Robinson has publicly spoken about the terrifying ordeal, years before the Lifetime true crime movie aired. 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.. 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 sisters disappeared from their yard on May 1, 1997. When he abducted and killed his first victim, Sofia Silva, his first wife was on holiday in California. Two Richland County deputies and one FBI agent formed a team today that will work full time to reconstruct Evonitz's life. 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. They had all gone missing in Spotsylvania County, Va., more than five years before Karas abduction. While her friend got ready, Robinson was watering the front lawn. After watching The Girl Who Escaped: The Kara Robinson Story, you might be looking for more details on what happened to Richard Evonitzs first and second wife. Richard Marc Evonitz was a devoted spouse who delighted in working with animals and amusing people. 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. Three years after Bonnie Lou Gower left Richard Evonitz, he remarried Hope Marie Crowley. ", "Suspect stated he has a problem with masturbating in front of girls," the report said. 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. She was 17 years old at the time and Evonitz was 36. He never stopped, and he never said he was sorry. When he abducted Kara, he did so only after placing his wife and mother on a plane for Walt Disney World. 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. Three years after Bonnie Lou Gower left Richard Evonitz, he remarried Hope Marie Crowley. Her decomposed body was found a month later in a creek off State Route 3 in King George County. His violence didn't burst from within him unexpectedly. Hope Evonitz, his second wife,. On May 1, 1997, Richard kidnapped 15-year-old Kristin Lisk and her 12-year-old sister, Kathryn Kati Lisk, from their front lawn after school. "He would not even discuss it with her," said Capt. Who was Richard Evonitz's wife? Kara Robinson's kidnapper was married twice Who is Hope Marie Crowley? After playing a key role in solving Evonitzs other murders, Kara was able to meet the families of both Sofia and the Lisk sisters. Kara now a 35-year-old motivational speaker miraculously escaped, ultimately leading police to the would-be murderers Columbia, South Carolina apartment. He was honorably discharged and received medals, including the Navy Achievement Medal, which is given for leadership. Inside Evonitzs apartment, authorities made a chilling discovery. But when she escaped, Richard feared his arrest and fled, eventually killing himself to evade arrest. That was how he planned it. Now, if you wish to know more about the murders Richard committed and his current whereabouts, we have you covered. The man behind the wheel was Richard (Marc) Evonitz, 38, who was prowling the neighborhood for his next victim after murdering three girls Sofia Silva, 16, and sisters Kristin, 15, and Kati Lisk, 12 years earlier. 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. After his crimes, Fredericksburg never seemed as safe. But his crimes were "high-risk," in the sense that he abducted victims from busy suburban neighborhoods in the middle of the day. "They knew if they did [open the trunk], bad things were going to happen.". Police are not sure. He married his first wife, Bonnie Lou Gower, in 1988 but suffered a severe financial crisis after their divorce in 1996. 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. They also found evidence he was stalking other girls in Virginia, according to. [2], In January 1987, Evonitz exposed himself and masturbated in front of a 15-year-old girl in Orange Park, Florida. Who is Kara Robinsons Husband? 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. "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. Who was Richard Evonitz's wife? Kara Robinson's kidnapper was married twice Later, he worked at companies that manufactured compressors and grinding equipment. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. 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. Hope Evonitz, his second wife, told her husband she wanted to know what was in the metal trunk. He chose strangers to abduct and kill. 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. It's never been determined if Evonitz was responsible for more than three murders. Yet the water seemed to draw him. Their bodies were found five days later in the South Anna River. According to the New York Daily News, her elder sister was inside but had not heard anything. As she looked at them, he forced her at gunpoint into a green plastic storage container in the car's trunk. Who is Richard Marc Evonitz? Death Cause - Wife, Age, Family - YouTube Richard Evonitz was reportedly married to Bonnie Lou Gower from 1988 to 1996. According to The Associated Press, the notes included the addresses and descriptions of two more young females. The kidnapper took Robinson to his apartment, where he repeatedly sexually assaulted her and held her captive for 18 hours. Usually, Evonitz was more careful. Richard Evonitz - Crime Museum Cara Robinson later became a police officer. 20052023 JAK Schmidt, Inc. All rights reserved. She was 17 years old at the time and Evonitz was 36. Does She Have Kids. They were discovered deceased in a river a few days later. According to the Free Lance-Star, they discovered evidence linking him to all three killings while investigating his residence. 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. After Kara escaped from Evonitz in Columbia, police realized that they had never heard his name before. Consider serial murderer Richard Evonitz, the subject of the upcoming Oxygen special Escaping Captivity: The Kara Robinson Story, who kidnapped Kara Robinson. After Richard Evonitz was discharged from the Navy, the couple moved to Fredericksburg. The man held a gun to her head and threatened to shoot her if she screamed. The Girl Who Escaped: The Kara Robinson Story. From all accounts, officials said, Evonitz exhibited no violent behavior in childhood, and he got along well in the Navy and at work. Richard Evonitz was married to Crowley from 1999 until his death on June 27, 2002. Evonitz was the most dangerous of all predators--an invisible one. In the late 90s, Hope Marie Crowley was a 17-year-old waitress working at a pancake joint in Massaponax, Virginia. 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. "We had a couple of fights about the footlocker," Hope Evonitz said in a recent interview with The Free Lance-Star. "If he kept everything locked in there, maybe it wouldn't come out again," she said. 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. Known as Marc to avoid confusion with a paternal uncle also named Richard, he graduated from Irmo High School in 1980 at age 16. And that meant so much to me. It also helped forge her future career decisions. Throughout her ordeal, Robinson focused on her abductor and her surroundings to gather information she could use. His name appeared on only one list, a list of newly issued Spotsylvania County business licenses. 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. There is not any information on how he spent his early day. Screenshot from True Crime Daily YouTube, Teen survives abduction by serial killer, now thrives in law enforcement. We don't know if this is our guy. She freed herself from the constraints Evonitz placed on her while he slept before escaping. He married his first wife, Bonnie Lou Gower, in 1988 but suffered a severe financial crisis after their divorce in 1996. pic.twitter.com/PJBCnblMux. Make sure you join Kara Robinson Chamberlain after the premiere for a live conversation on her Instagram! We are not able to find his account on social media platforms such as Twitter and Instagram. 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 . After graduating high school and briefly working as a Manager for Jiffy Lube, he joined the Navy. He was trolling for potential victims and the best places to dispose of their bodies. Kristian Bruun stars as Richard Evonitz in the terrifying film. "Of all the people in my 24 years that I've ever investigated, he's probably the most evil," said Dempsey of the King George Sheriff's Office. Nevertheless, the detectives found a big locker in the apartment containing several news clippings related to Silvia, Kristin, and Katis unsolved murders. Richard Marc Evonitz, was born on July 29, 1963 in Columbia, South Carolina. Her brave act led the police to identify Richard as a serial killer who had murdered three other girls during the 90s. Have something to tell us about this article? Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Downes and other detectives are familiar with the psychological labels that have been attached to Evonitz, terms like bipolar, hebephile, fantasy-driven or psychopath. Evonitz stored the footlocker in the corner of his cluttered bedroom, hidden beneath a pile of clothes. When police interviewed Hope Evonitz after her husband's death, they said she was controlled and emotionless. She never misses Jeopardy and alternately wishes she lived in Beast's castle or was making the Kessel Run in the Millennium Falcon. He chose Kara on the spur of the moment. In 2002, the 15-year-olds life took a devastating turn after being abducted by Richard Evonitz from her friends home in Columbia, South Carolina. Evonitz was suspected of additional killings, and soon before committing suicide, he confessed to his sister to a dozen atrocities. He was attacked by a police dog and ultimately shot himself while surrounded, rather than face the consequences of his actions. However, little headway was made in the case until Robinson led police to Evonitz. Smith said detectives found evidence in their South Carolina searches that Evonitz was stalking other girls in Spotsylvania. Three days after kidnapping Robinson, authorities caught up to Evonitz in Florida and a high-speed ensued, ending when Evonitz shot himself and died. Law enforcement officials said he was born and raised near Columbia and attended Irmo High School before joining the Navy. The film starred Katie Douglas as Kara Robinson, Cara Buono as Debra Robinson, and Kristian Bruun as Richard Evonitz. Evonitz reportedly abducted the teenager while his second wife, Hope Marie Crowley, was on vacation. 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. Evonitz was cornered by police in Florida where he then killed himself. Bluebeard's wives were curious about the locked room and eventually looked inside. Richard Marc Evonitz born July 29, 1963 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, S.Carolina. Richard Marc Edward Evonitz was born on July 29, 1963, at Providence Hospital in Columbia, South Carolina, to Joseph Evonitz and Tess Ragin Evonitz. In 2010, Robinson graduated from the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy, reported WISTV.com. If she had picked the simple lock, as police later did, she would have found evidence of her husband's crimes. 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. Lifetimes thriller movie The Girl Who Escaped: The Kara Robinson Story chronicles how Kara courageously escaped her captors home after being abducted and assaulted for eighteen hours, eventually helping the police identify him and his past crimes. Sensing a connection between the murders, the police theorized that the Spotsylvania County victim had also been raped and killed similarly. It was his preference, a well-developed appetite. Evonitz hid the souvenirs of his crimes in a locked footlocker in his bedroom. "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.. During that time, she met 36-year-old Richard Marc Evonitz of Columbia, South Carolina, and love quickly blossomed between the two. Evonitz abducted 15-year-old Kara Robinson Chamberlain three days before his death. Hope Marie Crowley was taken aback when she learned that her husband was a criminal. At this point, Evonitz was serving in the US Navy and the couple were based between California and Maine. He took her to his apartment, tied her, and forced her to smoke marijuana before repeatedly raping her for the next eighteen hours.