An article about Karas harrowing ordeal noted that she was outside watering flowers for a neighbor: when a car drove past and came back moments later, pulling into the driveway. On September 9, 1996, Richard abducted 16-year-old Sofia Silva from her homes front yard in Spotsylvania County, Virginia. . Evonitz was sentenced to three years of probation for this offense. The New York Daily News said that investigators thought the deaths were related to Silvas. At this point, Evonitz was serving in the US Navy and the couple were based between California and Maine. On June 24, 2002, Richard Evonitz abducted the then-15-year-old Kara Robinson. Silva, a 16-year-old with ambitions of attending cosmetology school, was doing homework on her familys doorway on September 9, 1996, when Evonitz abducted her. Who is Hope Marie Crowley? Kristin and Katis bodies were found five days later, and the police reportedly found a strand of Sofias hair on the older Lisk sisters body. Life is imitating art in East Palestine, Ohio, as the aftermath of a derailed train is drawing parallels with Netflix's White Noise. "Mike," she asked, "was Marc really on vacation? With the help of two men in a car in the apartment complex, she reached the nearby police station and reported everything. Her abductor, later identified as Richard Evonitz, told her to get into a big plastic container in the cars backseat. However, until Robinson led investigators to Evonitz, little progress was made in the investigation. Richard Marc Edward Evonitz was born on July 29, 1963, at Providence Hospital in Columbia, South Carolina, to Joseph Evonitz and Tess Ragin Evonitz. "She was so, so alert," Metts said. She would have recognized the souvenir. [6], On May 1, 1997, Evonitz abducted sisters Kristin, 15, and Kati Lisk, 12, from their front lawn after school. When he and his wife-to-be Hope Crowley moved from Virginia to Columbia in 1999, they . We are not able to find his account on social media platforms such as Twitter and Instagram. Downes and other detectives are familiar with the psychological labels that have been attached to Evonitz, terms like bipolar, hebephile, fantasy-driven or psychopath. RELATED: WHERE TO WATCH FORGOTTEN ABDUCTION ON STREAMING; Richard remarried Hope Marie Crowley. Based on Karas testimony and the evidence obtained from the apartment, the police began tracking Richard and located him in Sarasota, Florida. "I just wanted him to sit across from me and look in my eyes, she said, and know that picking me was the greatest mistake he ever made.. Richard Marc Evonitz (July 29, 1963 - June 27, 2002) 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, South Carolina. Evonitz reportedly abducted the teenager while his second wife, Hope Marie Crowley, was on vacation. Each week investigators from the FBI, the Virginia State Police and at least two local sheriff's offices met at the FBI office in Fredericksburg to plot strategy. They prefer a much simpler label: predator. Who Were Richard Evonitz's Victims? Is He Dead or Alive? But his crimes were "high-risk," in the sense that he abducted victims from busy suburban neighborhoods in the middle of the day. Later, he worked at companies that manufactured compressors and grinding equipment. On September 9, 1996, Evonitz kidnapped 16-year-old Sofia Silva from the front steps of her house in Virginia. The film premiered on Lifetime on Saturday, February 11. Hope Marie Crowley Now: Where is Richard Evonitz's Wife Today? The film starred Katie Douglas as Kara Robinson, Cara Buono as Debra Robinson, and Kristian Bruun as Richard Evonitz. 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. Still, Evonitz left no witnesses or clues. The 12-year-old Spotsylvania Middle School student played clarinet and hoped to be a cartoonist. Eventually, she began befriending Robert and winning his confidence, even offering to sweep his apartment floor. Evonitz married Bonnie Lou Gower from 1988 to 1996, and then his second wife Hope Marie Crowley from 1999 till his death. "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. Evonitz's wife was still at The Most Magical Place on Earth while the entire sordid situation unfolded. During that time, she met 36-year-old Richard Marc Evonitz of Columbia, South Carolina, and love quickly blossomed between the two. Richard Evonitz was reportedly married to Bonnie Lou Gower from 1988 to 1996. Her abductor, later identified as Richard Evonitz, told her to get into a big plastic container in the cars backseat. Make sure you join Kara Robinson Chamberlain after the premiere for a live conversation on her Instagram! He was arrested a month later when his ship returned to port. After gagging her, he repeatedly raped Kara over the next eighteen hours and forced her to smoke marijuana. 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. But authorities and former co-workers said even those closest to Evonitz had no indication that he might have been hiding something. "When he feels the urge he drives around looking for a girl 18-19 years old short in height and has brunette hair.". For more on this case and Robinson's story, watch"Escaping Captivity: The Kara Robinson Story.". 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. Authorities found the fingerprints of Krista Lisk inside one of his vehicles, further incriminating him in the heinous murders. In 1987, Richard allegedly exposed himself and masturbated in front of a 15-year-old girl in Orange Park, Florida. 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 was trolling for potential victims and the best places to dispose of their bodies. Florida Man Arrested After Threatening to Blow Up Homes of Disney Executives, Mother on Flight From Disney World Told to Glue Mask to Childs Face. You can cancel at any time. The couple was in Mexico to celebrate Silva's 40th birthday when Gere was diagnosed with . Kara said: At the same time he put a gun up to the right side of my neck and to come with him or he would shoot me., Related:Woman Seen Handcuffed at Disneys Hollywood Studios. He was married twice. However, unknown to her and their family, Richard had a sinister side and abducted, raped, and murdered three young girls between 1996 and 1997 in Spotsylvania County, Virginia. Sensing no way of escape, Richard shot himself dead before he could be arrested. 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. Kara Robinson Chamberlain, a kidnapping survivor, now reaches thousands of viewers on TikTok with her advice about overcoming trauma. To avoid confusion with a paternal uncle called Richard, he graduated from Irmo High School in 1980 at the age of 16 and was known as Marc. She realized that a woman with red hair lived with Evonitz when she was abucted. The bridge was four miles from U.S. 1 and 31 miles from his home near Massaponax Baptist Church in Spotsylvania. "She was able to give us information down to the exactness of what was in the apartment.". While her friend got ready, Robinson was watering the front lawn. But she changed her routine that Monday. Evonitz stored the footlocker in the corner of his cluttered bedroom, hidden beneath a pile of clothes. This made Richard a primary suspect in the murder investigation. I just went into survival mode, she told. He had grown arrogant, police said. In September 1996, Sofia Silva, 16, disappeared from her. Or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to real news you can count on. Inside were trophies so damning that he risked all to retain them. Tom Sizemore's family 'deciding end of life matters': rep Her sister Kati Lisk was just 12 and enjoyed playing the clarinet and drawing, local outlet The Free Lance Star reported in 2002. Guns, ropes, and other tools for murder were also found, as were notes that signaled Evonitz had his eye on other potential victims. She suffered a panic attack when Evonitz put her back in the container while he called his wife, who was at Walt Disney World with his mother. Evonitz was in the Navy and was married twice to much younger wives, with both living unaware of his crimes. . At that point, my brain shut off my emotions. 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. Hope Evonitz resided in Caroline County at the time, and she was aware of the slayings. Police also were puzzled to find holes cut in the crotch of many of the pieces. They have not said whether they found similar evidence about the Silva killing, but they have previously said that scientific evidence links the two cases. Are you watching the premiere of The Girl Who Escaped: #TheKaraRobinsonStory? by Competitive-Club4848. 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. For instance, Kara noticed Hopes hairbrush lying around, with a few red hairs on it. When he was convicted for exposing himself in Florida at age 23, Evonitz told the arresting officer that he had uncontrollable urges. Crowley remained in South Carolina after Evonitzs death. 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. 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 . They could not determine if it had been stolen or purchased. Yet the water seemed to draw him. By Daniel S. Levine - February 26, 2023 03:04 pm EST. This confirmed to the police that Richard was the one who had sexually assaulted and killed Silvia, Kristin, and Kati in 1996 and 1997. Police are not sure. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. After graduating high school and briefly working as a Manager for Jiffy Lube, he joined the Navy. Hope Evonitz, his second wife,. Their bodies were found five days later. Pic- survivor Kara Robinson Richard Marc Evonitz born July 29, 1963 was a serial killer, kidnapper andrapistresponsible for the deaths of three girls inSpotsylvania County, Virginiaand the abduction and rape of a 15-year-old girl inRichland County, S.Carolina. Who is Kara Robinsons Husband? 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. Crowley was working as a waitress at Aunt Sarahs Pancake House in Massaponax when they met. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Born in July 1963 in Columbia, South Carolina, Richard Marc Evonitz was the oldest of Joseph and Tess Ragin Evonitzs three children. Because I felt like, Wow, Im actually giving these families something that they never wouldve gotten without me. Just the closure of knowing that the person responsible for their daughters death is no longer here.. This included one of Richards sisters, to whom he reportedly confessed the three murders. While her friend got ready, Robinson was watering the front lawn. She was 17 years old at the time and Evonitz was 36. Evonitz mentioned only scant details about that killing, but it was enough to determine that he was not referring to the slayings of three Spotsylvania County, Va., girls, Lott said. We don't want to rush things. 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. He had urges but he could control them. 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. The man held a gun to her head and threatened to shoot her if she screamed. That was how he planned it. Hope Marie Crowley Now: Where is Richard Evonitz's Wife Today? Evonitz was born on July 29, 1963 meaning he was around 25 years old when he was married to Gower. At 15, the Spotsylvania High School freshman played soccer and had an affinity for ladybugs. Who is Kara Robinsons Husband? Escaping Captivity: The Kara Robinson Story,. Evonitzs wife was still at The Most Magical Place on Earth while the entire sordid situation unfolded. #onthisday pic.twitter.com/OIcfpFebnS. RELATED: WHERE TO WATCH FORGOTTEN ABDUCTION ON STREAMING; Richard remarried Hope Marie Crowley. "They were in fear of him," Downes said. Serial killer Richard Marc EVONITZ | Characteristics: Kidnapping - Rape She freed herself from the constraints Evonitz placed on her while he slept before escaping. 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. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! "He would not even discuss it with her," said Capt. You have permission to edit this article. On June 24, 2002, 15-year-old Kara Robinson was at a friend's house in Lexington County, South Carolina preparing for a day at the lake. However, that brazen kidnapper, the one who operates in broad daylight, does exist. Through evidence discovered after Robinsons brave escape, Evonitz was tied to the Silva and Lisk murders. Inside the pocket was trace evidence that connected Evonitz to the Lisk sisters. Richard Evonitz. Evonitz's criminal career reportedly started the year before he tied the knot with Bonnie Lou Gower. Nevertheless, the couple tied the knot in 1999 and moved into a small garden apartment in Columbia, South Carolina. He took her to his apartment, tied her, and forced her to smoke marijuana before repeatedly raping her for the next eighteen hours. Evonitz used metal trunk, lies to shield truth. EXCLUSIVE: Kara Robinson Chamberlain was 15 when serial killer Richard Evonitz kidnapped her at gunpoint and took her back to his home while his wife was at Walt Disney World Richard Marc Evonitz committed suicide after being apprehended by the police 20 years ago. In addition to the newspaper clippings, the police found notes about the three girls and directions to a location near their home. When he used that route, he passed hundreds of other potential dumping sites--country roads, farm fields and logging trails. 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. 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. As they released a police dog, he put the gun in his mouth and pulled the trigger.. The Girl Who Escaped: The Kara Robinson Story. California judge faces review for handcuffing 13-year-old in court They argue that many people grow up in toxic surroundings and don't become serial killers. Richard forced the teenager into a plastic bin, drove her to his apartment, and tied her hands and feet. 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. Kara Robinson was abducted by serial killer Richard Evonitz from her friend's yard in 2002. 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. He never stopped, and he never said he was sorry. 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? 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. Metts said the girl led detectives to the apartment and picked Evonitz out of a photo array. As per the news reported, Marie was a loyal wife to her husband. None of it contained telling DNA evidence. An article about Kara's harrowing ordeal noted that she was outside watering flowers for a neighbor: Cara Robinson later became a police officer. Richard Evonitz Obituary (2014) - Fredericksburg, VA - The Free Lance [8][9], On February 11, 2023, Lifetime released a television film called The Girl Who Escaped: The Kara Robinson Story. . Nevertheless, she embraced a life of privacy and continues to do so even today. Who was Richard Evonitz's wife? Kara Robinson's kidnapper was married twice She was reportedly 17 years old. Hope Marie Crowley Now: Where is Richard Evonitz's Wife Today? "From what we've been able to discern, there were no signals, no signs," Lott said. He fled, then committed suicide while surrounded by police in Florida. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! pic.twitter.com/PJBCnblMux. Does She Have Kids? Lifetime's 'The Girl Who Escaped: The Kara Robinson Story' is a gripping crime thriller movie that delves into the actual harrowing experiences of Kara Robinson. And while Evonitz was described by those who knew him as a well-respected, married Navy veteran who was twice awarded the Navy Good Conduct Medal, the 38-year-old had actually been in trouble with the law before, for masturbating in front of a teen girl, The Washington Post reported. The footlocker also contained a white dress shirt, carefully folded. They were scenes of him, wearing the underwear and pleasuring himself. Their bodies were found five days later in the South Anna River. He entered a plea of no contest and was sentenced to three years' probation. "Obviously, we're all anxious and want to solve this, but we're also very cautious," Smith said. " Evonitz took the girl to his apartment, where they were alone because his wife and mother were vacationing at Walt Disney World, and carried the container inside.