They learned later that Bonnie, his first wife, had the blanket in California. During that time, she met 36-year-old Richard Marc Evonitz of Columbia, South Carolina, and love quickly blossomed between the two. Two Richland County deputies and one FBI agent formed a team today that will work full time to reconstruct Evonitz's life. Evonitz collected the tools of rape and murder and hid them in plain sight. While her friend got ready, Robinson was watering the front lawn. Hope Evonitz, his second wife, told her husband she wanted to know what was in the metal trunk. 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. [3], Richard Marc Edward Evonitz was born at Providence Hospital in Columbia, South Carolina, to Joseph and Tess Ragin Evonitz. I just went into survival mode, she told. None of it contained telling DNA evidence. When he and his wife-to-be Hope Crowley moved from Virginia to Columbia in 1999, they . An article about Kara's harrowing ordeal noted that she was outside watering flowers for a neighbor: He was horrified and disgusted with himself. Her sister Kati Lisk was just 12 and enjoyed playing the clarinet and drawing, local outlet The Free Lance Star reported in 2002. Two men she stopped in the parking lot took her to a sheriff's station. At 15, the Spotsylvania High School freshman played soccer and had an affinity for ladybugs. Inside was a copy of The Free Lance-Star from 1997, with front-page news of the disappearance of the Lisk sisters. He would not be able to join them, he said, because he had to work. She joined The Post in 1997 as a two-year intern covering policing and courts in Loudoun County, Va. She later covered local and national education. Sisterhood Of Survival: Elizabeth Smart, Kara Robinson Spearhead New Oxygen Documentary, How Kara Robinson Tried to Cope with Trauma. Or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to real news you can count on. "She was able to give us information down to the exactness of what was in the apartment.". Bluebeard hid the bodies of his murdered wives behind one of the locked doors in his castle. Thankfully, Kara exhibited immense bravery despite her trauma and managed to escape Richards house the following day. Created in 2005, what started as a tiny central Florida-based website and short weekly podcast that allowed our audience to visit Walt Disney World virtually has grown into the publishing company it is today. 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. He had urges but he could control them. As they released a police dog, he put the gun in his mouth and pulled the trigger.. Later, he worked at companies that manufactured compressors and grinding equipment. While searching his apartment, they found evidence connecting him to all three murders,according to the Free Lance Star. His wife and mother were out of town on a trip to Walt Disney World, according to a 2002 Washington Post article. the New York Daily News reported in 2015. the Associated Press reported at the time. Authorities found the fingerprints of Krista Lisk inside one of his vehicles, further incriminating him in the heinous murders. He never stopped, and he never said he was sorry. Evonitz used metal trunk, lies to shield truth. Popular: Who is Vessa Rockliff -Daly Cherry Evans Wife? This February, a derailed train carrying hazardous materials has upended the lives of those living in East Palestine. Crowley was working as a waitress at Aunt Sarah's . Investigators were able to track the serial killer to Sarasota, Florida, where a high-speed chase ensued. 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. special that premiered September 26 and is now streaming. Years later, while on the run in South Carolina, he told his sister Kristen that he had abducted and raped a 15-year-old girl, as police charged. But that brazen kidnapper, the one operating in the clear light of day, does exist. Her loyalness was reflected when she disagreed with believing her husband's acts. Who is Hope Marie Crowley? I knew if I woke him up and wasnt successful [in getting out] that would probably be when I would get hurt, and when his sadistic nature would kick in [she feared being shot in the back]., Related:Florida Man Arrested After Threatening to Blow Up Homes of Disney Executives. Officials said he has no other known criminal convictions. Two days after Robinsons bold escape, she found out that Evonitz had killed himself. You can view a clip below: Today, Kara runs a website, where she offers hope and encouragement to other survivors.. [2], After high school, Evonitz worked briefly as the manager of a Jiffy Lube, before joining the United States Navy. At the police station, she spotted Evonitz's supervisor, Mike Augustine of Armstrong Compressors. [6], On May 1, 1997, Evonitz abducted sisters Kristin, 15, and Kati Lisk, 12, from their front lawn after school. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! However, they found a lead in May 1997 when two sisters were found dead in Hanover County. With the help of two men in a car in the apartment complex, she reached the nearby police station and reported everything. 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. r/standwithusa 5 min. I was really, really angry, she told producers. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features NFL Sunday Ticket Press Copyright . Throughout her ordeal, Robinson focused on her abductor and her surroundings to gather information she could use. Related:Watchmen Actors Family Speaks Out, Convinced He Was Murdered. 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. Cara Robinson was abducted out of her friends yard by serial killer Richard Marc Evonitz. Richard Marc Edward Evonitz was born on July 29, 1963, at Providence Hospital in Columbia, South Carolina, to Joseph Evonitz and Tess Ragin Evonitz. Unexpectedly, this unhealthy behavior gradually turned animalistic, and he resorted to kidnapping, sexual abuse, and even murder to satisfy his depravities. Investigators said they might never have stopped Evonitz had Robinson not saved her own life, The investigation into Evonitz as the killer of the three girls in Virginia didnt end with his death. His violence didn't burst from within him unexpectedly. This four-part series is based on interviews with investigators and members of Evonitzs family, and a review of public documents from Florida, South Carolina and Virginia. Nevertheless, the couple tied the knot in 1999 and moved into a small garden apartment in Columbia, South Carolina. 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 was reportedly married to Bonnie Lou Gower from 1988 to 1996. 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. Throughout her ordeal, Robinson focused on her abductor and her surroundings to gather information she could use. Police now know that Evonitz spent hours traveling the back roads of South Carolina and Virginia. They hadn't. [7], On June 24, 2002, Evonitz abducted 15-year-old Kara Robinson Chamberlain from a friend's yard in Columbia, South Carolina, after holding a gun to her head and then forcing her into a plastic bin. 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. Based on Karas testimony and the evidence obtained from the apartment, the police began tracking Richard and located him in Sarasota, Florida. The sisters disappeared from their yard on May 1, 1997. It seemed that Evonitz delighted in outsmarting police, in making his crimes as daring as possible. We are not able to find his account on social media platforms such as Twitter and Instagram. "But with us, there was a level of trust. We focus on bringing you all things fun so you can plan your theme park vacation, enjoy Disney at home, and more. ", One exception that investigators have focused on is Evonitz's 1988 conviction for exposing himself to a teenager and her toddler sister in Florida. Richard Evonitz was reportedly married to Bonnie Lou Gower from 1988 to 1996. Sensing that there was no escape, he began calling relatives with cryptic confessions. He took her to his apartment, raped her, forced her to smoke marijuana, and tied her to his bed. For nearly six years the Lisk/Silva task force chased 12,000 leads, obtained dozens of search warrants and considered countless "good" suspects. The film premiered on Lifetime on Saturday, February 11. They prefer a much simpler label: predator. "They knew if they did [open the trunk], bad things were going to happen.". His belongings connected him to the abduction and murder of three girls whod been taken from their homes in Virginia years earlier: Sofia Silva, 16, in 1996, and sisters Kristin, 15, and Kati Lisk, in 1997. 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. Yet the water seemed to draw him. "She was so, so alert," Metts said. Was it some sort of uniform that he wore when committing his crimes? 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. According to the Free Lance-Star, they discovered evidence linking him to all three killings while investigating his residence. I just ran, she said. 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 his wifes absence, he abducted 15-year-old Kara Robinson from her friends yard in Columbia at gunpoint. Police say now that those closest to him--his wives, sisters, mother, friends and co-workers--had no idea he was a killer. 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. Inside the Magic consists of multiple writers & videographers living near both Disneyland and Walt Disney World theme parks and around the world. As the detectives investigated further, they discovered that after fleeing his Columbia apartment, he had allegedly called some relatives and cryptically stated his crimes. 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,, . During that time, she met 36-year-old Richard Marc Evonitz of Columbia, South Carolina, and love quickly blossomed between the two. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Richard Evonitz. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. At this point, Evonitz was serving in the US Navy and the couple were based between California and Maine. She freed herself from the constraints Evonitz placed on her while he slept before escaping. "We had a couple of fights about the footlocker," Hope Evonitz said in a recent interview with The Free Lance-Star. ", ON THE WEB: For previous stories in this series, visit fredericksburg.com, To reach JIM HALL: 540/374-5433 jhall@freelancestar.com. In 2002, the 15-year-old's life took a devastating flip after being kidnapped by Richard Evonitz from her good pal's dwelling in Columbia, South Carolina.