Fairfax County Police Achieve DNA Breakthrough Leading To Arrest In 1994 Grisly Homicide Case

Source: PAUL J. RICHARDS / Getty

After nearly three decades, Fairfax County police have made an arrest in the brutal stabbing death of 37-year-old Robin Lawrence in her Springfield home on Nov. 20, 1994. Her husband was out of the country at the time.

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A family friend discovered the horrifying scene, where Robin had been stabbed multiple times while her two-year-old daughter was in the house, shaking the usually quiet community.

Despite extensive investigations, the case went cold until 2019 when DNA evidence led detectives to Stephen Smerk, who was taken into custody in Niskayuna, New York.

Smerk confessed to the murder when detectives swabbed his DNA and is now awaiting extradition. He had no prior criminal history and appeared to choose his victim randomly.

The family expressed gratitude for the police departments’ work, and the case highlights the dedication of cold case detectives in delivering justice regardless of the timeline.

source: The DMV Daily

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