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Stephen Smerk, of Niskayuna, NY, is facing second-degree murder in the Nov. 20, 1994 death of 37-year-old Robin Lawrence, who was found dead in a Springfield, VA home, Fairfax County police said.
Smerk is believed to have stabbed Lawrence inside of her Reseca Lane home, when he was 22 years old, authorities said.
In 1994, a DNA profile was developed; however, at the time there was no match in any system for the recovered DNA.
In the years that followed, detectives from the FCPD Cold Case Unit continued their efforts to meticulously review the evidence to identify a suspect. After many years of dedicated time to this case, a familial DNA match was found with Smerk. Detectives determined Smerk was working in the area at the time of the murder.
Pictures of Smerk from 1988 and 1998 were found and compared to a digital composite image created by Parabon NanoLabs, a DNA technology company in Northern Virginia that specializes in DNA phenotyping and genetic genealogy analysis.
Detectives traveled to New York and obtained a confession from Smerk to the murder. Detectives then obtained a warrant for Second-Degree Murder. Smerk was arrested and is waiting to be extradited to Fairfax County.
“Our cold case detectives exhibit unparalleled dedication when it comes to closing a case with many unknowns,” Chief of Police Kevin Davis said. “This case is but one example of how our department’s police work goes above and beyond, and it exemplifies our commitment to delivering justice regardless of the timeline.”
Editor's note: A previous version of this story said Smerk was charged with second-degree manslaughter when, in fact, he had been charged with second-degree murder.
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