Virginia Police Make Arrest in Decades-Old Cold Case Homicide
(CNN) — In a shocking turn of events, a suspect in a decades-old unsolved homicide case turned himself in to Virginia detectives. Stephan Smerk, the suspect, made the call to Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis, expressing his desire to talk and turn himself in. This breakthrough in the 1994 stabbing death of 37-year-old Robin Lawrence came after technological advances and DNA testing led authorities to Smerk.
Fairfax Police Department detectives worked with an outside lab that utilized DNA testing to identify the suspect’s biological relatives. With this information, a sketch of what he might look like was drawn up. This sketch was then compared to Smerk’s 1988 yearbook photo and a 1998 Traffic Department photo. Upon finding Smerk outside his home in Niskayuna, New York, the detectives engaged in a consensual conversation, took a DNA sample, and left their business card. Astonishingly, later that day, Smerk called the detectives, turned himself in at the local police station, and provided a full confession in Lawrence’s homicide.
Smerk now faces charges of intentional manslaughter in the case. However, it is unclear whether he has an attorney at this time. According to Davis, Smerk’s confession was detailed and provided insight into his involvement in the slaying. The DNA evidence collected from Lawrence’s home in 1994 played a crucial role in identifying Smerk as the suspect. Lawrence’s body was found after her husband, who was out of the country at the time, became concerned about her well-being and asked a friend to check on her.
Ollie Lawrence, Robin’s husband, expressed his surprise at the arrest, stating, “After all this time, you have hope, but you also wonder, ‘Will they really find someone after 29 years?'” Members of Lawrence’s family, including her surviving daughter, attended the news conference. However, they did not take any questions.
At the time of her death, Robin Lawrence worked in the Promotions Department at Merchant’s Tire & Auto Centers. Smerk, who is now married with two children, was on active duty in the Army during the time of the homicide. Police have stated that there was no known relationship between Lawrence and Smerk, suggesting that she was chosen at random.
Despite the advancement in technology and DNA analysis, it took decades before a DNA analysis company, Parabon NanoLabs, could match the DNA profile collected at the crime scene to one of Smerk’s relatives. Parabon NanoLabs specializes in genetic genealogy and uses DNA testing to identify potential relatives of suspects. They were also able to produce a sketch of the suspect that aided authorities in finding Smerk.
Smerk is currently being held in New York as a fugitive and is expected to be extradited to Fairfax County, Virginia, to face murder charges. This arrest offers closure to Robin Lawrence’s family after nearly three decades of enduring the loss of their loved one.