Naman Shrestha
When the gruesome murders committed by John Robinson came to light, shockwaves were sent across the entire nation. The revelation also resulted in Heather Robinson learning the truth about her biological mother, who was one of the many victims of the serial killer. Inspired by the case, Lee Gabiana put on her directorial hat for Lifetime’s ‘Kidnapped by a Killer: The Heather Robinson Story.’ The true crime drama film details the dramatized account of the serial killings from the perspective of Heather Robinson, whose world is shattered upon learning the truth about her uncle, John Robinson, who is portrayed by Steve Guttenberg.
John Robinson Gave the Daughter of a Victim to his Brother
Born on December 27, 1943, in Cicero, Illinois, to Henry and Alberta Robinson, John Edward Robinson displayed signs of disciplinary issues from a young age, due to which he dropped out of Quigley Preparatory Seminary in Chicago. Even his college education remained incomplete as he dropped out of Morton Junior College in Cicero after two years. The year 1964 was a significant year in his life as he not only relocated to Kansas City but also tied the knot with Nancy Jo Lynch. In the following years, the couple welcomed four children — John Jr. in 1965, Kimberly in 1967, and twins Christopher and Christine in 1971.
While handling parental responsibilities, John also had quite a few run-ins with the law in the late 1960s and 1970s over embezzlement charges. It was between 1985 and 2000 when he murdered multiple women, mainly in Kansas and Missouri. One of the cases was of Heather Robinson, who was born as Tiffany Stasi, and her mother, Lisa Stasi. In early 1985, John met up with them and placed them at the Rodeway Inn in Overland Park, Kansas. There, he reportedly killed Lisa, after which he gave 4-month-old Heather to his brother, Don Robinson, and his wife, who took her in no questions asked and raised her as their own, only to find out the chilling truth later.
John Robinson’s Murderous Secrets Came to the Surface During the Search of His Property
In the following decade or so, John admittedly committed at least seven more murders of women from Kansas and Missouri, including Paula Guylene Godfrey, Catherine Frances Clampitt, Beverly Bonner, Sheila and Debbie Faith, Izabela Lewicka, and Suzette Trouten. According to reports, he used to get in touch with his victims in online chat rooms under the guise of “Slavemaster.” His notorious and suspicious activities started surfacing on the police’s radar. In June 2000, John was reportedly arrested for a sexual assault charge and for stealing sex toys.
A few days later, the authorities conducted a search of his 16-acre property near La Cygne, Kansas, and the rented storage unit he had in Raymore, Missouri. During the extensive search, the authorities were left horrified as they found the remains of Izabela Lewicka and Suzette Trouten stored in two separate 85-pound chemical barrels on his property. Upon searching his rented storage unit in Raymore, Missouri, they discovered three similar barrels, containing the remains of three other women — Beverly Bonner, Sheila Faith, and Debbie Faith. Tied to at least eight murders, he was officially charged with each of them — three in Kansas and five in Missouri.
John Robinson is on Death Row For His Horrific Crimes
Given the gravity of John Robinson’s crimes, his criminal trial turned into the longest in the history of Kansas. In 2002, he was tried in Kansas for the murders of Suzette Trouten, Isabella Lewicka, and Lisa Stasi. After he was convicted on three counts of capital murder, he received two death sentences for Suzette and Isabella and life imprisonment for Lisa’s murder. In his Missouri trial, he pleaded guilty to the five other murders and avoided the death penalty. Instead, he received five life sentences for his crimes in Missouri.
In the following years, the serial killer has appealed his convictions multiple times. Despite having a couple of his convictions dismissed in November 2015, the Kansas Supreme Court upheld his death sentence. In late 2016, he filed a civil lawsuit in order to earn a new trial, the hearing for which commenced in February 2022. By arguing that he did not receive effective legal counsel during his 2002 trial, John hoped to get his death sentence or capital murder convictions dismissed. In late November 2024, the serial killer was reportedly reprimanded for theft while in prison. As of today, the 81-year-old serial killer remains on death row at the El Dorado Correctional Facility in El Dorado, Kansas.
Read More: Kidnapped By a Killer: Heather Robinson’s True Story Explained
