Naman Shrestha
Directed by Lee Gabiana, Lifetime’s ‘Kidnapped by a Killer: The Heather Robinson Story‘ is a crime thriller drama movie based on the chilling crimes of a real-life serial killer named John Robinson. Through the perspective of Heather Robinson, the daughter of one of his victims, the narrative focuses on her relationship with the killer, who pretended to be her uncle for 15 years. When the gruesome murders committed by John came to light, Heather’s world came crumbling down as she learned the truth about her biological mother.
Heather Robinson Received the Shock of Her Life Upon John Robinson’s Arrest
In June 1983, Carl and Lisa Stasi began a romantic relationship, which ultimately turned into something serious. More than a year later, in August 1984, the couple got married while Lisa was pregnant with their child. The following month, on September 3, 1984, Tiffany Stasi was born at the Truman Medical Center in Kansas City, Missouri. Soon, their marriage fell apart as they got into a huge fight around Christmas 1984. A few weeks later, in January 1985, Lisa became one of the many victims of John Robinson, a serial killer who hunted multiple women across Kansas and Missouri between 1985 and 1990.
After murdering Lisa, John gave 4-month-old Tiffany to his brother, Don Robinson, and his wife, Frieda, who named her Heather Robinson and raised her as their own. The couple was unaware of how John had come into possession of the child until 15 years later, when his crimes unraveled in front of everyone’s eyes. Before John’s arrest in 2000, Heather alleged that he attended a wedding in Florida with him and he tried to get close to her. He claimed that he told her, “I know things are really rough between your mom and dad. I’ll tell you what, you message me, don’t tell anyone, I’ll send you a plane ticket and we will go from there.” Looking back on his offer, she admitted that she considered taking him up on it, but was grateful that she didn’t because she would probably be one of his victims.
Heather’s entire world turned upside down when she was 15 years old, as the authorities had found multiple victims inside chemical barrels on John Robinson’s property in the Kansas City area and his rented storage unit in Missouri. That was when she learned that her birth name was Tiffany Stasi and her biological mother, Lisa Stasi, was his victim. Remembering the day John was arrested, Heather told ’20/20,’ “When I heard that John had been arrested…I remember (my adoptive mother) running up and down the stairs panicking. ‘How could he do this to us? We’re going to go to jail. This is horrible. Our lives are over.'”
Heather Robinson is Surrounded by the Love and Support of Her Husband and Sons
Following the life-changing revelation about her origin, Heather Tiffany Robinson embarked on a mission to learn more about her biological mother, Lisa, and get to the bottom of her murder. She said, “I want to find out where she is. I want to know who she was. She was a scared, abused, 19-year-old girl with a newborn, desperate to keep her child (and) be a mother. That was the whole reason John got her… I know I will. I’ll find her.” In the following years, Heather got in touch with her maternal grandmother, Pat Sylvester. They bonded over the years and formed a close-knit connection until the day Pat died in 2018. When she turned 18, she decided to be legally adopted by Donald and Frieda Robinson instead of returning to her biological father, Carl.
She opened up about her mother’s tragedy in an interview, stating, “I had no idea at all about the crime he committed to my mom. I am sure that I was there when he killed my mom. It was just unfortunate that I was still an infant at that time. If I was a bit older that time, I could have saved her.” According to reports, Heather even battled against post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following the traumatic events of her life. With her mother’s remains still missing, she claimed, “I will never stop trying to find her. I will never back down. If I want something I will get it, I will never let go.” In 2019, Heather planned to establish an organization called the Lisa Stasi Effect, through which she aimed to help individuals in the battle against PTSD.
“For those who were impacted by violent crime, feel free to contact me. I know how horrific life would be after learning such circumstances about the reality. For some, you would feel down and helpless, you are very welcome to the Lisa Stasi Effect,” she said. She was also on her way to start a eponymous podcast, for which she even interviewed her adoptive father, Donald Robinson. However, the organization and podcast are yet to come to fruition. As of today, Heather has built a rather fulfilling life for herself with the help of her husband, Roberto Ramos, with whom she shares two boys. She has admitted that her family is her safe space and strength in rough times, as her husband and sons have always been supportive and understanding of her.
Read More: Where is John Robinson Now? Update on the Serial Killer
