Full Transcript for Robin Lawrence

ton 38 00:02:06.599 --> 00:02:09.479 to talk about this week. They are still in the 39 00:02:09.840 --> 00:02:15.719 penalty phase in the Tanner Horner situation. I have not 40 00:02:15.879 --> 00:02:18.599 been watching live streams at all, but I have been 41 00:02:18.919 --> 00:02:22.120 listening to Pretty Lies and Alibi. She's been doing daily recaps, 42 00:02:22.439 --> 00:02:25.280 and as always, she keeps it real and keeps it 43 00:02:25.439 --> 00:02:29.639 very respectful, very victim focused and centered, and I super 44 00:02:29.680 --> 00:02:32.759 super appreciate that because this is a really really hard 45 00:02:33.319 --> 00:02:35.400 to fathom and digest case. 46 00:02:36.080 --> 00:02:38.520 It is very triggering for a lot of people. 47 00:02:38.599 --> 00:02:42.680 I find myself. Sometimes I can't listen to it. Sometimes 48 00:02:42.800 --> 00:02:45.360 I'm not in the right headspace, or sometimes I just 49 00:02:45.520 --> 00:02:49.159 flat out can't listen to it. But this guy is 50 00:02:49.520 --> 00:02:53.919 a actual monster, and I'm so curious to see what 51 00:02:54.000 --> 00:02:56.520 is going to happen as far as what they're going 52 00:02:56.520 --> 00:02:58.439 to do as far as his sentence goes. I didn't 53 00:02:58.439 --> 00:03:01.039 think it was going to be going on so long, 54 00:03:01.759 --> 00:03:04.639 but I'm actually glad it is, because I think everyone 55 00:03:04.719 --> 00:03:09.680 needs to realize that this guy is horrible and evil 56 00:03:10.159 --> 00:03:12.560 and a true monster, and he can hide behind his 57 00:03:12.759 --> 00:03:15.879 crazy alter ego all he wants, but at the end 58 00:03:15.879 --> 00:03:19.000 of the day, he is the true monster that he is, 59 00:03:19.080 --> 00:03:20.080 and that's Tanner Horner. 60 00:03:20.120 --> 00:03:22.120 It's not Zero, it is Tanner Horner. 61 00:03:22.879 --> 00:03:26.199 I did want to talk about some upcoming trials and 62 00:03:26.560 --> 00:03:29.000 different sentencings that are coming up, just so we can 63 00:03:29.039 --> 00:03:31.080 all kind of have dates for all of this stuff. 64 00:03:31.719 --> 00:03:35.639 So Corey Richins is set to be sentenced on May thirteenth. 65 00:03:36.120 --> 00:03:39.199 Lindsey Clancy's trial is set for July twentieth of twenty 66 00:03:39.240 --> 00:03:42.800 twenty six. She is the mom who was suffering from 67 00:03:43.000 --> 00:03:46.719 some postpartum issues and she took the lives of her 68 00:03:46.800 --> 00:03:49.800 children and then attempted to take her own life. That 69 00:03:49.840 --> 00:03:53.400 one is going to be really really interesting, I think 70 00:03:53.479 --> 00:03:57.080 to listen to. And the poor father of those children 71 00:03:57.319 --> 00:03:59.520 left to pick up the pieces when his whole world 72 00:03:59.599 --> 00:04:03.879 has just been crumbled. The sentencing for Gerhart Koenig, who 73 00:04:04.280 --> 00:04:10.039 is the doctor in Hawaii that allegedly not allegedly anymore 74 00:04:10.080 --> 00:04:13.439 because he was convicted, killed his wife. His sentencing will 75 00:04:13.439 --> 00:04:16.680 be August thirteenth. We have Courtney Clenny, who is the 76 00:04:16.680 --> 00:04:21.800 only Fans model who allegedly murdered her boyfriend. Her trial 77 00:04:22.079 --> 00:04:25.079 has been delayed, but they're hoping that it's going to 78 00:04:25.120 --> 00:04:29.279 be in late August of twenty twenty six. That one 79 00:04:29.360 --> 00:04:33.839 is going to be very very interesting. We have Shanna 80 00:04:33.920 --> 00:04:38.839 Gardner who is accused of setting everything up to have 81 00:04:39.000 --> 00:04:42.959 her husband Jared Bright again murdered, and her trial is 82 00:04:42.959 --> 00:04:46.319 set for September eighth. And then we also have the 83 00:04:46.439 --> 00:04:50.639 person that she allegedly hire to murder him, Mario Sodanna. 84 00:04:51.199 --> 00:04:53.920 He is supposed to be going to trial on August seventeenth. 85 00:04:53.959 --> 00:04:56.160 So there's a lot going on. A lot of these 86 00:04:56.160 --> 00:04:58.600 people who are up on trial to are women, and 87 00:04:58.920 --> 00:05:02.279 what the heck is going on? We have Barry Moore a. 88 00:05:02.240 --> 00:05:04.360 Few, who is supposed to. 89 00:05:04.160 --> 00:05:08.920 Go to trial October thirteenth for the alleged murder of 90 00:05:08.959 --> 00:05:13.399 his wife, Suzanne Moore a Few, and my arch nemesis 91 00:05:13.480 --> 00:05:16.800 in life, Letitia Stout. I don't even want to talk 92 00:05:16.800 --> 00:05:22.399 about her conviction being overturned for the murder of her step. 93 00:05:22.160 --> 00:05:23.879 Son Gannon Stout. 94 00:05:24.240 --> 00:05:30.199 I just cannot even get over the fact that her 95 00:05:30.279 --> 00:05:31.639 conviction was overturned. 96 00:05:31.839 --> 00:05:35.560 She was arrested, she was charged, she went through trial. 97 00:05:36.199 --> 00:05:40.199 And she was sentenced, and now that conviction has been overturned, 98 00:05:41.000 --> 00:05:44.120 so her new trial date is going to be happening 99 00:05:44.160 --> 00:05:46.720 at some point in time, and I hate that the 100 00:05:46.759 --> 00:05:51.279 family has to rego through all of the stuff that happened. 101 00:05:51.319 --> 00:05:52.759 It's a horrible story. 102 00:05:53.439 --> 00:05:57.920 I do not like that woman at all, and I 103 00:05:58.240 --> 00:06:00.839 need for her to be behind bars for the rest 104 00:06:00.839 --> 00:06:03.399 of time. So I will be sure to keep you 105 00:06:03.480 --> 00:06:05.720 updated on all of these things. 106 00:06:05.800 --> 00:06:07.759 But that's five. 107 00:06:07.600 --> 00:06:10.560 Cases where women are going to be on trial that 108 00:06:10.600 --> 00:06:12.560 we are seeing play out in front of our eyes, 109 00:06:13.079 --> 00:06:14.040 and I just don't. 110 00:06:13.920 --> 00:06:15.759 Know what is going on lately. 111 00:06:16.639 --> 00:06:19.879 Last

thing I want to talk about is authorities have 112 00:06:20.120 --> 00:06:26.160 executed a search warrant for the man who they arrested 113 00:06:26.199 --> 00:06:30.240 in the Texas Killing Fields murders an accomplice to the 114 00:06:30.279 --> 00:06:35.839 Texas Killing Fields murders, James Elmore Junior. They have executed 115 00:06:35.839 --> 00:06:39.199 a search warrant on a property that belonged to him, 116 00:06:40.040 --> 00:06:44.439 and they are using ground penetrating radar to look for 117 00:06:44.560 --> 00:06:49.199 possible human remains. This search warrant is stemming from statements 118 00:06:49.240 --> 00:06:53.720 that he made in conversations he had with law enforcement, 119 00:06:54.319 --> 00:06:59.120 saying that his accomplice, Clyde Hedrick, had buried bodies on 120 00:06:59.360 --> 00:07:03.319 the property years ago when Hedrick previously owned the land. 121 00:07:04.120 --> 00:07:07.680 So they have not disclosed if they have found anything 122 00:07:07.759 --> 00:07:10.360 yet during the search, but I imagine it's going to 123 00:07:10.399 --> 00:07:14.199 be ongoing, and this property is in Baycliffe, Texas, so 124 00:07:15.040 --> 00:07:17.480 we shall see what comes of this. If there is 125 00:07:17.639 --> 00:07:20.959 anything more that happens in the next week, I will 126 00:07:21.000 --> 00:07:24.040 be sure to let you guys know. But this one, 127 00:07:24.319 --> 00:07:28.040 it's been incredible this last couple of months. There has 128 00:07:28.120 --> 00:07:32.399 been so many new developments, and I think these families 129 00:07:32.439 --> 00:07:36.279 are getting closer and closer to justice, and hopefully more 130 00:07:36.399 --> 00:07:39.199 questions are being answered as the days go by. 131 00:07:39.399 --> 00:07:41.439 So if there's any updates. 132 00:07:41.600 --> 00:07:45.319 On the search, I will be sure to let you know, 133 00:07:45.639 --> 00:07:47.839 but we are going to go ahead and get into 134 00:07:47.839 --> 00:07:50.879 today's episode, which is one of my favorite types of 135 00:07:50.920 --> 00:07:54.319 episodes because it was a cold case. 136 00:07:54.120 --> 00:07:57.720 For many, many, many years, and now we. 137 00:07:57.720 --> 00:08:00.600 Can officially say it is solved and I can't wait 138 00:08:00.800 --> 00:08:04.040 to tell you how they solved it. That's always my 139 00:08:04.160 --> 00:08:07.360 favorite part of these cases that were cold for so 140 00:08:07.439 --> 00:08:10.839 many years is getting to the point where they're able 141 00:08:10.959 --> 00:08:14.959 to come up with a suspect and officially solve the case. 142 00:08:15.079 --> 00:08:17.160 So we are going to go ahead and get into 143 00:08:17.240 --> 00:08:17.920 that episode. 144 00:08:17.959 --> 00:08:18.199 Now. 145 00:08:18.480 --> 00:08:21.439 Okay, guys, we are jumping in to a brand new 146 00:08:21.519 --> 00:08:25.399 case today. In today's episode, I'm going to be sharing 147 00:08:25.519 --> 00:08:29.399 about the now solved case of thirty seven year old 148 00:08:29.560 --> 00:08:34.480 Robin Lawrence. Robin was murdered in her home in Springfield, Virginia, 149 00:08:34.639 --> 00:08:39.519 in November nineteen ninety four. After nearly thirty years, her 150 00:08:39.600 --> 00:08:42.960 killer has been caught and he is finally behind bars 151 00:08:43.000 --> 00:08:47.840 where he belongs. This case haunted many four years, including 152 00:08:48.080 --> 00:08:51.919 Robin's husband, Allie, who was away on a business trip 153 00:08:52.000 --> 00:08:56.120 in nineteen ninety four when somebody broke into the Lawrence 154 00:08:56.159 --> 00:09:00.960 family home, brutally killed Robin and left their young two 155 00:09:01.080 --> 00:09:06.399 year old daughter, Nicole unharmed to fend for herself. Let's 156 00:09:06.440 --> 00:09:09.240 go ahead and go back to nineteen ninety four and 157 00:09:09.399 --> 00:09:13.559 talk about Robin's case. My main source for this episode 158 00:09:13.960 --> 00:09:17.279 was a forty eight hours episode called Closing the Cold 159 00:09:17.320 --> 00:09:20.600 Case of Robin Lawrence. I will link that below in 160 00:09:20.639 --> 00:09:23.039 the show notes. I highly suggest that you give it 161 00:09:23.080 --> 00:09:28.559 a watch. Robin Eileen war Lawrence was born on November 162 00:09:28.600 --> 00:09:32.519 twenty third of nineteen fifty six in Ithaca, New York, 163 00:09:33.000 --> 00:09:37.360 to her parents, Jesse and Robert Warre Senior. She was 164 00:09:37.480 --> 00:09:40.759 raised in Syracuse, New York with her brother Robert and 165 00:09:40.840 --> 00:09:44.919 sister Mary. Robin had a lot of talents, but one 166 00:09:45.000 --> 00:09:47.759 of the more notable ones was she was a very 167 00:09:48.000 --> 00:09:52.399 gifted and talented artist. She had a degree in Fine 168 00:09:52.519 --> 00:09:57.480 Arts from Carnegie Mellon University and was actually selected to 169 00:09:57.720 --> 00:10:00.840 mold the first medal for the mar Martin Luther King 170 00:10:01.080 --> 00:10:06.039 Junior Non Violent Peace Prize, which ended up being awarded 171 00:10:06.080 --> 00:10:07.120 to Rosa Parks. 172 00:10:07.879 --> 00:10:09.279 This was a huge honor. 173 00:10:09.919 --> 00:10:12.879 Robin's parents were so proud of her for this and 174 00:10:12.960 --> 00:10:17.200 all of her other accomplishments. Robin is described by her 175 00:10:17.240 --> 00:10:21.240 friends and family as personable, fun loving, and down to earth. 176 00:10:21.559 --> 00:10:25.879 Robin eventually left New York and moved to Washington, d C. 177 00:10:26.279 --> 00:10:30.759 Where she met her future husband, Ollie Lawrence Junior. They 178 00:10:30.799 --> 00:10:34.120 began dating and eventually would marry on New Year's Eve 179 00:10:34.279 --> 00:10:38.320 of nineteen eighty nine. Nicole, their daughter, would be born 180 00:10:38.480 --> 00:10:42.799 three years later. They settled

into life in Springfield, Virginia, 181 00:10:43.360 --> 00:10:45.840 and they bought a house that was located at eight 182 00:10:45.960 --> 00:10:49.799 six four six Racina Lane, which was a cute little 183 00:10:49.840 --> 00:10:53.840 cul de sac on a quiet street in Springfield. At 184 00:10:53.879 --> 00:10:57.159 the time of her death, Robin was thirty seven years 185 00:10:57.200 --> 00:11:00.879 old and she was working in advertising. Ollie was an 186 00:11:00.960 --> 00:11:02.519 executive for an airline. 187 00:11:03.240 --> 00:11:05.080 Now. Allie was out of. 188 00:11:05.000 --> 00:11:07.879 The country on business at the time of Robin's death, 189 00:11:08.360 --> 00:11:11.840 and he had been trying to reach Robin all weekend. 190 00:11:11.519 --> 00:11:12.799 With no success. 191 00:11:13.440 --> 00:11:16.480 He started to become concerned because she was home with 192 00:11:16.519 --> 00:11:20.440 her two year old daughter, Nicole. Ollie was able to 193 00:11:20.639 --> 00:11:23.919 get a hold of a neighbor and friend of theirs 194 00:11:24.000 --> 00:11:27.639 named Lorii, and Ollie asked Laurie if she would go 195 00:11:27.799 --> 00:11:32.240 over and check on Robin. Laurie went over and tried 196 00:11:32.320 --> 00:11:35.559 to knock on the front door, got no answer, so 197 00:11:35.639 --> 00:11:39.159 she decided to go around the back of the Laurence 198 00:11:39.240 --> 00:11:42.720 home and noticed that the windows screen was cut, and 199 00:11:42.799 --> 00:11:46.600 at that point she instantly knew something was wrong. She 200 00:11:46.720 --> 00:11:50.159 took it upon herself to try to make way into 201 00:11:50.200 --> 00:11:52.600 the house and she was able to get in through 202 00:11:52.600 --> 00:11:57.200 the window, and what she saw terrified her because she 203 00:11:57.279 --> 00:12:01.519 saw baby Nicole coming down the hall and what she 204 00:12:01.600 --> 00:12:05.559 could see from where she was standing was the entry 205 00:12:05.600 --> 00:12:10.159 to the master bedroom, and all she could see was 206 00:12:10.480 --> 00:12:14.159 there was large spatters of blood on the wall. She 207 00:12:14.200 --> 00:12:18.080 immediately called nine to one one. When law enforcement arrived, 208 00:12:18.240 --> 00:12:23.559 they discovered the most horrific scene. Robin was stabbed forty 209 00:12:23.639 --> 00:12:27.679 nine times. This was a violent attack and one that 210 00:12:27.759 --> 00:12:32.759 investigators believed felt very personal. Nicole had been in the 211 00:12:32.799 --> 00:12:36.360 house when her mom was attacked and killed, and obviously 212 00:12:36.480 --> 00:12:38.879 had been in the room at some point in time, 213 00:12:39.679 --> 00:12:42.799 and it was apparent that she had been walking around 214 00:12:42.799 --> 00:12:47.120 the house. Nicole was not injured and appeared to be fine, 215 00:12:47.679 --> 00:12:50.559 but they did bring her to the hospital to get 216 00:12:50.639 --> 00:12:55.159 checked out. There was some concern about Nicole, however, because 217 00:12:55.440 --> 00:12:58.559 she had at some point in time received a liver 218 00:12:58.679 --> 00:13:02.759 transplant after her birth and she was medically compromised. There 219 00:13:02.840 --> 00:13:05.919 was certain medicines she had to take so her body 220 00:13:05.960 --> 00:13:10.159 didn't reject her new liver, and there really wasn't any 221 00:13:10.200 --> 00:13:15.240 way to tell how long Robin had been deceased and 222 00:13:15.279 --> 00:13:17.480 how long to Cole had been left to fend for 223 00:13:17.559 --> 00:13:22.240 herself without her medicine. Nicole was okay, though luckily and 224 00:13:22.320 --> 00:13:26.360 thankfully no valuables were taken from the scene. 225 00:13:26.519 --> 00:13:28.200 Investigators didn't believe. 226 00:13:27.960 --> 00:13:31.399 That robbery was the motive, and that likely the person 227 00:13:31.440 --> 00:13:33.960 that did this was somebody that was familiar with Robin. 228 00:13:34.440 --> 00:13:38.080 In the course of the police's investigation, it was discovered 229 00:13:38.120 --> 00:13:41.960 that Ollie had been having an affair with a colleague. However, 230 00:13:42.080 --> 00:13:45.679 from the very beginning of the investigation, Ollie was cooperative 231 00:13:46.240 --> 00:13:48.639 and they even questioned the woman he was having an 232 00:13:48.639 --> 00:13:52.200 affair with, and they didn't believe that either party had 233 00:13:52.360 --> 00:13:57.039 anything to do with Robin's murder. They checked Ali's alibi 234 00:13:57.159 --> 00:14:00.759 forward and backward, and they were able to to determine 235 00:14:00.759 --> 00:14:03.120 that he was exactly where he said he was at 236 00:14:03.159 --> 00:14:06.399 the time he said he was there. They checked hotel logs, 237 00:14:06.559 --> 00:14:11.480 plane tickets, they checked everything. Robin's family, although surprised he 238 00:14:11.600 --> 00:14:14.240 was having an affair, never thought that he was involved 239 00:14:14.320 --> 00:14:18.320 because he was just not that type of person. Robin 240 00:14:18.440 --> 00:14:21.759 was laid to rest on November twenty sixth, just days 241 00:14:21.840 --> 00:14:27.360 after her thirty eighth birthday. Investigators were able to figure 242 00:14:27.399 --> 00:14:31.159 out that the last confirmed interaction and sighting of Robin 243 00:14:31.919 --> 00:14:36.480 was about six pm on Friday, November eighteenth. They do 244 00:14:36.600 --> 00:14:40.080 believe that she was killed in the evening around nine 245 00:14:40.240 --> 00:14:44.120 thirty PM, and she would be discovered two days later 246 00:14:44.200 --> 00:14:48.759 on November twentieth. That means that poor little baby Nicole 247 00:14:49.440 --> 00:14:53.120 wandered around that house for two days while her mother 248 00:14:53.240 --> 00:14:58.039 laid there deceased. The crime scene is described as brutal. 249 00:14:58.519

--> 00:15:02.480 Investigators saw that the screen to the home had been 250 00:15:02.519 --> 00:15:05.440 cut in the back of the house, and they realized 251 00:15:05.480 --> 00:15:08.080 that the intruder had in fact entered the home that 252 00:15:08.200 --> 00:15:12.879 way through this cut window screen. Robin had many stab wounds, 253 00:15:12.919 --> 00:15:15.120 like I said, and she had a lot of. 254 00:15:15.080 --> 00:15:16.399 Defensive wounds as well. 255 00:15:17.200 --> 00:15:20.360 The home phone cord was cut and it appeared that 256 00:15:20.399 --> 00:15:23.799 the attack had started on Robin's bed and would transition 257 00:15:23.919 --> 00:15:27.360 onto the floor. There were also a lot of bloody 258 00:15:27.399 --> 00:15:32.759 tissues around Robin's body, and investigators believed that Nicole had 259 00:15:33.720 --> 00:15:36.799 likely tried to help her mom and clean up the blood. 260 00:15:37.519 --> 00:15:41.039 There was also a few empty baby bottles around Robin 261 00:15:41.120 --> 00:15:45.320 as well, meaning Nicole was probably hungry, and when a 262 00:15:45.320 --> 00:15:47.759 baby is hungry, they typically give their bottle to their 263 00:15:47.799 --> 00:15:51.840 mom so the mom can refill it. That absolutely completely 264 00:15:51.840 --> 00:15:54.279 broke my heart when I heard about that. When they 265 00:15:54.320 --> 00:15:57.519 talked about it in the forty eight Hours episode, in 266 00:15:57.600 --> 00:16:01.120 the bathroom, investigators noticed a wash cloth hanging on the 267 00:16:01.159 --> 00:16:05.120 outside of a sliding shower door. It did, in fact 268 00:16:05.240 --> 00:16:09.000 turn out that there was blood on this towel, and 269 00:16:09.039 --> 00:16:12.399 it was tested, but did not show any immediate matches 270 00:16:12.440 --> 00:16:16.639 to anybody close to the investigation, it wasn't Olie's blood, 271 00:16:16.879 --> 00:16:19.799 it wasn't Robin's blood, and it didn't belong to the 272 00:16:19.799 --> 00:16:23.399 woman who Allie was having an affair with, So this 273 00:16:23.559 --> 00:16:28.960 leaves that the most likely person whose blood this is. 274 00:16:28.039 --> 00:16:29.519 Is probably the suspect. 275 00:16:30.480 --> 00:16:34.320 But with this, even though they did have this DNA evidence, 276 00:16:34.399 --> 00:16:38.679 the investigation very much stalled because they didn't have a 277 00:16:38.720 --> 00:16:42.519 whole lot more to go off of. Robin's family said 278 00:16:42.679 --> 00:16:47.159 the details that came following Robin's murder were very sketchy 279 00:16:47.320 --> 00:16:51.879 and slow to come. The family didn't know of anyone 280 00:16:51.960 --> 00:16:53.919 off the top of their heads that would want to 281 00:16:54.360 --> 00:16:59.000 harm Robin. She had no enemies, Everybody loved her. She 282 00:16:59.200 --> 00:17:03.320 was well liked in the community, and unfortunately years passed 283 00:17:03.519 --> 00:17:08.640 without any answers

or leads. Robin's family eventually just thought 284 00:17:08.640 --> 00:17:11.880 the case would never be solved. Robin's mom passed away 285 00:17:12.000 --> 00:17:16.480 in twenty eighteen, and the remainder of her family just 286 00:17:16.599 --> 00:17:19.039 kind of resigned themselves to the fact that they would 287 00:17:19.079 --> 00:17:24.039 never get answers. But everything changed in twenty nineteen when 288 00:17:24.240 --> 00:17:29.519 cold case investigators for Fairfax County Police Department, Melissa Wallace 289 00:17:29.640 --> 00:17:34.359 and John Long, got involved. They reached out to Parabond 290 00:17:34.440 --> 00:17:38.599 Nano Labs in hopes that genetic genealogy could help assist 291 00:17:38.720 --> 00:17:43.079 in finding Robin's killer. So their results came back that 292 00:17:43.160 --> 00:17:47.839 Robin's killer likely had European ancestry, but it was really, 293 00:17:47.880 --> 00:17:51.440 really hard to trace this person because all of his 294 00:17:51.599 --> 00:17:56.480 database matches in the family tree were super distant. They 295 00:17:56.559 --> 00:18:00.359 said that this case had a zero probability of being 296 00:18:00.400 --> 00:18:04.400 solved and if they did want to invest in it, 297 00:18:04.400 --> 00:18:06.759 it was going to take a lot of time and 298 00:18:06.839 --> 00:18:09.839 a lot of money to move forward with it. At 299 00:18:09.839 --> 00:18:13.680 this point, their Fairfax County Police Department could have given 300 00:18:13.759 --> 00:18:19.799 up the zero percent solvability statistic was obviously discouraging, but 301 00:18:19.960 --> 00:18:23.359 a volunteer with the police department who kind of dabbled 302 00:18:23.440 --> 00:18:26.880 in genealogy on the side, said that she would take 303 00:18:26.920 --> 00:18:31.119 on the case for free and got herself involved. She 304 00:18:31.240 --> 00:18:34.440 got all of the info from Parabon and she dug 305 00:18:34.480 --> 00:18:37.200 into this family tree. Now, like I said, in this 306 00:18:37.279 --> 00:18:40.039 family tree, there was a lot of distant relatives, and 307 00:18:40.079 --> 00:18:43.480 she found a lot of distant cousins, about fifteen hundred 308 00:18:43.480 --> 00:18:48.720 of them. In the midst of this. In twenty twenty one, 309 00:18:48.839 --> 00:18:52.960 they had Parabon complete a DNA phenotype of Robin's killer. 310 00:18:53.680 --> 00:18:57.599 So basically, what this phenotype does is it takes the 311 00:18:57.720 --> 00:19:02.039 DNA of the suspect and they make a composite sketch 312 00:19:02.119 --> 00:19:05.759 of what the suspect could look like. And this process 313 00:19:05.799 --> 00:19:08.839 to me is so fascinating. They start off with skin 314 00:19:08.920 --> 00:19:12.119 color and then they go to facial structure, down to 315 00:19:12.240 --> 00:19:17.640 eye color, hair color, eye shape. It is really truly fascinating. Now, 316 00:19:17.680 --> 00:19:21.759 since the DNA cannot show

age, they typically will make 317 00:19:21.799 --> 00:19:25.720 these renderings to young adult age, typically around twenty five 318 00:19:25.799 --> 00:19:28.559 years old. They are able to come up with the 319 00:19:28.599 --> 00:19:32.160 composite and they set up a video call with Ollie 320 00:19:32.640 --> 00:19:35.559 and showed him the photo and he did not recognize 321 00:19:35.599 --> 00:19:40.920 this person. With this, the investigation stalled again, but the 322 00:19:41.039 --> 00:19:45.039 volunteer genealogist kept working and she was able to trace 323 00:19:45.079 --> 00:19:46.880 some ancestors back to Canada. 324 00:19:47.759 --> 00:19:49.480 Now she did have two. 325 00:19:49.359 --> 00:19:53.519 Groups of people, and although they were both related to 326 00:19:53.559 --> 00:19:56.720 the suspect, they were not related to one another. But 327 00:19:56.839 --> 00:19:59.440 she knew if she could figure out the link between 328 00:19:59.480 --> 00:20:03.680 the two, she could zero in on a possible suspect. 329 00:20:04.000 --> 00:20:07.400 So she found a woman on one tree who in 330 00:20:07.480 --> 00:20:11.920 fact married a man on another tree, and realized the 331 00:20:12.000 --> 00:20:15.880 suspect was a descendant of that couple, which got them 332 00:20:16.039 --> 00:20:21.440 to a single name, a man named Steven Smirk. Three 333 00:20:21.480 --> 00:20:24.240 and a half years later, they finally had a name. 334 00:20:25.079 --> 00:20:28.640 She contacted the detectives and they started to look into him. 335 00:20:29.240 --> 00:20:32.799 He was still living, he was a computer programmer, married 336 00:20:32.799 --> 00:20:33.920 to a defense attorney. 337 00:20:34.440 --> 00:20:35.119 He had no. 338 00:20:35.200 --> 00:20:39.400 Priors, and they really were a little leary and didn't 339 00:20:39.400 --> 00:20:43.079 really think that this was their guy. But they ended 340 00:20:43.160 --> 00:20:47.000 up tracking down his yearbook photo at the age of sixteen, 341 00:20:47.920 --> 00:20:51.000 and he sure enough did look a lot like the 342 00:20:51.039 --> 00:20:54.119 phenotype photo that Parabon had come up with. 343 00:20:54.720 --> 00:20:56.880 And it's really crazy to see the side by side. 344 00:20:56.960 --> 00:20:59.160 I'll be posting it on my social media, so you 345 00:20:59.200 --> 00:21:03.039 guys be sure to check that out. So they thought, well, 346 00:21:03.240 --> 00:21:07.279 maybe this does make sense now. Steven Smirk at the 347 00:21:07.319 --> 00:21:11.119 time was living in upstate New York, and on September 348 00:21:11.160 --> 00:21:15.319 seventh of twenty twenty three, investigators made their way to 349 00:21:15.480 --> 00:21:18.839 New York and they made their way to his house unannounced. 350 00:21:19.799 --> 00:21:22.640 When they got there, he was there alone, his family 351 00:21:22.720 --> 00:21:27.680 was not home, and they introduced themselves and basically said 352 00:21:27.799 --> 00:21:31.920 that they were there investigating a cold case murder in Virginia, 353 00:21:32.039 --> 00:21:35.400 following up on some leads, and he really didn't have 354 00:21:35.440 --> 00:21:38.480 any reaction to them being there. He let them in 355 00:21:39.240 --> 00:21:42.240 and once they asked for his DNA, he willingly gave it. 356 00:21:42.519 --> 00:21:46.599 He didn't ask questions, he didn't appear confused, and the 357 00:21:46.640 --> 00:21:50.400 detective said this process typically takes about forty five minutes 358 00:21:50.440 --> 00:21:53.039 because you go to somebody's house and you bring up 359 00:21:53.079 --> 00:21:57.599 something from decades ago that they are collecting DNA on, 360 00:21:58.000 --> 00:22:02.480 and the person that is there questioned is typically going 361 00:22:02.599 --> 00:22:05.599 to be asking questions and maybe. 362 00:22:05.920 --> 00:22:07.240 Expressing a little concern. 363 00:22:07.920 --> 00:22:10.599 They were in and out of that house in five minutes, 364 00:22:11.279 --> 00:22:14.640 and that very much did strike them as odd because 365 00:22:15.519 --> 00:22:17.039 he didn't ask any questions. 366 00:22:17.079 --> 00:22:19.559 He just willingly gave them the d NA and then 367 00:22:19.599 --> 00:22:20.119 they left. 368 00:22:20.599 --> 00:22:25.079 Shortly after the investigators left Steven's house, he called Detective 369 00:22:25.119 --> 00:22:28.640 Wallace and he said he was at the police station 370 00:22:29.039 --> 00:22:30.680 to turn himself. 371 00:22:30.279 --> 00:22:31.279 In for the murder. 372 00:22:31.759 --> 00:22:34.240 But he said for some reason or another, he wasn't 373 00:22:34.279 --> 00:22:36.720 able to get into the station, that the police station 374 00:22:36.920 --> 00:22:40.480 was locked. So Detective Wallace told him, you need to 375 00:22:40.559 --> 00:22:42.559 hang up this phone call right now. 376 00:22:43.200 --> 00:22:45.319 You need to call nine one one. You need to 377 00:22:45.359 --> 00:22:46.039 tell them. 378 00:22:46.039 --> 00:22:48.960 That you were at the police station and that you 379 00:22:49.039 --> 00:22:54.160 were there to turn yourself in, and that call was recorded. 380 00:22:54.240 --> 00:22:56.519 It is very short, and I am going to play 381 00:22:56.519 --> 00:23:02.400 that for you now. I'm actually here to turn my 382 00:23:02.519 --> 00:23:04.599 heloping or a time. 383 00:23:05.079 --> 00:23:06.200 You're here to turn yourself in. 384 00:23:07.200 --> 00:23:12.599 Collected DNA, so I'm here to turn myself in for 385 00:23:12.680 --> 00:23:15.839 a cold case. And when the nine one one operator 386 00:23:15.880 --> 00:23:19.000 says you're here to turn yourself in, he said, well, 387 00:23:19.039 --> 00:23:22.200 they collected DNA, so it's just a matter of time. 388 00:23:22.799 --> 00:23:26.559 Once they got him into the police station, the investigators 389 00:23:26.640 --> 00:23:29.559 came down to the police station as

well, and he 390 00:23:29.720 --> 00:23:33.079 was willing to sit down with them and talk and 391 00:23:33.440 --> 00:23:36.720 they knew that in this conversation they had with him, 392 00:23:36.799 --> 00:23:39.519 that they had to do it the right way. They 393 00:23:39.599 --> 00:23:42.759 knew that they had to have a good conversation and 394 00:23:42.880 --> 00:23:45.839 interview with him, one that would hold up in the 395 00:23:45.839 --> 00:23:50.680 court system if needed. He said that this murder was 396 00:23:50.720 --> 00:23:54.599 one hundred percent intentional, and he is a serial killer 397 00:23:54.640 --> 00:23:59.160 who's only killed once. Now, they did have to be 398 00:23:59.319 --> 00:24:03.200 careful because they didn't have the DNA back yet that 399 00:24:03.599 --> 00:24:07.799 definitively tied him to the crime, and they wanted to 400 00:24:07.799 --> 00:24:11.559 make sure that this wasn't a case of false confession 401 00:24:12.240 --> 00:24:14.680 because he was scared because they took DNA. 402 00:24:15.480 --> 00:24:17.000 They wanted him to bring. 403 00:24:16.880 --> 00:24:20.079 Up details of the case without them leading him to it. 404 00:24:20.759 --> 00:24:23.200 He was able to recall that the victim was an 405 00:24:23.200 --> 00:24:27.920 African American woman, which Robin was, and he says at 406 00:24:27.920 --> 00:24:30.359 the time of the murder, he wasn't in the right 407 00:24:30.400 --> 00:24:33.279 frame of mind. At the time of the murder, he 408 00:24:33.400 --> 00:24:36.440 was only twenty two years old and a soldier stationed 409 00:24:36.480 --> 00:24:40.400 at Fort Meyer in Arlington, Virginia. He said he had 410 00:24:40.440 --> 00:24:44.519 been drinking and taking a fterine pills. He said something 411 00:24:44.599 --> 00:24:46.799 inside of him told him that he was going to 412 00:24:46.880 --> 00:24:50.839 kill someone, but he didn't know who. He said it 413 00:24:50.920 --> 00:24:53.519 was this overbearing thought in his brain that he just 414 00:24:53.599 --> 00:24:54.480 couldn't control. 415 00:24:55.000 --> 00:24:55.720 He drove to the. 416 00:24:55.720 --> 00:24:59.119 Neighborhood in which Robin and Olie's house was because it 417 00:24:59.240 --> 00:25:02.920 was a air that he was familiar with. And he 418 00:25:02.960 --> 00:25:05.000 said he didn't know who lived at the house that 419 00:25:05.079 --> 00:25:08.599 he broke into, but he did provide the details that 420 00:25:08.680 --> 00:25:11.759 he cut the window screen to enter the home. He 421 00:25:11.799 --> 00:25:14.759 said he was wearing a sche mask and leather gloves. 422 00:25:15.319 --> 00:25:17.359 He said he saw a baby in one of the 423 00:25:17.440 --> 00:25:20.759 rooms and he went down the hall to Robin's room, 424 00:25:21.559 --> 00:25:25.200 and he said she was startled and basically got out 425 00:25:25.240 --> 00:25:28.160 of bed on her knees and was pleading for her life. 426 00:25:28.559 --> 00:25:30.799

He said he used all of the skills that he. 427 00:25:30.960 --> 00:25:34.279 Had learned in the military and that is what he 428 00:25:34.400 --> 00:25:39.039 used basically to help carry out the murder. He said 429 00:25:39.200 --> 00:25:42.400 that he was highly influenced by demons and that was 430 00:25:42.440 --> 00:25:45.839 the reason he enlisted into the military, because he wanted 431 00:25:45.960 --> 00:25:47.400 to kill. 432 00:25:47.440 --> 00:25:49.799 He swore that Robin was. 433 00:25:49.799 --> 00:25:52.920 The only person that he has ever killed, and said 434 00:25:52.920 --> 00:25:55.960 that if it wasn't for his wife and kids, that 435 00:25:56.039 --> 00:25:59.400 he would be a serial killer. He said that Robin 436 00:25:59.440 --> 00:26:03.279 had clawed at his face, and the detective asked him 437 00:26:03.559 --> 00:26:05.960 if at any point he had gone into the bathroom. 438 00:26:06.720 --> 00:26:08.119 He says he doesn't. 439 00:26:07.839 --> 00:26:10.759 Remember, but if he had, it would have been to 440 00:26:10.920 --> 00:26:12.799 look in the mirror to see what she had done 441 00:26:12.880 --> 00:26:15.839 to his face. In the struggle, and in that the 442 00:26:15.880 --> 00:26:19.359 detectives knew that he was likely leading from his face. 443 00:26:19.839 --> 00:26:23.119 He grabbed a washrag that was hanging on the shower door, 444 00:26:23.480 --> 00:26:26.839 wiped his face, put it back, and that is where 445 00:26:26.880 --> 00:26:30.400 the blood and the DNA on that washcloth came from. 446 00:26:30.799 --> 00:26:34.640 It's so weird to watch this guy's interview because he 447 00:26:34.720 --> 00:26:38.559 is very matter of fact in the telling of the 448 00:26:38.640 --> 00:26:41.480 details of the murder. It's basically like he is telling 449 00:26:41.519 --> 00:26:45.359 you what he did on his vacation. He then expressed 450 00:26:45.359 --> 00:26:48.960 that he has no remorse. He says he doesn't feel 451 00:26:48.960 --> 00:26:52.359 anything for the family. He says that he feels bad 452 00:26:52.559 --> 00:26:56.319 that he did it, but only because quote I knew 453 00:26:56.359 --> 00:27:00.960 someday my personal freedom would be affected end quote. And 454 00:27:01.160 --> 00:27:03.440 I'm just going to go out on a limb here, guys, 455 00:27:03.920 --> 00:27:07.480 this guy is a Grade A jackass because he left 456 00:27:07.519 --> 00:27:10.920 a two year old baby to fend for herself in 457 00:27:11.000 --> 00:27:13.880 a house where her mother had just been brutally murdered. 458 00:27:14.440 --> 00:27:18.240 And this guy is a parrot himself. He has two children, 459 00:27:18.960 --> 00:27:22.079 and he doesn't feel any remorse or feel bad that 460 00:27:22.279 --> 00:27:26.400 he did this. He is a piece of shit. He 461 00:27:26.519 --> 00:27:30.440 didn't turn himself in because he felt bad. He wanted 462 00:27:30.759 --> 00:27:34.240 very much to remain in control until his version of 463 00:27:34.279 --> 00:27:38.559 the story versus being caught and arrested because of the DNA. 464 00:27:39.559 --> 00:27:44.279 Former FBI profiler Mary Ellen O'Toole reviewed this case for 465 00:27:44.279 --> 00:27:48.000 forty eight hours and she doesn't believe that Robin's murder 466 00:27:48.039 --> 00:27:52.440 was random. She said it was a mission presented homicide. 467 00:27:53.160 --> 00:27:56.799 He brought the weapon with him with a mask and gloves. 468 00:27:57.319 --> 00:28:01.480 Although it was random, it was targeted. She said it 469 00:28:01.519 --> 00:28:04.759 was also interesting to her that he identified himself as 470 00:28:04.799 --> 00:28:08.799 a serial killer who's only killed once, almost like he 471 00:28:09.079 --> 00:28:13.279 idolized that type of behavior. Now, like I said, this 472 00:28:13.400 --> 00:28:16.200 guy did not have any type of rap sheet, not 473 00:28:16.359 --> 00:28:18.119 so much as a traffic ticket. 474 00:28:18.839 --> 00:28:19.799 She very much. 475 00:28:19.680 --> 00:28:23.720 Believes that he might have engaged in other behavior, something 476 00:28:23.839 --> 00:28:27.759 like stalking that although isn't murder, it still kind of 477 00:28:27.799 --> 00:28:33.319 satisfied his need for that control and kind of scratching 478 00:28:33.359 --> 00:28:36.920 the itch that he had because in his own words, 479 00:28:37.400 --> 00:28:41.599 that's who he is and said very much. Although he 480 00:28:41.680 --> 00:28:45.359 doesn't have a criminal history, the absence of a rap 481 00:28:45.400 --> 00:28:49.799 sheet does not mean criminal behavior is absent, and she's 482 00:28:49.880 --> 00:28:53.599 a thousand percent right. This basically just means that he 483 00:28:53.720 --> 00:28:57.680 could have been engaging in not so great things. Not 484 00:28:57.839 --> 00:29:01.559 to say that he committed an any other murders, but 485 00:29:01.640 --> 00:29:03.759 he could have done some things in his past and 486 00:29:03.880 --> 00:29:07.119 was never charged for hence why they didn't show up 487 00:29:07.119 --> 00:29:11.200 in his criminal history. Stephen Smirk was officially arrested and 488 00:29:11.319 --> 00:29:14.599 charged for Robin's murder. The first phone call was to 489 00:29:14.799 --> 00:29:19.480 Robin's daughter Nicole. Robin's family very much wanted a trial. 490 00:29:20.000 --> 00:29:22.279 They wanted to come face to face with the man 491 00:29:22.480 --> 00:29:26.319 that ruined their lives. They wanted everyone to know what 492 00:29:26.400 --> 00:29:30.160 he did. The DNA did in fact come back, and 493 00:29:30.200 --> 00:29:34.279 he was the guy. His DNA was on the washcloth. 494 00:29:34.920 --> 00:29:38.319 April fourth of twenty twenty four, the case was presented 495 00:29:38.400 --> 00:29:42.680 at a preliminary hearing. Robin's family got to see Steven 496 00:29:42.759 --> 00:29:46.079 Smirk for the first time and heard the details of 497 00:29:46.119 --> 00:29:50.200

his confession. The judge did find probable cause that he 498 00:29:50.240 --> 00:29:53.720 had killed Robin, and the case went to the grand jury. 499 00:29:54.400 --> 00:29:58.319 On April fifteenth, the grand jury accepted a plea deal 500 00:29:58.519 --> 00:30:03.119 to first degree murder. Robin's family was disappointed by this 501 00:30:03.240 --> 00:30:05.799 because they wanted him to be put on trial and 502 00:30:05.960 --> 00:30:09.359 have him face what he did. I truly hate a 503 00:30:09.400 --> 00:30:12.160 plea deal. I understand the reason for it, but I 504 00:30:12.200 --> 00:30:14.839 do hate it, especially for the families who are so 505 00:30:15.039 --> 00:30:19.480 eagerly awaiting their day in court. On March seventh of 506 00:30:19.680 --> 00:30:24.839 twenty twenty five, the sentencing for Steve Smurk happened. His 507 00:30:24.920 --> 00:30:27.640 attorney said that he was very troubled in the early 508 00:30:27.759 --> 00:30:31.480 nineties at the time of Robin's murder, and he struggled 509 00:30:31.480 --> 00:30:35.400 with alcohol abuse. He had joined the military to get 510 00:30:35.440 --> 00:30:38.920 his life on track. His attorney said he was struggling 511 00:30:39.039 --> 00:30:43.680 also with an undiagnosed mental illness which was eventually diagnosed 512 00:30:43.720 --> 00:30:47.720 as bipolar disorder, and this, combined with alcohol and a 513 00:30:47.799 --> 00:30:52.359 fteran could have led to his actions. I don't entirely 514 00:30:52.480 --> 00:30:55.279 know about this narrative, because he's the one that said 515 00:30:55.319 --> 00:30:58.720 he joined the military because he wanted to kill, so 516 00:30:58.799 --> 00:31:00.480 I honestly just think. 517 00:31:00.359 --> 00:31:03.480 That he did not have the greatest intentions. 518 00:31:03.519 --> 00:31:07.240 In general, he likely was struggling with alcohol, and he 519 00:31:07.279 --> 00:31:11.960 did have an undiagnosed mental illness, and he was drinking, 520 00:31:12.079 --> 00:31:15.200 he was taking a veteran and all of this couple 521 00:31:15.240 --> 00:31:19.799 together turned into him killing Robin. But he himself said 522 00:31:19.839 --> 00:31:23.759 he was influenced by demons and he joined the military 523 00:31:23.839 --> 00:31:27.039 so he could kill Steve was sentenced to the mac 524 00:31:27.119 --> 00:31:31.000 sentence of the Police seventy years with possibility of parole. 525 00:31:31.759 --> 00:31:35.480 Ollie Lawrence, Robin's husband, gave a statement to the press. 526 00:31:35.920 --> 00:31:39.400 Robin's family was there by his side. They said, it's 527 00:31:39.400 --> 00:31:41.839 still very hard because they have to live with what 528 00:31:41.960 --> 00:31:45.839 happened to Robin. It'll never go away, but she lives 529 00:31:45.880 --> 00:31:48.640 on through her family and through her art. 530 00:31:48.960 --> 00:31:51.119 Her art tells a story about who she was. 531 00:31:51.880 --> 00:31:55.799 Robin is remembered so fondly by her family. Now, I 532 00:31:55.839 --> 00:31:59.759 did say that Robin's mom had passed away, but Robin's 533 00:31:59.799 --> 00:32:03.359 death as of the forty eight hour Special, was a 534 00:32:03.359 --> 00:32:07.400 one hundred and one years old and lived long enough 535 00:32:07.480 --> 00:32:12.640 to see his daughter's killer arrested and put behind bars. 536 00:32:13.000 --> 00:32:15.559 And I think that is the ultimate justice for a 537 00:32:15.640 --> 00:32:18.480 parent that loses their child in such a horrific way. 538 00:32:19.279 --> 00:32:22.160 For them to live long enough to see justice, I 539 00:32:22.200 --> 00:32:25.480 think is so so important, and I'm so glad that 540 00:32:25.599 --> 00:32:31.200 Robert wor Senr. Got to see this play out. Steve 541 00:32:31.440 --> 00:32:35.400 will be eligible for parole in twenty thirty seven, when 542 00:32:35.480 --> 00:32:39.039 he is sixty five years old. I know that Robin's 543 00:32:39.039 --> 00:32:42.079 family will do everything in their power to keep this 544 00:32:42.319 --> 00:32:47.279 deranged human behind bars, and I hope and pray that 545 00:32:47.400 --> 00:32:50.839 he never gets out. Thank you guys so much for 546 00:32:51.039 --> 00:32:55.480 tuning in for Robin's story. Her case is important, Her 547 00:32:55.519 --> 00:32:59.599 story is important. Robin was stunning. I am going to 548 00:32:59.599 --> 00:33:02.720 be post pictures of her on my social media. You 549 00:33:02.759 --> 00:33:05.960 can tell just by looking at her and the photos 550 00:33:05.960 --> 00:33:08.640 of her and her daughter, the relationship that they had. 551 00:33:09.440 --> 00:33:12.839 She was obviously a great person, she was a great mother, 552 00:33:13.359 --> 00:33:16.799 and her life was cut short by this horrible human. 553 00:33:17.240 --> 00:33:20.799 And I'm so glad that there has been resolution and 554 00:33:20.880 --> 00:33:25.319 the family can start trying to heal themselves a little 555 00:33:25.359 --> 00:33:28.960 bit at least knowing that this person will never do 556 00:33:29.000 --> 00:33:32.160 this to anyone else and that they are behind. 557 00:33:31.799 --> 00:33:33.839 Bars, hopefully for the rest of time. 558 00:33:34.359 --> 00:33:37.519 I hope you guys have a great weekend ahead, and 559 00:33:37.599 --> 00:33:39.759 I will see you next week for a brand new 560 00:33:39.880 --> 00:33:43.359 unsolved case. Have a good one, stay safe, and I'll 561 00:33:43.400 --> 00:33:43.839 see you then. 562 00:33:44.160 --> 00:33:46.599 Bye.