredericksburg never seemed as safe. Richard Gere's Wife Offers New Health Updates After His Hospitalization After an 18-hour ordeal, the girl heard Evonitz snoring and was able to escape, authorities said. Evonitz's criminal career lasted at least 15 years. Kara Robinson Chamberlain, a kidnapping survivor, now reaches thousands of viewers on TikTok with her advice about overcoming trauma. 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. His violence didn't burst from within him unexpectedly. Independent Contractor (Newspaper Carrier), Spotsylvania woman, 29, killed in crash Thursday morning, Woman pleads guilty to bashing former roommate with bat, Police cite medical emergency in Spotsylvania crash, Spotsylvania approves rezoning, making way for 'techno campus', Nebraska cheerleader competes by herself at state competition, but crowd doesn't let her feel alone, Virginia aerialist wins 'Americas Got Talent: All Stars', New commuter bus routes coming to Fredericksburg area, Spotsylvania man convicted after being caught in child pornography sting, KFC is bringing back a fan favorite after a nearly 10-year hiatus, Spotsylvania schools' new chief of staff will be "legislative liaison" for school division, Spotsylvania School Board member charged with forgery, Virginia State Police seek public's help in fatal crash investigation, Spotsylvania man convicted of felony in driveway shooting, Archived Lisk-Silva stories from June 2002 through present, Archived Lisk-Silva stories from April 2001 through June 2002. Next year, the FBI will invite law enforcement officers from places where Evonitz lived or traveled to be part of an investigators working group in Quantico. It was his preference, a well-developed appetite. Now, if you wish to learn more about Hope, heres what we found! At the time of Kara's abduction and subsequent sexual assault, Evonitz's wife of three years, Hope Marie Crawley, was visiting Walt Disney World Resort. Gower and Evonitz had been neighbors in Columbia and she was a friend of his younger sister. Deep within some of the tapes were scenes that Evonitz recorded. Inside a lockbox in the apartment, they found the hints to the Lisk killings. However, that brazen kidnapper, the one who operates in broad daylight, does exist. The case never went cold, because the task force never stopped working. To everyones shock, Richard had already fled by then, seemingly after noticing Kara gone when he woke up. We're going to take our time. 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. Evonitz did not have any children with either wives. [8][9], On February 11, 2023, Lifetime released a television film called The Girl Who Escaped: The Kara Robinson Story. Three days after kidnapping Robinson, authorities caught up to Evonitz in Florida and a high-speed ensued, ending when Evonitz shot himself and died. Actor Tom Sizemore's family is currently "deciding end of life matters" after receiving updates from doctors, according to a statement given to CNN from Sizemore's manager Charles Lago . He forcefully held Kara in his Law enforcement officials spent three hours today searching the house where Evonitz lived in Spotsylvania in 1996 and 1997, Smith said. On May 1, 1997 Evonitz kidnapped 15 and 12 years old Kristin and Kati Lisk from their home, also in Virginia. She never misses Jeopardy and alternately wishes she lived in Beast's castle or was making the Kessel Run in the Millennium Falcon. After Richard Evonitz was discharged from the Navy, the couple moved to Fredericksburg. As Police Closed In, Evonitz Admitted Crimes to His Sister "He was someone who just blends in. Investigators were able to track the serial killer to Sarasota, Florida, where a high-speed chase ensued. Later the authorities would prove he killed at least 3 . Evonitz reportedly abducted the teenager while his second wife, Hope Marie Crowley, was on vacation. Evonitzs wife was still at The Most Magical Place on Earth while the entire sordid situation unfolded. Police say now that those closest to him--his wives, sisters, mother, friends and co-workers--had no idea he was a killer. Her abductor, later identified as Richard Evonitz, told her to get into a big plastic container in the cars backseat. Glod previously worked at the Montgomery Journal in Maryland. Kristin Lisk was a 15-year-old soccer player who was finishing her freshman year of high school. Downes, the FBI profiler, is a resident of Spotsylvania who joined what would become the Lisk/Silva task force in 1996, one day after Sofia Silva's disappearance. Who is Vincent Paterno? Unexpectedly, this unhealthy behavior gradually turned animalistic, and he resorted to kidnapping, sexual abuse, and even murder to satisfy his depravities. At that point, my brain shut off my emotions. (function(e,t,n,r){var i=n.currentScript,s=null;if(i)s=i;else{var o=n.getElementsByTagName(r),u=o.length-1;for(var a=u;a>=0;a--)if(o[a].getAttribute("rel")==="skimlinks-ref-banner"){s=o[a];break}}s&&setTimeout(function(){var i=e[t]||(e[t]=[]),o={"imageUrl":"/banners/img/referral/higher_commissions/728X90.gif","wid":"07","creativeId":60710,"color":"grey","size":"728X90","domainId":"1601785","publisherId":137930,"bannerUrl":"/banners/js/referral/referral_banner.min.js","cdnUrl":"https://s.skimresources.com"};if(i.length===0){var u=n.createElement(r);u.src=o.cdnUrl+o.bannerUrl,u.async=!0,s.parentNode.insertBefore(u,s)}i.push({el:s,config:o})})})(this,"__skimlinksBanners",document,"script"); CONTACT US | ADVERTISE ON ITM She also makes use of TikTokandInstagram where she provides advice on how to heal, how to support, how to speak to victims of crime, and how to embrace a survivor mentality. Her story has also been shared on numerous television shows, including Investigation Discoverys On the Case With Paula Zahn. Evonitz was born on July 29, 1963 meaning he was around 25 years old when he was married to Gower. Or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to real news you can count on. Maria Glod is the deputy Metro editor at The Washington Post. It's going to be quite extensive.". [6], On May 1, 1997, Evonitz abducted sisters Kristin, 15, and Kati Lisk, 12, from their front lawn after school. Ultimately, as noted earlier, Kara led detectives to Evonitzs apartment, but he had already fled. Crowley remained in South Carolina after Evonitzs death. If she had picked the simple lock, as police later did, she would have found evidence of her husband's crimes. In 2010, Robinson graduated from the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy, reported WISTV.com. Richard Evonitz was reportedly married to Bonnie Lou Gower from 1988 to 1996. With the help of two men in a car in the apartment complex, she reached the nearby police station and reported everything. Evonitz hid the souvenirs of his crimes in a locked footlocker in his bedroom. End came with love, fear, horror - Fredericksburg.com Evonitz's criminal career reportedly started the year before he tied the knot with Bonnie Lou Gower. He pulled a gun. Have something to tell us about this article? Tess Ragin had been told of her son's vacation but did not believe it. the New York Daily News reported in 2015. the Associated Press reported at the time. Hope Marie Crowley Now: Where is Richard Evonitz's Wife Today? The investigation into Evonitz as the killer of the three girls in Virginia didnt end with his death. Richard Evonitz Obituary (2014) - Fredericksburg, VA - The Free Lance At the police station, she spotted Evonitz's supervisor, Mike Augustine of Armstrong Compressors. "They were in fear of him," Downes said. Robinson, then 15, was watering plants at a friends house in Colombia, South Carolina, on June 24, 2002, when her companion walked inside. She began working as an assignment editor on the local desk in 2011. Inside Evonitzs apartment, authorities made a chilling discovery. "I survived a serial killer who abducted me at 15 and - mirror This helped the police track down his location. A 15-year-old kidnap survivor's escape led police to a serial killer: Richard Evonitz. When he used that route, he passed hundreds of other potential dumping sites--country roads, farm fields and logging trails. Who was Richard Evonitz's wife? Kara Robinson's kidnapper was married twice The image of the shadowy stranger snatching children in broad daylight made a lasting impact on the collective consciousness, but the truth is stranger abductions are very rare. Richard Evonitz was reportedly married to Bonnie Lou Gower from 1988 to 1996. Throughout her ordeal, Robinson focused on her abductor and her surroundings to gather information she could use. 0. No one answered the door today, and Evonitz's sister and mother have declined to comment. Related:Watchmen Actors Family Speaks Out, Convinced He Was Murdered. Robinson spoke to Elizabeth Smart from Crime Watch Daily about her kidnapping and how she managed to escape Evonitzs clutches and helped the police catch him. Meanwhile, 20-year-old Hope Marie Evonitz (ne Crowley) was utterly devastated by her husbands death and the shocking revelations made by the police, yet she refused to believe he had done anything wrong. Kristian Bruun stars as Richard Evonitz in the terrifying film. It seemed that Evonitz delighted in outsmarting police, in making his crimes as daring as possible. For instance, Kara noticed Hopes hairbrush lying around, with a few red hairs on it. The notes contained the addresses of two other young girls and descriptions of them, The Associated Press reported. 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 . He described another girl in the same neighborhood: her appearance, how she walked each day on certain streets, how her parents were gone during the day, how she entered her home through a rear door.