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 . (function(e,t,n,r){var i=n.currentScript,s=null;if(i)s=i;else{var o=n.getElementsByTagName(r),u=o.length-1;for(var a=u;a>=0;a--)if(o[a].getAttribute("rel")==="skimlinks-ref-banner"){s=o[a];break}}s&&setTimeout(function(){var i=e[t]||(e[t]=[]),o={"imageUrl":"/banners/img/referral/higher_commissions/728X90.gif","wid":"07","creativeId":60710,"color":"grey","size":"728X90","domainId":"1601785","publisherId":137930,"bannerUrl":"/banners/js/referral/referral_banner.min.js","cdnUrl":"https://s.skimresources.com"};if(i.length===0){var u=n.createElement(r);u.src=o.cdnUrl+o.bannerUrl,u.async=!0,s.parentNode.insertBefore(u,s)}i.push({el:s,config:o})})})(this,"__skimlinksBanners",document,"script"); CONTACT US | ADVERTISE ON ITM But what happened to the man who abducted her? After gagging her, he repeatedly raped Kara over the next eighteen hours and forced her to smoke marijuana. From that knowledge, this community may gain some insight into how such crimes could be prevented in the future. Consider serial murderer Richard Evonitz, the subject of the upcoming Oxygen special Escaping Captivity: The Kara Robinson Story, who kidnapped Kara Robinson. Kristin and Katis bodies were found five days later, and the police reportedly found a strand of Sofias hair on the older Lisk sisters body. They will interview friends, co-workers and relatives and track Evonitz's frequent travels from state to state in a search for links to similar unsolved crimes in those areas. [8][9], On February 11, 2023, Lifetime released a television film called The Girl Who Escaped: The Kara Robinson Story. However, until Robinson led investigators to Evonitz, little progress was made in the investigation. [4], Following his stint in the Navy, Evonitz worked steadily at businesses that sold compressors and grinding equipment. Richard served as a Sonar Technician for eight years before receiving two Good Conduct Medals and an honorable discharge. Kristin Lisk was a 15-year-old soccer player who was finishing her freshman year of high school. 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. Kara Robinson's Story: Who Were Richard Evonitz's Other Victims 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. Evonitz was in the Navy and was married twice to much younger wives, with both living unaware of his crimes. Two men she stopped in the parking lot took her to a sheriff's station. 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. Police initially treated it as a missing persons case instead of an abduction -- until Silva was found about five weeks later, dead in a swamp. Her abductor, later identified as Richard Evonitz, told her to get into a big plastic container in the cars backseat. Have something to tell us about this article? 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. Three years after Bonnie Lou Gower left Richard Evonitz, he remarried Hope Marie Crowley. Hope Marie Crowley Now: Where is Richard Evonitz's Wife Today? Smith said detectives found evidence in their South Carolina searches that Evonitz was stalking other girls in Spotsylvania. 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. How does the aftermath of derailed train in Ohio mirror Netflix's White According to the New York Daily News, her elder sister was inside but had not heard anything. At this point, Evonitz was serving in the US Navy and the couple were based between California and Maine. When police interviewed Hope Evonitz after her husband's death, they said she was controlled and emotionless. If she had picked the simple lock, as police later did, she would have found evidence of her husband's crimes. Evonitz did not have any children with either wives. He also will host an FBI "working group" on Evonitz next year. 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. 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. The murders remained unsolved until 2002, when Evonitz abducted and raped a girl in South Carolina. I want to know why he didnt get me.. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Friends and neighbors described the Evonitzs as a pleasant couple, especially Richard was known as someone who was friendly and loved animals. Police describe his victims as "low-risk," meaning that they did nothing to put themselves in danger. Or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to real news you can count on. The sisters disappeared from their yard on May 1, 1997. Richard Marc Evonitz committed suicide after being apprehended by the police 20 years ago. 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. When she's not planning her next Disney trip, Rebekah can be found spending time with her family, shopping for Lilly Pulitzer, buried in a good book, or doing yoga. Evonitz tried to start a new business in 1999, to manufacture wheel grinders for industrial tools, but he failed. Though Hope does not publicly share many details about herself and has a minimal presence on social media, official records state that she is now in her 40s and resides in West Columbia, South Carolina. [3], Richard Marc Edward Evonitz was born at Providence Hospital in Columbia, South Carolina, to Joseph and Tess Ragin Evonitz. The investigation into Evonitz as the killer of the three girls in Virginia didnt end with his death. She suffered a panic attack when Evonitz put her back in the container while he called his wife, who was at Walt Disney World with his mother. 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?'. I just went into survival mode, she told Oxygen. Her older sister was inside but hadn't heard a thing, according to the New York Daily News. While searching his apartment, they found evidence connecting him to all three murders,according to the Free Lance Star. When investigators searched Richard Evonitzs South Carolina apartment, they discovered his connections to the brutal murders of three innocent young girls in the 90s. The abduction became the biggest mistake of Richard Evonitz's criminal career when Robinson escaped and eventually sent police down his path. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Please subscribe to keep reading. Through evidence discovered after Robinsons brave escape, Evonitz was tied to the Silva and Lisk murders. 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. Later, they checked to see if they had overlooked him during their long investigation. Many of the police who worked on the Lisk/Silva case for nearly six years are the same ones now studying Evonitz. Richard Marc Evonitz, was born on July 29, 1963 in Columbia, South Carolina. Evonitz's wife was still at The Most Magical Place on Earth while the entire sordid situation unfolded. 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. Who Were Richard Evonitz's Victims? Is He Dead or Alive? To avoid confusion with a paternal uncle called Richard, he graduated from Irmo High School in 1980 at the age of 16. According to the Free Lance-Star, they discovered evidence linking him to all three killings while investigating his residence. You can view a clip below: Today, Kara runs a website, where she offers hope and encouragement to other survivors.. He pulled a gun. 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.. "Just like an animal, he stalks his victims, waits for the right time and takes them," Downes said. 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. She is expected to be alive with her age close to 41. 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. 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. Law enforcement officials said he was born and raised near Columbia and attended Irmo High School before joining the Navy. #onthisday pic.twitter.com/OIcfpFebnS. [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. According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the majority of children are abducted by someone they know. At that point, my brain shut off my emotions. 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. As Police Closed In, Evonitz Admitted Crimes to His Sister She was reportedly 17 years old. 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. "He was somebody who felt everything closing in on him. 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. Hope Evonitz wonders if the trophy box was her husband's way of trying to keep his demons under lock and key. Inside the Magic consists of multiple writers & videographers living near both Disneyland and Walt Disney World theme parks and around the world. He married his first wife, Bonnie Lou Gower, in 1988 but suffered a severe financial crisis after their divorce in 1996. 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. 0. "Escaping Captivity: The Kara Robinson Story. According to The Associated Press, the notes included the addresses and descriptions of two more young females. "They were in fear of him," Downes said. A WARNING: Evonitz's sexual obsessions are key to understanding him. Richard Evonitz was married to Crowley from 1999 until his death on June 27, 2002. Gere, 73, is "feeling much better," Silva wrote. 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. r/standwithusa 5 min. 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. Her decomposed body was found five weeks later in a creek in King George, Virginia, yet the police could not comprehend the cause of death and the killers identity. . [5], Evonitz is suspected of a 1994 abduction and rape and a 1995 rape in Spotsylvania, Virginia. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}. 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. #onthisday pic.twitter.com/OIcfpFebnS Murderific True Crime Podcast (@MurderificBPC) July 29, 2019 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. Hope Evonitz, his second wife,. 'The Monster' Richard Marc Evonitz was a rapist and a stalker, and he may be worse. . After graduating from high school, Evonitz worked as a manager at a Jiffy Lube before enlisting in the US Navy. Age, Wife, Family, Net worth, Salary, Wiki, Bio, Why did FedEx fire him. The next morning, he slept beside Kara on his bed when she somehow managed to free herself and escape the apartment. He chose Kara on the spur of the moment. On May 1, 1997, the sisters vanished from their yard. 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.