For a dead serial killer, Richard Marc Evonitz’s name pops up in my Google alerts a lot. But this time it’s a bit different than usual. In fact, it has little to do with the kidnapping murderer. It’s about his surviving victim–the heroic Kara Robinson.
If you haven’t read Into the Water, you probably have never heard of her. I referred to her by her first name only in the book to spare the teenager from public scrutiny when the book was published in 2004. She was abducted by Evonitz, held in a plastic storage box, tied naked to a bed and raped repeatedly. Through out it all, Kara kept her focus on the one thing she wanted–escape. And at the young age of 15, she had the presence of mind to earn his trust and the patience to wait for the right moment to make her move.
When she ran from her apartment with a handcuff dangling from her wrist, she told the police what they needed to know to track down and corner the sexual predator who had already assaulted and murdered three other young girls.
This past Friday, Kara graduated from the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy. She begins her law enforcement career as a full-time certified deputy and school resource deputy in Richland County, South Carolina.
You go, Kara! You will always be my hero.