Shivangi Sinha
By December 1984, Lisa Stasi had separated from her husband and sought refuge at a shelter home with her 4-month-old daughter, Tiffany. She was hopeful about participating in a program that would allow her to support the organization while taking time to rebuild her life. However, just days later, after visiting her sister-in-law, Lisa vanished and was not seen again. It wasn’t until 2000 that the truth surfaced that her daughter had been abducted and adopted by another family, while Lisa was presumed to have been murdered. Lifetime’s ‘Kidnapped by a Killer: The Heather Robinson Story’ is based on these real-life events and portrays the events leading up to and following Lisa’s disappearance.
Lisa Stasi Met Her Family the Day That She Disappeared
Lisa Elledge was born on April 11, 1965, in Huntsville, Alabama, to Marvin Elledge and Patricia Sylvester. Her older brother, Marvin Elledge Jr., was just a year her senior and growing up, the siblings were inseparable. Lisa was known for her intelligence and warmth and grew into a pleasant and bright young woman. In 1983, at just 18 years old, Lisa met Carl Stasi, a young man who had served in the military. Their relationship developed swiftly, and Lisa soon began envisioning a future with him. By August 1984, the couple decided to marry and tied the knot in Lisa’s hometown. Surrounded by family and loved ones, Lisa felt incredibly fortunate to be starting a new chapter with a baby on the way.
On September 2, 1984, Lisa welcomed a baby girl, whom she lovingly named Tiffany. At the time, she remained hopeful about building a future with Carl and their daughter, the couple had relocated to Kansas to start fresh. However, over the following months, their relationship began to deteriorate. By December 1984, tensions had escalated, leading them to separate. Carl re-enlisted in the military and moved away, while Lisa sought support and stability. She moved into Hope House, a shelter for homeless women in Kansas City, Missouri. At just 19 years old, Lisa became involved in an outreach program that provided her with both a safe place to stay and an opportunity to complete her GED. The program was designed to empower young mothers like Lisa, and she was enthusiastic about the possibilities it offered.
She shared her excitement and sense of optimism with her family, looking forward to the new chapter ahead. On January 8, 1985, Lisa visited her sister-in-law, Kathy Klinginsmith, who was babysitting her daughter. She stayed for a few hours before leaving and came back to pick her daughter up the next day. Later that evening, around 4:30 pm, Lisa made a phone call to her mother-in-law, Betty Stasi, during which she mentioned that she was in the process of signing some blank papers as “they” wanted her to. The call ended abruptly, and from that point on, she was never heard from again, and even Tiffany was not found. To this day, Lisa’s remains have never been recovered, but it is believed that she is deceased.
Lisa Stasi’s Killer Eluded the Police for 15 Years
As the investigation progressed, authorities discovered that Lisa Elledge Stasi had been in contact with a man named John Edward Robinson. He already had a criminal history, including charges of bank fraud and embezzlement. He was the individual who had introduced Lisa to the Outreach Program she had recently joined. On the day she visited Kathy Klinginsmith, the latter later recalled that something about Lisa’s demeanor felt off, and it was John who had arrived to pick her up. Even during the phone call to her mother-in-law, Betty Stasi, Lisa sounded uneasy and abruptly ended the conversation after indicating that someone had entered the room. Although her family received a few letters from her afterward, they remained suspicious and questioned their authenticity.
To begin with, the letters the family received after her disappearance were typewritten and only bore her handwritten signature at the bottom. This immediately raised suspicions, as Lisa was not particularly skilled at typing and had never communicated with her family in that manner before. The letter stated that she needed some time to herself and was going away with her daughter, Tiffany. Despite their efforts to locate Lisa and the child, no concrete answers emerged. Her loved ones were left with no choice but to accept that she had vanished without a trace. It wasn’t until June 2000 that the truth began to unfold. John was arrested after authorities discovered the remains of two women on his property in La Cygne, Kansas.
Authorities eventually uncovered that John Edward Robinson had taken Lisa Stasi’s infant daughter, Tiffany, and handed her over to his brother and sister-in-law, Don and Frieda Robinson. He provided them with forged adoption papers and falsely claimed that the baby’s mother had died by suicide, assuring them that the adoption had been arranged legally. Unaware of the deception, Don and Frieda raised the child as their own under the name of Heather Tiffany Robinson. In 2002, John Robinson stood trial for the murders of Lisa and two other women. He was convicted, and for Lisa’s murder specifically, he was sentenced to life in prison. However, in 2015, following an appeal, the conviction related to Lisa’s case was overturned due to technical errors in the proceedings. Despite this, John remains on death row and is currently serving multiple life sentences for his other confirmed murders.
Read More: Who are Heather Robinson’s Real Adoptive Parents? Where Are They Now?
