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. 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. It was then that Evonitz drove up and started chatting to her under the pretense of selling magazines -- before pointing a gun at her and forcing her into a Rubbermaid container in the back of his car, the New York Daily News reported in 2015. Please subscribe to keep reading. Her loyalness was reflected when she disagreed with believing her husband's acts. He entered a plea of no contest and was sentenced to three years' probation. Later, authorities identified him as the LiskSilva killer. That was two years ago. Throughout her ordeal, Robinson focused on her abductor and her surroundings to gather information she could use. [8][9], On February 11, 2023, Lifetime released a television film called The Girl Who Escaped: The Kara Robinson Story. Gere, 73, is "feeling much better," Silva wrote. Meanwhile, discovering her escape, Evonitz fled to Florida. Ginny and Georgia star Katie Douglas stars as Kara Robinson. By using this site you agree to our privacy policy. When he and his wife-to-be Hope Crowley moved from Virginia to Columbia in 1999, they . In 1987, Richard allegedly exposed himself and masturbated in front of a 15-year-old girl in Orange Park, Florida. Once the officers accompanied the 15-year-old to the apartment complex, a maintenance worker pointed them to Richards apartment. 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. At this point, Evonitz was serving in the US Navy and the couple were based between California and Maine. Besides, the DNA samples collected from the apartment also matched the ones found on the three victims. Evonitz was in the Navy and was married twice to much younger wives, with both living unaware of his crimes. Evonitz hid the souvenirs of his crimes in a locked footlocker in his bedroom. Related:Mandalorian Actor Facing Underage Sexual Assault Lawsuit. 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. . The pursuit ended when Evonitz ran over spike strips and was forced to exit his vehicle. Richard Gere's wife, Alejandra Silva, shared more updates on the actor's health after he was hospitalized during the couple's vacation in Mexico. [2], In January 1987, Evonitz exposed himself and masturbated in front of a 15-year-old girl in Orange Park, Florida. Evonitz reportedly abducted the teenager while his second wife, Hope Marie Crowley, was on vacation. He pulled a gun. This included 16-year-old Sofia Silva and 12 and 15-year-old sisters Kati and Kristin Lisk. He used his mother's car when he abducted Kara. Make sure you join Kara Robinson Chamberlain after the premiere for a live conversation on her Instagram! Actually, he, too, had taken a week's vacation, a secret break. Law enforcement officials spent three hours today searching the house where Evonitz lived in Spotsylvania in 1996 and 1997, 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. After his crimes, Fredericksburg never seemed as safe. Sofia Silva//Image Credit: RTL Zwei In 1987, Richard allegedly exposed himself and masturbated in front of a 15-year-old girl in Orange Park, Florida. Her body was found five weeks later in a King George County creek. Born in July 1963 in Columbia, South Carolina, Richard Marc Evonitz was the oldest of Joseph and Tess Ragin Evonitzs three children. "She was able to give us information down to the exactness of what was in the apartment.". "She was so, so alert," Metts said. Evonitz's wives were curious about the blue trunk, yet never opened it. Inside was a copy of The Free Lance-Star from 1997, with front-page news of the disappearance of the Lisk sisters. With the help of two men in a car in the apartment complex, she reached the nearby police station and reported everything. Nevertheless, the detectives found a big locker in the apartment containing several news clippings related to Silvia, Kristin, and Katis unsolved murders. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 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, she told Escaping Captivity: The Kara Robinson Story, a two-hour Oxygen special that premiered September 26 and is now streaming. The secret was out, the monster exposed," Lott said. Per a Washington Post report, she later expressed that she had no idea her husband was a. Officials said he has no other known criminal convictions. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! The bridge was four miles from U.S. 1 and 31 miles from his home near Massaponax Baptist Church in Spotsylvania. The small village, near the border of Pennsylvania, was one of the filming locations used for the Netflix adaptation of Don DeLillo's White . Richard Evonitz was reportedly married to Bonnie Lou Gower from 1988 to 1996. "If he kept everything locked in there, maybe it wouldn't come out again," she said. Per the article, Kara said, From that moment I kind of realized that he would probably not let me go and it would be up to me to get out and escape. Not just that, the teenager mentally noted her kidnappers doctor and dentists contact details posted on the refrigerator. When police interviewed Hope Evonitz after her husband's death, they said she was controlled and emotionless. They were scenes of him, wearing the underwear and pleasuring himself. Evonitz was born on July 29, 1963 meaning he was around 25 years old when he was married to Gower. The New York Daily News said that investigators thought the deaths were related to Silvas. Glod previously worked at the Montgomery Journal in Maryland. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Age, Family, Husband, Net worth, Wiki, Bio, Height, Birthday, Following Robinsons escape, Evonitz left his residence and traveled to Florida. She was 17 years old at the time and Evonitz was 36. Life is imitating art in East Palestine, Ohio, as the aftermath of a derailed train is drawing parallels with Netflix's White Noise. He had grown arrogant, police said. Richard Evonitz was married to Crowley from 1999 until his death on June 27, 2002. At that point, my brain shut off my emotions. 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. Evonitz's criminal career reportedly started the year before he tied the knot with Bonnie Lou Gower. There is no information available on how many of the assets he actually possesses. 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. richard evonitz wife hope richard evonitz wife hope. When it came to his net worth, he was just like the rest of us. Hope Evonitz resided in Caroline County at the time, and she was aware of the slayings. Their bodies were found five days later. 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. Richard Marc Edward Evonitz was born on July 29, 1963, at Providence Hospital in Columbia, South Carolina, to Joseph Evonitz and Tess Ragin Evonitz. Evonitz married Bonnie Lou Gower from 1988 to 1996, and then his second wife Hope Marie Crowley from 1999 till his death. Most details that have emerged about Evonitz's life show a man who attracted little attention and was liked and respected by colleagues. Evonitz stored the footlocker in the corner of his cluttered bedroom, hidden beneath a pile of clothes. On May 1, 1997 Evonitz kidnapped 15 and 12 years old Kristin and Kati Lisk from their home, also in Virginia. The investigation into Evonitz as the killer of the three girls in Virginia didnt end with his death. 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. "He would not even discuss it with her," said Capt. We don't know if this is our guy. Thankfully, Kara exhibited immense bravery despite her trauma and managed to escape Richards house the following day. 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. Robinson, then 15, was watering plants at a friends house in Colombia, South Carolina, on June 24, 2002, when her companion walked inside. In the late 90s, Hope Marie Crowley was a 17-year-old waitress working at a pancake joint in Massaponax, Virginia. 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. And that meant so much to me. It also helped forge her future career decisions. 0. He chose strangers to abduct and kill. After sexually assaulting them, he strangled the sisters and dumped their bodies in the South Anna River. r/standwithusa 5 min. He was married twice. During that time, she met 36-year-old Richard Marc Evonitz of Columbia, South Carolina, and love quickly blossomed between the two. As per the news reported, Marie was a loyal wife to her husband. He pulled a gun. To learn more about Kara Robinson, watch Escaping Captivity: The Kara Robinson Story, on Oxygen. They had all gone missing in Spotsylvania County, Va., more than five years before Karas abduction. 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. Kara said: That was probably the fastest my heart was beating the entire time I was there. 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. 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. While searching his apartment, they found evidence connecting him to all three murders, "It is kind of scary that some guy was out there looking at me, one of the girls described in the notes told the, And while Evonitz was described by those who knew him as a well-respected, married Navy veteran who. Hope Evonitz, his second wife,. ", ON THE WEB: For previous stories in this series, visit fredericksburg.com, To reach JIM HALL: 540/374-5433 jhall@freelancestar.com. Kara now a 35-year-old motivational speaker miraculously escaped, ultimately leading police to the would-be murderers Columbia, South Carolina apartment. 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 . Richard Marc Edward Evonitz (July 29, 1963 June 27, 2002) was an American serial killer, kidnapper, and rapist responsible for the deaths of three teenaged girls in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, and the abduction and rape of a 15-year-old girl in Richland County, South Carolina. Its never been established if Evonitz was involved in more than three murders. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! 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 . She was reportedly 17 years old. Authorities found the fingerprints of Krista Lisk inside one of his vehicles, further incriminating him in the heinous murders. [4], Following his stint in the Navy, Evonitz worked steadily at businesses that sold compressors and grinding equipment. Keep supporting great journalism by turning off your ad blocker. 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. She had no idea that he had used it to wrap the bodies of the Lisk and Silva girls. by Competitive-Club4848. ago. Popular: Who is Vessa Rockliff -Daly Cherry Evans Wife? She was 17 years old at the time and Evonitz was 36. Dawn was breaking when Evonitz fell asleep and Robinson recognized her chance to flee. 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. In Spotsylvania, Maj. Howard Smith said the Lisk-Silva Task Force -- composed of FBI agents, state police and Spotsylvania and King George County deputies -- has been doubled in size and also will try to learn "everything this guy has done in the last 10 or 15 years.". According to the Free Lance-Star, they discovered evidence linking him to all three killings while investigating his residence. 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. But authorities and former co-workers said even those closest to Evonitz had no indication that he might have been hiding something. Evonitz's criminal career reportedly started the year before he tied the knot with Bonnie Lou Gower. Three years after Bonnie Lou Gower left Richard Evonitz, he remarried Hope Marie Crowley. He was a stranger to them. After playing a key role in solving Evonitzs other murders, Kara was able to meet the families of both Sofia and the Lisk sisters. He spoke about Evonitz last year at a meeting of the International Homicide Investigators Association in Las Vegas. According to the New York Daily News, her elder sister was inside but had not heard anything. Her sister Kati Lisk was just 12 and enjoyed playing the clarinet and drawing, local outlet. 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. He chose Kara on the spur of the moment. In his secret footlocker police found scraps of paper, old envelopes, anything he could find, on which he had written directions to potential victims' houses and descriptions of young girls. Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott describes Evonitz's particular compulsion as "The Monster." Evonitz was in the Navy and was married twice to much younger wives, with both living unaware of his crimes. Sisterhood Of Survival: Elizabeth Smart, Kara Robinson Spearhead New Oxygen Documentary, How Kara Robinson Tried to Cope with Trauma. Later, they checked to see if they had overlooked him during their long investigation. "It is kind of scary that some guy was out there looking at me, one of the girls described in the notes told the The Free Lance-Star, according to the AP report. WHERE TO WATCH FORGOTTEN ABDUCTION ON STREAMING, WHERE TO WATCH CLEVELAND ABDUCTION ON STREAMING, Celebrate Dr. Seuss's birthday with these 37 heartwarming quotes, {{#media.media_details}} {{#media.focal_point}}. Richard Marc Evonitz was a devoted spouse who delighted in working with animals and amusing people. "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. Escaping Captivity: The Kara Robinson Story,. Marie Crowly, his wife, couldnt believe her husband was a criminal. Read More: Who is Kara Robinsons Husband? 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. Lott declined to say what details have led him to believe that Evonitz was not referring to the Lisk slayings when he talked to his sister. But his crimes were "high-risk," in the sense that he abducted victims from busy suburban neighborhoods in the middle of the day. Richard forced the teenager into a plastic bin, drove her to his apartment, and tied her hands and feet. Cara Robinson later became a police officer. "They knew if they did [open the trunk], bad things were going to happen.". Evonitz was born on July 29, 1963 meaning he was around 25 years old when he was married to Gower. That was how he planned it. Usually, Evonitz was more careful. Before being honorably discharged after eight years of service, he worked as a sonar technician and won a Good Conduct Medal. Robinson explained to Crime Watch Daily that Evonitzs wife was a key to identifying him. She would have recognized the souvenir. Richard Marc Edward Evonitz (July 29, 1963 - June 27, 2002) was an American serial killer, kidnapper, and rapist responsible for the deaths of three teenaged girls in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, and the abduction and rape of a 15-year-old girl in Richland County, South Carolina. 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. He forcefully held Kara in his After his time in the U.S. Navy ended, he settled down in South Carolina and began. Authorities apprehended Evonitz in Florida three days after he kidnapped Robinson, and a high-speed chase occurred, culminating with Evonitz shooting himself and dying. 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 Lifetime brought The Kara Robinson Story to screens this February, a chilling true crime story of how a teenager escaped the clutches of serial killer Richard Evonitz. Only when he was ready did the safe Henry Jekyll become the wicked Edward Hyde. Evonitz was sentenced to three years of probation for this offense. 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. Evonitzs criminal career reportedly started the year before he tied the knot with Bonnie Lou Gower. 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? 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. In the past few years, he returned to South Carolina and recently moved into a small garden apartment with his 19-year-old wife. Also Read: Actor: Arno Greeff Age, Parents, Brother, Wikipedia -Biography, Ethnicity, Family, Height, Net worth, Birthday. Many of the police who worked on the Lisk/Silva case for nearly six years are the same ones now studying Evonitz. From 1988 to 1996, Evonitz married Bonnie Lou Gower, and from 1999 till his death, he was married to Hope Marie Crowley. 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. Who is Hope Marie Crowley? #onthisday pic.twitter.com/OIcfpFebnS. When Kara Robinson escaped her captor, Richard Evonitz, she helped police uncover a serial killer. The sisters disappeared from their yard on May 1, 1997. 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. On September 9, 1996, Evonitz kidnapped 16-year-old Sofia Silva from the front steps of her house in Virginia. 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.. Her sister Kati Lisk was just 12 and enjoyed playing the clarinet and drawing, local outlet The Free Lance Star reported in 2002. Eventually, she began befriending Robert and winning his confidence, even offering to sweep his apartment floor. 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. Richard Marc Evonitz was a rapist, serial murderer, and kidnapper who murdered three small children in Richland County, South Carolina, then kidnapped and raped a 15-year-old female. Evonitz's criminal career lasted at least 15 years. 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. Learn more about Kara Robinsons story here: True Crime Daily, Copyright 2022 Crime Museum, LLC - All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy |. As they surrounded him, he killed himself with his gun. "He was someone who just blends in. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Three days after kidnapping Robinson, authorities caught up to Evonitz in Florida and a high-speed ensued, ending when Evonitz shot himself and died. Later, when he fled from police after Kara's escape, he stole license plates and shaved his goatee to hide his identity. Their continuing work has unlocked some of the mystery that surrounds the man: the why behind his crimes, and the nature and extent of his dangerous perversions. The pursuit of Evonitz began when the 15-year-old he kidnapped at gunpoint managed to escape from handcuffs and slip out of his apartment in Columbia on Tuesday morning. They prefer a much simpler label: predator. [6], On May 1, 1997, Evonitz abducted sisters Kristin, 15, and Kati Lisk, 12, from their front lawn after school. Read More:Who is Kara Robinsons Husband? Impulse was a ready excuse for Evonitz, but he was more complicated than that. In his wifes absence, he abducted 15-year-old Kara Robinson from her friends yard in Columbia at gunpoint. According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the majority of children are abducted by someone they know. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. From all accounts, officials said, Evonitz exhibited no violent behavior in childhood, and he got along well in the Navy and at work.