When Stephan Smerk known as Fairfax County Police Detective Melissa Wallace on Sept. 7, 2023, she was shocked to listen to what he needed to say.
“He says, I am on the police division to show myself in,” Wallace advised “48 Hours” correspondent Anne-Marie Inexperienced, in “Closing the Chilly Case of Robin Lawrence,” airing Saturday, Oct. 25 at 10/9c on CBS and Paramount+. “And I mentioned, flip your self in for what?”
Smerk, a married 52-year-old father of two residing in Niskayuna, New York, was calling to admit to the 30-year-old chilly case homicide of Robin Warr Lawrence.
“One million issues begin going by way of my thoughts,” Wallace mentioned. “The adrenaline was pumping so onerous as a result of the truth hit … of what this implies and that we’re on the point of shut this case.”
Robin Lawrence together with her daughter Nicole.
Warr Lawrence Household
Robin Warr Lawrence, an artist and mom, was brutally murdered in her dwelling in Springfield, Virginia, in 1994. For 2 days, her daughter Nicole, simply 2 years outdated on the time, roamed the home alone earlier than her mom’s physique was found. And for 3 many years after that, detectives tried to determine who may have executed this to Robin.
“Who would do such a factor? Why?” mentioned Mary Warr Cowans, Robin’s sister. “I bear in mind pondering on the funeral, Robin’s killer could possibly be on this room with us. We did not know.”
It took many years, however finally the household would get their solutions. DNA proof — within the type of blood left on a washcloth — had been discovered on the crime scene again in 1994, and on the time it had turned up no matches when investigators ran it by way of CODIS — the FBI’s nationwide database. Years glided by and new methods have been developed, together with a course of known as genetic family tree.
DNA proof was recovered on a washcloth in Robin Lawrence’s toilet.
Fairfax County Police Division
In genetic family tree, a suspect’s DNA is used to seek out their relations. Then investigators analysis these relations’ household timber till a possible individual of curiosity is discovered — somebody who would have been the proper age and in the proper place on the proper time to commit the crime. Parabon NanoLabs, a DNA expertise firm that always works with regulation enforcement, didn’t have excessive hopes for fixing Robin’s case utilizing this method as a result of the database matches have been very distant.
“Parabon gave us a solvability fee of zero on the case,” mentioned Wallace.
Fairfax County Police Division volunteer Liz, who requested that her final identify not be used, thought she’d take a crack at it anyway. The method proved troublesome. “I used to be prepared to surrender plenty of instances,” Liz advised “48 Hours.” “However I stored pondering, properly, I will simply end this or simply do that another factor.”
After three years of doing only one thing more, Liz got here up with a potential suspect. He’d lived in Virginia in 1994 and would have been round the proper age to commit the homicide. His identify was Stephan Smerk.
“I wasn’t very hopeful on the time,” Wallace mentioned. “I used to be simply this man’s background. I am pondering, there isn’t any manner.”
Smerk had a totally clear report, with out a lot as a rushing ticket. He labored as a pc programmer in suburban Niskayuna.
Although that they had their doubts, Detectives Melissa Wallace and Jon Lengthy took the journey as much as Niskayuna to speak to Smerk. Their objective was to get his DNA, to see if he was associated to the one who had left their DNA on the crime scene – or if he was that individual.
“He involves the door instantly,” Wallace mentioned. “All we mentioned is we’re detectives from Fairfax County, Virginia, and we’re wanting into a chilly case from the 90s.”
Smerk, detectives say, had no response. “Stone-faced,” mentioned Lengthy. Smerk gave his DNA willingly, and Wallace and Lengthy went again to their resort. Then Wallace received that decision.
“I used to be freaking out,” Wallace mentioned. “I run all the way down to [Long’s] room, whereas I am nonetheless on the cellphone, and I am banging on his door, and he involves the door, like, what’s the downside? I am like, we received to go to the police division.”
DNA left on a washcloth results in suspect in homicide case many years later
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Once they met Smerk on the Niskayuna Police Division, officers had taken him into custody and he was prepared to speak. Wallace and Lengthy sat him down in an interrogation room, and with out a lot prompting, Smerk confessed to the homicide of Robin Warr Lawrence. He had gone to Robin’s dwelling that night time in 1994, he advised them, for no different cause than desirous to kill somebody.
“I knew that I used to be going kill anyone,” Smerk advised the detectives. “I didn’t know who I used to be going to kill.” On the time, Smerk was within the army and posted at a base close by and was accustomed to Robin Warr Lawrence’s neighborhood as a result of a good friend had stayed there. He mentioned he had no thought who lived in Robin’s home.
“There may have been 50 individuals in that home. I do not know. They might have all had weapons and shot me useless. I wasn’t even fascinated about that.” All Smerk was fascinated about, he advised detectives, was killing. He mentioned he had compulsions that he could not management.
“I truthfully imagine that if it wasn’t for my spouse and my children, I in all probability could be a serial killer,” Smerk mentioned. “I’m a serial killer who’s solely killed as soon as.”
Throughout questioning, Stephan Smerk, who confessed to killing Robin Lawrence, advised detectives, “I truthfully imagine that if it wasn’t for my spouse and my children, I in all probability could be a serial killer … I’m a serial killer who’s solely killed as soon as.”
Fairfax County Police Division
“It is such a surprising assertion,” Wallace advised “48 Hours.” “It is mindless. You realize, in the event you’re a serial killer, you do not kill as soon as. However, however, he was very candid and open and sincere all through the remainder of the interview. So, it could possibly be true that he has solely killed one individual.”
Is it potential for somebody with the impulses of a serial killer to kill simply as soon as? Former FBI profiler Mary Ellen O’Toole says it will possibly occur.
“We’ve got realized over time with instances like BTK and the Golden State Killer and different instances the place they do cease,” she defined. “The compulsions do not go away … they inform us that they rechannel it. They put it into a special exercise. In order that exercise will be one thing that’s lower than homicide, but it surely may contain, for instance, Peeping Tom conduct, autoerotic conduct … however you do not simply lower these urges off. One thing has to exchange them.”
Smerk had zero incidents on his report. O’Toole says it is potential he by no means dedicated one other crime, however she doubts the concepts in his head went away. She mentioned she’d wish to know extra about his ideation with a view to decide whether or not he could possibly be a risk sooner or later.
“That ideation that actually led to the homicide within the first place, that might be troubling to me till I knew much more about that. What triggered it? What are you doing with it now? Do not inform me it is by no means there. Do not inform me that it simply went out the window after you dedicated that homicide.”
In his interview, Smerk expressed no regret for what he had executed. When requested if he had something he’d like to inform Robin’s household, he replied, “How do I say this? I do know you are recording … I do not really feel something for the household. …I really feel unhealthy that I did it as a result of I knew sometime my private freedom could be affected.”
Smerk pleaded responsible and was sentenced to 70 years in jail. He will probably be eligible for parole in 2037, when he’s 65. Robin’s household mentioned they’re glad to have closure so long as Smerk spends the remainder of his life behind bars, however the penalties of his actions won’t ever go away them.
“It helped to know that an individual was discovered and being held accountable,” Warr Cowans mentioned in her assertion to the choose at Smerk’s sentencing, “but it surely did not assist to know what he did to [Robin] and the way she suffered … it would not assist and it would not convey her again. She would have been in our lives for the previous thirty years. However that was taken from us.”
She advised “48 Hours” that for a very long time she lived in worry, not understanding who had dedicated this horrible crime.
“I really felt afraid at dwelling, in my mattress,” she mentioned. “Fascinated about somebody simply from out of the blue may present up from wherever and kill you in your home … That is only a scary thought that you just’re not secure wherever.”
“It is scary,” echoed Lengthy. “From a group perspective, that is like your worst nightmare. Like, that is the rationale why you inform like your family members to guarantee that your doorways are locked at night time. He’s the boogeyman.”