Stephan Smerk sentenced for 1994 murder in Virginia

Stephan Smerk has been sentenced to nearly 70 years in prison for the 1994 murder of Robin Lawrence in Virginia. After evading capture for almost three decades, DNA evidence linked him to the crime, which had remained unsolved. Smerk confessed to killing Lawrence, stabbing her 49 times while her two-year-old daughter was in the next room. He was arrested in September 2023 after detectives used genetic genealogy to identify him as a suspect. In court, Smerk expressed remorse, stating he had lived with guilt for years. The case, described as one of the worst in Fairfax County's history, has left a lasting impact on Lawrence's family.