Suvechha Sarkar
Lisa Marie Knoefel was a 41-year-old loving mother and a proud social worker. She had never imagined that her beautiful life would come to a sudden halt in November 2012, when she was brutally stabbed, leading to her untimely demise in her home in Willoughby Hills, Ohio. The homicide investigation soon exposed a deeply disturbing betrayal that unfolded closer than she could’ve ever fathomed. The heartbreaking case is revisited in Investigation Discovery’s ‘Evil Lives Here: Fostering Evil.’ It also features emotional interviews with one of her acquaintances and her daughter.
Lisa Knoefel Was Fatally Stabbed in Her Bedroom
Lisa Marie McIntosh arrived as a ray of sunshine in the lives of her parents, William Clark and Rita Balla McIntosh, on May 2, 1971. She grew up in a loving household in Reynoldsburg, Ohio, and maintained an incredible bond with her sister, Laura McIntosh. She was often described as a kind soul who always had a smile on her face. From a young age, Lisa developed a strong desire to help the community. Hence, after completing her studies, she became a Social Worker for the Cuyahoga County Department of Children and Family Services. In her adulthood, Lisa was in a relationship that resulted in the birth of her beloved daughter, Megan Zanella, in 1999. Although that connection didn’t work out, Lisa soon thought she got another chance at love when she met Kevin D. Knoefel.
Lisa and Kevin soon began dating, and they got married around 2006. Over the next few years, they welcomed Hailey and Cody Knoefel into their lives. Lisa often enjoyed spending meaningful time with her children and going on camping trips. According to reports, she eventually introduced Kevin to the idea of taking in foster children, and they welcomed 16-year-old Sabrina Zunich into their home in 2011. Everything seemed to be going perfectly when her life turned upside down on November 16, 2012. Around 1:15 am, authorities received a call from Megan, informing them that Lisa was being attacked at their home in 2518 Chagrin Drive in Willoughby Hills, Ohio. When officials arrived at the scene, they immediately apprehended the attacker.
Upon searching the house, detectives reportedly found Lisa in her bedroom, and the first responders were unable to revive her due to severe blood loss. They discovered a large 15-inch knife with a 9-inch serrated blade and no hilt, which was determined to be the murder weapon. They also found the mattress of the bedroom to be covered with blood, along with blood on the floor and the walls. Authorities also found her 3-year-old daughter, Hailey, inside a closet in the home. The autopsy reportedly uncovered that Lisa was stabbed 178 times in the neck, jaw, chest, and several other areas, with minor lacerations on her hand. Lisa’s cause of death was determined to be a fatal stab wound in the jaw area that severed the carotid artery, and another in her chest, which collapsed a lung.
A Secret Relationship Led the Officials to the Killer and Conspirator
According to official reports, during the 911 call on November 16, 2012, Megan informed officials that Lisa was being attacked by her sister. Police records state that when officials arrived at the scene, they found Lisa’s 17-year-old foster daughter, Sabrina, with a knife in her hand inside the home. Sabrina was reportedly covered in blood, her clothes were torn, and she had stab wounds on her hands as well. Court records state that she was arrested on the spot for the murder of Lisa. As per police records, when Sabrina was questioned, she claimed that she didn’t remember anything and even asked if it was self-defense. Reports state that when Kevin was informed about the situation and arrived at the station, he asked to see Sabrina and showed no emotions.
Investigative reports state that two of Lisa’s coworkers informed the authorities that during her funeral, Kevin had asked them to pray for Sabrina. According to another official report, an insurance company official stated that Kevin inquired about Lisa’s life insurance policy and filed a claim within hours of her death. Kevin reportedly collected a payout of around $785,000 from those policies, bought several cars, and a home in Florida. Megan stated that before Kevin left for work on November 15, 2012, he and Sabrina were allegedly whispering to each other. Police records indicate that Megan also recalled Sabrina getting multiple messages on that night. According to court records, an investigation was also conducted at Sabrina’s school after they learnt Kevin reportedly visited her during school hours.
As the investigation progressed, Kevin’s friend, David Strunk, contacted the authorities. According to reports, he informed them that during a camping trip two weeks before the murder, Kevin allegedly told him that Lisa suspected Kevin of having an affair with Sabrina. When Kevin was questioned, he had already gotten a lawyer and refused to speak with the detectives. In August 2013, Sabrina confessed that she and Kevin had a sexual relationship. In her statements, she claimed that three months before the murder, Kevin told her that he wanted to divorce Lisa and would allegedly kill himself if he had to live with her. Kevin was arrested on August 9, 2013, and was charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit aggravated murder, three counts of complicity to aggravated murder, and six counts of sexual battery.
Sabrina and Kevin Are Incarcerated in Separate State Prison Facilities Today
Sabrina avoided a trial by pleading guilty to the lesser charge of aggravated murder in August 2014 in exchange for testifying against Kevin. During her sentencing hearing, the defense emphasized her turbulent background and cited her mental-health diagnoses. According to court records, they requested that the court impose the minimum sentence of 20 years to life in prison. On September 29, 2014, Sabrina was sentenced to life in prison with eligibility for parole after 30 years. The jury trial of Kevin began on May 29, 2014, during which the prosecution claimed that he groomed Sabrina and manipulated her into killing Lisa. They reportedly argued that Kevin was motivated by his desire to pursue his relationship with Sabrina and by the financial benefit from Lisa’s life insurance policy payout.
The prosecution further presented several witnesses testifying about the unusual interactions between Kevin and Sabrina. On the other hand, the defense denied his involvement, alleging that Sabrina acted on her own. They claimed that there was no physical evidence tying Kevin to the conspiracy and tried to undermine the credibility of Sabrina’s testimony. Court records state that the defense also claimed that her alleged resentment toward Lisa for disciplining her in the home could’ve been a motive for her to kill Lisa. On June 11, 2014, Kevin was found guilty of all 11 counts. The court reportedly merged Kevin’s counts of conspiracy to commit aggravated murder and complicity to aggravated murder to a single count of complicity to aggravated murder.
Kevin was sentenced to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole after 30 years for the complicity charge on August 6, 2014. He also received a 2-year consecutive prison term for each count of sexual battery. Kevin had appealed his convictions in the Appellate Court, but the court affirmed his judgment on December 14, 2015. He also filed motions for post-conviction relief and a new trial, but ultimately, the court affirmed the trial court’s ruling in January 2019. Kevin’s parole board hearing is scheduled for June 2055, with an expected release date of July 29, 2055. Sabrina’s parole board hearing is set for September 2042, with an expected parole eligibility date of November 8, 2042. As of writing, she is incarcerated at the Dayton Correctional Institution in Dayton, Ohio. Kevin is currently serving his time at Lake Erie Correctional Institution in Conneaut, Ohio.
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