When he abducted and killed his first victim, Sofia Silva, his first wife was on holiday in California. When he was convicted for exposing himself in Florida at age 23, Evonitz told the arresting officer that he had uncontrollable urges. Gower and Evonitz had been neighbors in Columbia and she was a friend of his younger sister. "Just like an animal, he stalks his victims, waits for the right time and takes them," Downes said. There is no information available on how many of the assets he actually possesses. He married his first wife, Bonnie Lou Gower, in 1988 but suffered a severe financial crisis after their divorce in 1996. 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. Actually, he, too, had taken a week's vacation, a secret break. Evonitz took the girl to his apartment, where they were alone because his wife and mother were vacationing at Walt Disney World, and carried the container inside. On June 24, 2002, Hope and Richards mother were away on vacation at Disneyland, California. 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. [8][9], On February 11, 2023, Lifetime released a television film called The Girl Who Escaped: The Kara Robinson Story. Richard had separated from his first wife, Bonnie Lou Gower, in 1996 and was considerably older than Hope. By using this site you agree to our privacy policy. Read More:Who is Kara Robinsons Husband? 20052023 JAK Schmidt, Inc. All rights reserved. Still, Evonitz left no witnesses or clues. Age, Wife, Family, Net worth, Salary, Wiki, Bio, Why did FedEx fire him. The man held a gun to her head and threatened to shoot her if she screamed. Authorities found the fingerprints of Krista Lisk inside one of his vehicles, further incriminating him in the heinous murders. LIKE BLUEBEARD, the character in the old European fable, Marc Evonitz had a secret life hidden behind lock and key. The footlocker also contained pornographic tapes and many pairs of female underwear, all sizes, from infant to adult. Evonitz was cornered by police in Florida where he then killed himself. The couple was in Mexico to celebrate Silva's 40th birthday when Gere was diagnosed with . The kidnapper took Robinson to his apartment, where he repeatedly sexually assaulted her and held her captive for 18 hours. 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. Most details that have emerged about Evonitz's life show a man who attracted little attention and was liked and respected by colleagues. Richard Evonitz was married to Crowley from 1999 until his death on June 27, 2002. When he kidnapped Kara, he was married to his second wife, Hope Marie Crowley, and she unknowingly played a crucial role in helping the teenager identify Richard. 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?'. Who is Hope Marie Crowley? Through evidence discovered after Robinsons brave escape, Evonitz was tied to the Silva and Lisk murders. For nearly six years the Lisk/Silva task force chased 12,000 leads, obtained dozens of search warrants and considered countless "good" suspects. Richard Marc Evonitz committed suicide after being apprehended by the police 20 years ago. Police are not sure. 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. Sensing that there was no escape, he began calling relatives with cryptic confessions. His wife and mother were out of town on a trip to Walt Disney World, according to a 2002 Washington Post article. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. The conversation took place before he killed himself after a police chase in Florida. Related:Mother on Flight From Disney World Told to Glue Mask to Childs Face. "Mike," she asked, "was Marc really on vacation? With the help of two men in a car in the apartment complex, she reached the nearby police station and reported everything. Hope Evonitz, his second wife,. Her abductor, later identified as Richard Evonitz, told her to get into a big plastic container in the cars backseat. Later, authorities identified him as the LiskSilva killer. 2d ago 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. He was trolling for potential victims and the best places to dispose of their bodies. With his wife gone and their Columbia apartment empty, he could play out his fantasies of domination and control. You can view a clip below: Today, Kara runs a website, where she offers hope and encouragement to other survivors.. To avoid confusion with a paternal uncle called Richard, he graduated from Irmo High School in 1980 at the age of 16. Evonitz was born on July 29, 1963 meaning he was around 25 years old when he was married to Gower. Nevertheless, the detectives found a big locker in the apartment containing several news clippings related to Silvia, Kristin, and Katis unsolved murders. Richard Evonitz died on June 27, 2002, at the age of 38. Now, if you wish to know more about the murders Richard committed and his current whereabouts, we have you covered. Following his service in the Navy, Evonitz worked for a number of companies that supplied compressors and grinding machines. She shared with People: It was one of the most important things thats ever happened to me, she says. Actor Tom Sizemore's family is currently "deciding end of life matters" after receiving updates from doctors, according to a statement given to CNN from Sizemore's manager Charles Lago . That was how he planned it. 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. Later, he worked at companies that manufactured compressors and grinding equipment. Yet, despite her traumatic ordeal, she kept an alert mind and noted all the details of her surroundings. That was two years ago. However, that brazen kidnapper, the one who operates in broad daylight, does exist. 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. Three years after Bonnie Lou Gower left Richard Evonitz, he remarried Hope Marie Crowley. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! "She was so, so alert," Metts said. Three years after Bonnie Lou Gower left Richard Evonitz, he remarried Hope Marie Crowley. Before being honorably discharged after eight years of service, he worked as a sonar technician and won a Good Conduct Medal. Usually, Evonitz was more careful. . He was a former Sonar Technician who served in the US Navy for eight years and received two medals for good conduct. On September 9, 1996, Richard abducted 16-year-old Sofia Silva from her homes front yard in Spotsylvania County, Virginia. Two days after Robinsons bold escape, she found out that Evonitz had killed himself. He also will host an FBI "working group" on Evonitz next year. Evonitz has been suspected of other murders, and confessed a number of crimes to his sister shortly before committing suicide. She realized that a woman with red hair lived with Evonitz when she was abucted. He forcefully held Kara in his Cara Robinson later became a police officer. Serial killer, Richard Marc Evonitz, killed himself while surrounded by police in June 2002. Law enforcement officials spent three hours today searching the house where Evonitz lived in Spotsylvania in 1996 and 1997, Smith said. [5], Evonitz is suspected of a 1994 abduction and rape and a 1995 rape in Spotsylvania, Virginia. Kristin Lisk was a 15-year-old soccer player who was finishing her freshman year of high school. 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. Her abductor, later identified as Richard Evonitz, told her to get into a big plastic container in the cars backseat. After graduating from high school, Evonitz worked as a manager at a Jiffy Lube before enlisting in the US Navy. Richard Marc Evonitz, was born on July 29, 1963 in Columbia, South Carolina. At this point, Evonitz was serving in the US Navy and the couple were based between California and Maine. The kidnapper took Robinson to his apartment, where he repeatedly sexually assaulted her and held her captive for 18 hours. Two Richland County deputies and one FBI agent formed a team today that will work full time to reconstruct Evonitz's life. Evonitz's criminal career reportedly started the year before he tied the knot with Bonnie Lou Gower. In 2010, Robinson graduated from the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy, reported WISTV.com. Another strange DNA quirk happened with the case. However, little headway was made in the case until Robinson led police to Evonitz. Richard Marc Evonitz was a devoted spouse who delighted in working with animals and amusing people. Meanwhile, discovering her escape, Evonitz fled to Florida. "We'll take it from the time he was born and go forward. However, little headway was made in the case until Robinson led police to Evonitz. None of it contained telling DNA evidence. RELATED: WHERE TO WATCH FORGOTTEN ABDUCTION ON STREAMING; Richard remarried Hope Marie Crowley. 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. Evonitz was born on July 29, 1963 meaning he was around 25 years old when he was married to Gower. His mother described the moment she realized he had betrayed her: With her son on the run, she returned from Disney World to her home in Columbia. She would have recognized the souvenir. 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,, . While searching his apartment, they found evidence connecting him to all three murders,according to the Free Lance Star. Does She Have Kids. ", One exception that investigators have focused on is Evonitz's 1988 conviction for exposing himself to a teenager and her toddler sister in 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.". Robinson has publicly spoken about the terrifying ordeal, years before the Lifetime true crime movie aired. 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. Robinson escaped his apartment after being raped and notified police. But authorities and former co-workers said even those closest to Evonitz had no indication that he might have been hiding something. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! Their bodies were found five days later. Richard served as a Sonar Technician for eight years before receiving two Good Conduct Medals and an honorable discharge. 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. Maria Glod is the deputy Metro editor at The Washington Post. 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. He would not be able to join them, he said, because he had to work. Thankfully, Kara exhibited immense bravery despite her trauma and managed to escape Richards house the following day. 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. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Eventually, the Columbia native tied the knot with Hope Marie Crowley in 1999. A WARNING: Evonitz's sexual obsessions are key to understanding him. Sensing no way of escape, Richard shot himself dead before he could be arrested. 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. Elizabeth Smart serves as an executive producer.[10]. 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. 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. Police also were puzzled to find holes cut in the crotch of many of the pieces. If she had picked the simple lock, as police later did, she would have found evidence of her husband's crimes. Per the article, Kara said, From that moment I kind of realized that he would probably not let me go and it would be up to me to get out and escape. He fled, then committed suicide while surrounded by police in Florida. Smith said detectives found evidence in their South Carolina searches that Evonitz was stalking other girls in Spotsylvania. November 18, 2021 . He was married twice. Only when he was ready did the safe Henry Jekyll become the wicked Edward Hyde. "We're going to do his whole life's tale," Lott said. A high-speed car chase followed to catch Richard, resulting in him running over spike strips on the highway and being attacked by a police dog. Hope Marie Crowley was taken aback when she learned that her husband was a criminal. r/standwithusa 5 min. The Girl Who Escaped: The Kara Robinson Story. Evonitz was in the Navy and was married twice to much younger wives, with both living unaware of his crimes. He was horrified and disgusted with himself. Kara said: That was probably the fastest my heart was beating the entire time I was there. In 1987, Richard allegedly exposed himself and masturbated in front of a 15-year-old girl in Orange Park, Florida. Have something to tell us about this article? (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 Evonitz was sentenced to three years of probation for this offense. After an 18-hour ordeal, the girl heard Evonitz snoring and was able to escape, authorities said. Because it brought home the importance of what I did. 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. But when she escaped, Richard feared his arrest and fled, eventually killing himself to evade arrest. Was it some sort of uniform that he wore when committing his crimes? 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. Who is Vincent Paterno? 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. [6], On May 1, 1997, Evonitz abducted sisters Kristin, 15, and Kati Lisk, 12, from their front lawn after school. At this point, Evonitz was serving in the US Navy and the couple were based between California and Maine. Inside the Magic consists of multiple writers & videographers living near both Disneyland and Walt Disney World theme parks and around the world. His violence didn't burst from within him unexpectedly. The sisters disappeared from their yard on May 1, 1997. Age, Family, Husband, Net worth, Wiki, Bio, Height, Birthday, Season 41: Sara Wilson Age, Family, Net worth -Birthday, Height, Partner, Wikipedia, Bio. Evonitz made scouting trips and careful notes of what he saw. 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 Three years after Bonnie Lou Gower left Richard Evonitz, he remarried Hope Marie Crowley. In other news, Celebrate Dr. Seuss's birthday with these 37 heartwarming quotes. the New York Daily News reported in 2015. the Associated Press reported at the time. [2], In January 1987, Evonitz exposed himself and masturbated in front of a 15-year-old girl in Orange Park, Florida. Evonitz and his second wife then moved to Columbia, where he found work at Armstrong Compressed Air Services, based 80 miles away in Spartanburg. 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 . This helped the police track down his location. Authorities apprehended Evonitz in Florida three days after he kidnapped Robinson, and a high-speed chase occurred, culminating with Evonitz shooting himself and dying. It was then that Evonitz drove up and started chatting to her under the pretense of selling magazines -- before pointing a gun at her and forcing her into a Rubbermaid container in the back of his car, the New York Daily News reported in 2015.