When he abducted Kara, he did so only after placing his wife and mother on a plane for Walt Disney World. Two men she stopped in the parking lot took her to a sheriff's station. Gere, 73, is "feeling much better," Silva wrote. But Evonitz eventually fell asleep, and Robinson was able to slip out of her restraints and make a run for it. "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.. 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.. 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. He pulled a gun. He was trolling for potential victims and the best places to dispose of their bodies. He forced her to watch the evening news to see if there was a report of her kidnapping. 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. However, they found a lead in May 1997 when two sisters were found dead in Hanover County. Kara was forced into a storage bin, where she amazingly kept her wits about her, remembering the turns the vehicle, a green Pontiac Firebird, took and even memorizing the storage bins serial number. She freed herself from the constraints Evonitz placed on her while he slept before escaping. 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. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}. On June 24, 2002, Hope and Richards mother were away on vacation at Disneyland, California. The bridge was four miles from U.S. 1 and 31 miles from his home near Massaponax Baptist Church in Spotsylvania. Bluebeard's wives were curious about the locked room and eventually looked inside. 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. Evonitz married Bonnie Lou Gower from 1988 to 1996, and then his second wife Hope Marie Crowley from 1999 till his death. As they released a police dog, he put the gun in his mouth and pulled the trigger.. Does She Have Kids? Read More:Who is Kara Robinsons Husband? Smith said detectives found evidence in their South Carolina searches that Evonitz was stalking other girls in Spotsylvania. November 18, 2021 . He married his first wife, Bonnie Lou Gower, in 1988 but suffered a severe financial crisis after their divorce in 1996. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! He was married twice. With his wife gone and their Columbia apartment empty, he could play out his fantasies of domination and control. He forcefully held Kara in his apartment and sexually assaulted her repeatedly for eighteen hours, but luckily, she escaped the following morning. When Evonitz looked for her, she was not there. Bluebeard's wives were curious about the locked room and eventually looked inside. In the late 90s, Hope Marie Crowley was a 17-year-old waitress working at a pancake joint in Massaponax, Virginia. They are recounted here in detail that some may find disturbing. You have permission to edit this article. Richard Marc Evonitz was a devoted spouse who delighted in working with animals and amusing people. #onthisday pic.twitter.com/OIcfpFebnS Murderific True Crime Podcast (@MurderificBPC) July 29, 2019 After her escape, Kara helped lead authorities to her abductors apartment. Escaping Captivity: The Kara Robinson Story,. Her brave act led the police to identify Richard as a serial killer who had murdered three other girls during the 90s. Kristian Bruun stars as Richard Evonitz in the terrifying film. Richard Marc Evonitz, was born on July 29, 1963 in Columbia, South Carolina. A 15-year-old kidnap survivor's escape led police to a serial killer: Richard Evonitz. The kidnapper took Robinson to his apartment, where he repeatedly sexually assaulted her and held her captive for 18 hours. Eventually, she began befriending Robert and winning his confidence, even offering to sweep his apartment floor. [4], On September 9, 1996, Evonitz abducted 16-year-old Sofia Silva from her front yard near Loriella Park in Spotsylvania County. The case never went cold, because the task force never stopped working. As per the news reported, Marie was a loyal wife to her husband. Dawn was breaking when Evonitz fell asleep and Robinson recognized her chance to flee. 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. As the detectives investigated further, they discovered that after fleeing his Columbia apartment, he had allegedly called some relatives and cryptically stated his crimes. Evonitz used metal trunk, lies to shield truth. Nevertheless, the couple tied the knot in 1999 and moved into a small garden apartment in Columbia, South Carolina. He had urges but he could control them. To Evonitz, they were scouting expeditions. 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. He was attacked by a police dog and ultimately shot himself while surrounded, rather than face the consequences of his actions. According to The Associated Press, the notes included the addresses and descriptions of two more young females. Cara Robinson later became a police officer. Law enforcement officials said he was born and raised near Columbia and attended Irmo High School before joining the Navy. At this point, Evonitz was serving in the US Navy and the couple were based between California and Maine. The next morning, he slept beside Kara on his bed when she somehow managed to free herself and escape the apartment. Life is imitating art in East Palestine, Ohio, as the aftermath of a derailed train is drawing parallels with Netflix's White Noise. Besides, the DNA samples collected from the apartment also matched the ones found on the three victims. Evonitz was the most dangerous of all predators--an invisible one. Age, Family, Husband, Net worth, Wiki, Bio, Height, Birthday, Season 41: Sara Wilson Age, Family, Net worth -Birthday, Height, Partner, Wikipedia, Bio. Sensing a connection between the murders, the police theorized that the Spotsylvania County victim had also been raped and killed similarly. 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. 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. On June 24, 2002, Richard Evonitz abducted the then-15-year-old Kara Robinson. He was a stranger to them. "We're going to do his whole life's tale," Lott said. Two Richland County deputies and one FBI agent formed a team today that will work full time to reconstruct Evonitz's life. Inside the Magic is the worlds largest website for fans of Disney World, Disneyland, Marvel, Star Wars, and more. The secret was out, the monster exposed," Lott said. Richard had separated from his first wife, Bonnie Lou Gower, in 1996 and was considerably older than Hope. In 2010, Robinson graduated from the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy. Kara Robinson was abducted by serial killer Richard Evonitz from her friend's yard in 2002. Her sister Kati Lisk was just 12 and enjoyed playing the clarinet and drawing, local outlet. In 1996, Gower left Evonitz for a man in California. Another strange DNA quirk happened with the case. I was really, really angry, she told producers. Please subscribe to keep reading. Later, when he fled from police after Kara's escape, he stole license plates and shaved his goatee to hide his identity. she asked. 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. Also Read: Actor: Arno Greeff Age, Parents, Brother, Wikipedia -Biography, Ethnicity, Family, Height, Net worth, Birthday. As a result, it should be under $100,000 USD. by Competitive-Club4848. Later, when examining Evonitz's pornographic tape collection, they found out why. Or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to real news you can count on. In one swift movement, she moved the items [that were blocking the doorway], shoved the vacuum cleaner into the closet and slammed it shut, opened the front door and ran out. He forcefully held Kara in his A few days later, they were found dead in a river. Once the police closed in on him on June 27, a high-speed car chase followed, ending with him shooting himself dead to avoid arrest. Evonitz's criminal career reportedly started the year before he tied the knot with Bonnie Lou Gower. At the time of Karas abduction and subsequent sexual assault, Evonitzs wife of three years, Hope Marie Crawley, was visiting Walt Disney World Resort. She never misses Jeopardy and alternately wishes she lived in Beast's castle or was making the Kessel Run in the Millennium Falcon. The man held a gun to her head and threatened to shoot her if she screamed. . He believed he could do whatever he wanted. 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. The only time she became animated was when she talked about the footlocker. Related:Watchmen Actors Family Speaks Out, Convinced He Was Murdered. Evonitz was suspected of additional killings, and soon before committing suicide, he confessed to his sister to a dozen atrocities. 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 shared with People: It was one of the most important things thats ever happened to me, she says. National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. After graduating high school and briefly working as a Manager for Jiffy Lube, he joined the Navy. It's going to be quite extensive.". Police now know that Evonitz spent hours traveling the back roads of South Carolina and Virginia. They had all gone missing in Spotsylvania County, Va., more than five years before Karas abduction. Evonitz fooled everyone, including his family. 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. 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. Authorities found the fingerprints of Krista Lisk inside one of his vehicles, further incriminating him in the heinous murders. "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. 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. After playing a key role in solving Evonitzs other murders, Kara was able to meet the families of both Sofia and the Lisk sisters. Popular: Who is Vessa Rockliff -Daly Cherry Evans Wife? I just went into survival mode, she told. 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. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Evonitz fled after finding her gone and was tracked by the police to Sarasota, Florida. 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.". The information shed stored in her head proved invaluable in confirming his identity. You can view a clip below: Today, Kara runs a website, where she offers hope and encouragement to other survivors.. The abduction became the biggest mistake of Richard Evonitz's criminal career when Robinson escaped and eventually sent police down his path. . Two days after Robinsons bold escape, she found out that Evonitz had killed himself. Richard Evonitz. On September 9, 1996, Evonitz kidnapped 16-year-old Sofia Silva from the front steps of her house in Virginia. 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}}. Their bodies were found five days later. She had no idea that he had used it to wrap the bodies of the Lisk and Silva girls. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Now, if you wish to know more about the murders Richard committed and his current whereabouts, we have you covered. Law enforcement officials spent three hours today searching the house where Evonitz lived in Spotsylvania in 1996 and 1997, Smith said. This helped the police track down his location. His wife and mother were out of town on a trip to Walt Disney World, according to a 2002 Washington Post article. To learn more about Kara Robinson, watch Escaping Captivity: The Kara Robinson Story, on Oxygen. He took her to his apartment, raped her, forced her to smoke marijuana, and tied her to his bed. 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.