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. While Richard seemingly remained inactive for the next few years, he struck again in June 2002. With his wife gone and their Columbia apartment empty, he could play out his fantasies of domination and control. Her decomposed body was found a month later in a creek off State Route 3 in King George County. Kristin Lisk was a 15-year-old who was finishing up her first year of high school and like playing soccer. WARNING: Content of a disturbing nature ahead. "He was someone who just blends in. He chose Kara on the spur of the moment. 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. ", "Suspect stated he has a problem with masturbating in front of girls," the report said. It seemed that Evonitz delighted in outsmarting police, in making his crimes as daring as possible. Authorities found the fingerprints of Krista Lisk inside one of his vehicles, further incriminating him in the heinous murders. The notes contained the addresses of two other young girls and descriptions of them, The Associated Press reported. 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. Officials said he has no other known criminal convictions. She was. 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. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Known as Marc to avoid confusion with a paternal uncle also named Richard, he graduated from Irmo High School in 1980 at age 16. 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. Are you watching the premiere of The Girl Who Escaped: #TheKaraRobinsonStory? Robinson explained to Crime Watch Daily that Evonitzs wife was a key to identifying him. 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. I just went into survival mode, she told Oxygen. : r/standwithusa. "Obviously, we're all anxious and want to solve this, but we're also very cautious," Smith said. " Richard Evonitz was married to Crowley from 1999 until his death on June 27, 2002. Two days after Robinsons bold escape, she found out that Evonitz had killed himself. 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.. Robinson has publicly spoken about the terrifying ordeal, years before the Lifetime true crime movie aired. Guns, ropes, and other tools for murder were also found, as were notes that signaled Evonitz had his eye on other potential victims. "They were in fear of him," Downes said. Richard Marc Evonitz forever changed the way area residents view the community. He was arrested a month later when his ship returned to port. Evonitz abducted 15-year-old Kara Robinson Chamberlain three days before his death. Deep within some of the tapes were scenes that Evonitz recorded. 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 Evonitz tried to start a new business in 1999, to manufacture wheel grinders for industrial tools, but he failed. 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.". Its never been established if Evonitz was involved in more than three murders. But Evonitz eventually fell asleep, and Robinson was able to slip out of her restraints and make a run for it. Dawn was breaking when Evonitz fell asleep and Robinson recognized her chance to flee. "He was just a normal person on the outside," Lott said. richard evonitz wife hope richard evonitz wife hope. 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,, . Was it some sort of uniform that he wore when committing his crimes? Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Most details that have emerged about Evonitz's life show a man who attracted little attention and was liked and respected by colleagues. Evonitz did not have any children with either wives. 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. Yet the water seemed to draw him. When he abducted and killed his first victim, Sofia Silva, his first wife was on holiday in California. Richard Evonitz had a pattern of committing crimes while his wives were absent. On September 9, 1996, Richard abducted 16-year-old Sofia Silva from her homes front yard in Spotsylvania County, Virginia. Smith said detectives found evidence in their South Carolina searches that Evonitz was stalking other girls in Spotsylvania. By the time he died, he had progressed from indecent exposure to murder. So he deviated from his plan. He was a stranger to them. She was 17 years old at the time and Evonitz was 36. Kristian Bruun stars as Richard Evonitz in the terrifying film. 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. The small village, near the border of Pennsylvania, was one of the filming locations used for the Netflix adaptation of Don DeLillo's White . Screenshot from True Crime Daily YouTube, Teen survives abduction by serial killer, now thrives in law enforcement. National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. In 2010, Robinson graduated from the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy, reported WISTV.com. Evonitz took Robinson to his apartment, where he restrained her, drugged her, and sexually assaulted her. Evonitz's wife was still at The Most Magical Place on Earth while the entire sordid situation unfolded. In 1987, Richard allegedly 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. . They argue that many people grow up in toxic surroundings and don't become serial killers. He spoke about Evonitz last year at a meeting of the International Homicide Investigators Association in Las Vegas. Robinson, then 15, was watering plants at a friends house in Colombia, South Carolina, on June 24, 2002, when her companion walked inside. As she looked at them, he forced her at gunpoint into a green plastic storage container in the car's trunk. He took her to his apartment, raped her, forced her to smoke marijuana, and tied her to his bed. After her escape, Kara helped lead authorities to her abductors apartment. #onthisday pic.twitter.com/OIcfpFebnS. When she led police back to Evonitz's apartment, he was gone. 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. 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. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. ", But he added, "This is the best lead we've had out of the 12,000 leads to come out.". Gere, 73, is "feeling much better," Silva wrote. Richard Marc Evonitz, was born on July 29, 1963 in Columbia, South Carolina. The case never went cold, because the task force never stopped working. There were additional guns, ropes, and other murder equipment discovered, as well as notes indicating that Evonitz was on the lookout for other victims. "He would not even discuss it with her," said Capt. [2], In January 1987, Evonitz exposed himself and masturbated in front of a 15-year-old girl in Orange Park, Florida. Authorities said Evonitz has lived or traveled in California, Virginia, Florida and Texas. Crowley was working as a waitress at Aunt Sarah's . "From what we've been able to discern, there were no signals, no signs," Lott said. After graduating from high school, Evonitz worked as a manager at a Jiffy Lube before enlisting in the US Navy. 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. Evonitz was in the Navy and was married twice to much younger wives, with both living unaware of his crimes. 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. Hope Marie Crowley Now: Where is Richard Evonitz's Wife Today? 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. Stranger abductions are extremely rare, yet the image of a mysterious stranger taking children in broad daylight has left an indelible impression on the public mind. 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. A 15-year-old kidnap survivor's escape led police to a serial killer: Richard Evonitz. The man held a gun to her head and threatened to shoot her if she screamed. Following my escape, I was able to go to Virginia and meet with the families of the three girls, Robinson said. Evonitz made scouting trips and careful notes of what he saw. Hope Marie Crowley was taken aback when she learned that her husband was a criminal. The sisters disappeared from their yard on May 1, 1997. She and other family members met with police the next morning at the Richland County police headquarters. But authorities and former co-workers said even those closest to Evonitz had no indication that he might have been hiding something. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Law enforcement officials said he was born and raised near Columbia and attended Irmo High School before joining the Navy. Evonitz fled his apartment after Robinson's escape and headed down to Florida. Richard served as a Sonar Technician for eight years before receiving two Good Conduct Medals and an honorable discharge. Inside the Magic consists of multiple writers & videographers living near both Disneyland and Walt Disney World theme parks and around the world. 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. In an August 2002 interview, the young widow stated, He was my husband, he is still my husband, and I love him dearly. Once the investigation concluded, Hope chose to remain in South Carolina and stood by her husbands family following his death. Her sister Kati Lisk was just 12 and enjoyed playing the clarinet and drawing, local outlet The Free Lance Star reported in 2002. Usually, Evonitz was more careful. 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. Watch Escaping Captivity: The Kara Robinson Tale for more information on this case and Robinsons story. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Authorities said Evonitz pulled up in his mother's green Pontiac Firebird and offered to sell her some magazines. 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 also will host an FBI "working group" on Evonitz next year. Based on the evidence collected from his apartment, the police concluded that he had killed Silvia, Kristin, and Kati and intended to do the same with Kara. Evonitz hid the souvenirs of his crimes in a locked footlocker in his bedroom. He believed he could do whatever he wanted. l "Escaping Captivity: The Kara Robinson Story. Once the officers accompanied the 15-year-old to the apartment complex, a maintenance worker pointed them to Richards apartment. Evonitz was suspected of additional killings, and soon before committing suicide, he confessed to his sister to a dozen atrocities. Now, if you wish to know more about the murders Richard committed and his current whereabouts, we have you covered. Marie Crowly, his wife, couldnt believe her husband was a criminal. An article about Kara's harrowing ordeal noted that she was outside watering flowers for a neighbor: On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Eventually, the Columbia native tied the knot with Hope Marie Crowley in 1999. They were discovered deceased in a river a few days later. The Girl Who Escaped: The Kara Robinson Story. Evonitz's criminal career reportedly started the year before he tied the knot with Bonnie Lou Gower. Police also were puzzled to find holes cut in the crotch of many of the pieces. She began working as an assignment editor on the local desk in 2011. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached, or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Inside the Magic. Unexpectedly, this unhealthy behavior gradually turned animalistic, and he resorted to kidnapping, sexual abuse, and even murder to satisfy his depravities. They could not determine if it had been stolen or purchased. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. 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. Inside was a copy of The Free Lance-Star from 1997, with front-page news of the disappearance of the Lisk sisters. He pulled a gun. 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 girl. He chose strangers to abduct and kill. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features NFL Sunday Ticket Press Copyright . The film starred Katie Douglas as Kara Robinson, Cara Buono as Debra Robinson, and Kristian Bruun as Richard Evonitz. However, that brazen kidnapper, the one who operates in broad daylight, does exist. In his wifes absence, he abducted 15-year-old Kara Robinson from her friends yard in Columbia at gunpoint. Three years after Bonnie Lou Gower left Richard Evonitz, he remarried Hope Marie Crowley. He forcefully held Kara in his Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. During the time of these killings, a serial killer was working in the area, Marc Evonitz. While her friend got ready, Robinson was watering the front lawn. Evonitz reportedly abducted the teenager while his second wife, Hope Marie Crowley, was on vacation. Elizabeth Smart serves as an executive producer.[10]. Richard Evonitz was reportedly married to Bonnie Lou Gower from 1988 to 1996. Crime News is your destination for true crime stories from around the world, breaking crime news, and information about Oxygen's original true crime shows and documentaries. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. After Richard Evonitz was discharged from the Navy, the couple moved to Fredericksburg. 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 . Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! 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. 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. On September 9, 1996, Evonitz kidnapped 16-year-old Sofia Silva from the front steps of her house in Virginia. When it came to his net worth, he was just like the rest of us. Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott describes Evonitz's particular compulsion as "The Monster." Evonitz has been suspected of other murders, and confessed a number of crimes to his sister shortly before committing suicide. After gagging her, he repeatedly raped Kara over the next eighteen hours and forced her to smoke marijuana. 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. The film premiered on Lifetime on Saturday, February 11. Inside Evonitzs apartment, authorities made a chilling discovery. He was trolling for potential victims and the best places to dispose of their bodies. But his crimes were "high-risk," in the sense that he abducted victims from busy suburban neighborhoods in the middle of the day. We are not able to find his account on social media platforms such as Twitter and Instagram. Eventually, the Columbia native tied the knot with Hope Marie Crowley in 1999. Evonitz collected the tools of rape and murder and hid them in plain sight. Serial killer, Richard Marc Evonitz, killed himself while surrounded by police in June 2002. On May 1, 1997, the sisters vanished from their yard. She would have recognized the souvenir. Law enforcement officials spent three hours today searching the house where Evonitz lived in Spotsylvania in 1996 and 1997, Smith said. Staff writers Patricia Davis and Josh White and researcher Bobbye Pratt in Washington contributed to this report. This included 16-year-old Sofia Silva and 12 and 15-year-old sisters Kati and Kristin Lisk. Per a Washington Post report, she later expressed that she had no idea her husband was a murderer, though he did allegedly confess to his sister just prior to his death. That was how he planned it. He would not be able to join them, he said, because he had to work. Who is Kara Robinsons Husband? On one of those trips in Hanover County, he discovered an isolated bridge over the South Anna River on State Route 738. 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. Richard Evonitz died on June 27, 2002, at the age of 38. On June 24, 2002, Hope and Richards mother were away on vacation at Disneyland, California. A few days later, they were found dead in a river. RELATED: WHERE TO WATCH FORGOTTEN ABDUCTION ON STREAMING; Richard remarried Hope Marie Crowley. 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. This made Richard a primary suspect in the murder investigation. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Does She Have Kids. "She was so, so alert," Metts said. 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. . Two Richland County deputies and one FBI agent formed a team today that will work full time to reconstruct Evonitz's life. 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. It's going to be quite extensive.". The next morning, he slept beside Kara on his bed when she somehow managed to free herself and escape the apartment. Hope Evonitz, his second wife,. Oxygen Network created a documentary about Karas ordeal and incredible survival. At that point, my brain shut off my emotions. He pulled a gun. The secret was out, the monster exposed," Lott said. Evonitz and his second wife then moved to Columbia, where he found work at Armstrong Compressed Air Services, based 80 miles away in Spartanburg. Evonitz may have gone on in his life if not for the 15-year-old he spotted as she was watering flowers in a friend's Lexington County yard June 24. This February, a derailed train carrying hazardous materials has upended the lives of those living in East Palestine. To her, they were harmless sightseeing trips. ", ON THE WEB: For previous stories in this series, visit fredericksburg.com, To reach JIM HALL: 540/374-5433 jhall@freelancestar.com. Big Changes Are Coming to Disneys Paid Genie+ Service, Michael Keatons Morbius Role Is an Easter Egg, Inside the Magic Your Ultimate Source for Themed EntertainmentCoverage, Watchmen Actors Family Speaks Out, Convinced He Was Murdered, Mandalorian Actor Facing Underage Sexual Assault Lawsuit, Woman Seen Handcuffed at Disneys Hollywood Studios, Iconic Disney Trains Left Brilliantly Vandalized at EPCOT. After sexually assaulting them, he strangled the sisters and dumped their bodies in the South Anna River. r/standwithusa 5 min. 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. [4], Evonitz was married twice, first to Bonnie Lou Gower from 1988 to 1996, then to Hope Marie Crowley from 1999 until his death. He was married twice. Sensing that there was no escape, he began calling relatives with cryptic confessions. At the time of Karas abduction and subsequent sexual assault, Evonitzs wife of three years, Hope Marie Crawley, was visiting Walt Disney World Resort. Based on Karas testimony and the evidence obtained from the apartment, the police began tracking Richard and located him in Sarasota, Florida. 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. He married his first wife, Bonnie Lou Gower, in 1988 but suffered a severe financial crisis after their divorce in 1996. We're going to take our time. Also Read: Actor: Arno Greeff Age, Parents, Brother, Wikipedia -Biography, Ethnicity, Family, Height, Net worth, Birthday. In addition to the newspaper clippings, the police found notes about the three girls and directions to a location near their home. When police interviewed Hope Evonitz after her husband's death, they said she was controlled and emotionless. Related: 'Mandalorian' Actor Facing Underage Sexual Assault Lawsuit. 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. Evonitz was in the Navy and was married twice to much younger wives, with both living unaware of his crimes. When Kara Robinson escaped her captor, Richard Evonitz, she helped police uncover a serial killer. Before being honorably discharged after eight years of service, he worked as a sonar technician and won a Good Conduct Medal. Three years after Bonnie Lou Gower left Richard Evonitz, he remarried Hope Marie Crowley. This helped the police track down his location. He took her to his apartment, tied her, and forced her to smoke marijuana before repeatedly raping her for the next eighteen hours. She shared with People: It was one of the most important things thats ever happened to me, she says. The conversation took place before he killed himself after a police chase in Florida. After two days, Kara launched her daring escape while Evonitz slept: Kara said: There was a solid 30 seconds of me looking at the door and thinking, how am I going to do this?'. 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.