On November 18, 1994, artist Robin Lawrence, 37, was stabbed 49 times and nearly decapitated in her Springfield, Virginia home. Her 2-year-old daughter Nicole, post-liver transplant and severely dehydrated, survived alone for two days until friend Laurie Lindberg discovered the scene via an open window and called police.
Investigation and Breakthrough
Suspects initially eyed husband Ollie Lawrence due to his affair, but his Bahamas business trip alibi held. Bloody washcloth DNA didn’t match CODIS database, stalling the case cold for decades.
Genetic genealogy in 2019-2023 retested the evidence, ID’ing Stephan Smerk (51 at arrest), an Army vet stationed nearby in Arlington, VA. Contacted in upstate New York (married father of two), he confessed: Random urge to kill using military training; no prior link to Robin. “If it wasn’t for my wife and kids, I probably would be a serial killer.”
Resolution and Media Coverage
Smerk pleaded guilty to murder in 2024; sentenced to 70 years. Family (sister Mary Cowans, brother Bobby Warr) gained closure after 30 years.
Featured in “The Serial Killer Who Only Killed Once” on People Magazine Investigates, premiering Feb. 16, 2026, on ID/HBO Max. Echoes cold case triumphs via DNA tech, distinct from Epstein saga in thread. Heartbreaking toddler survival detail stands out—what drew you to this?
