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Stephan Smerk, 52, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder for the fatal stabbing of Robin Lawrence in November 1994, prosecutors announced on Friday afternoon.
“Our cold case detectives exhibit unparalleled dedication when it comes to closing a case with many unknowns,” Fairfax County Chief of Police Kevin Davis previously 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.”
On the night of the stabbing, Smerk was stationed at what is now the Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, when he left the barracks with the intent to kill someone - though his victim had not been decided at the time.
According to the Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney, Smerk drove to West Springfield, where he broke into Lawrence's home that she shared with her 2-year-old daughter.
He proceeded to stab her 49 times, tossing the murder weapon into a body of water later that night. Her body was discovered by friends on Nov. 20, 1994 after her husband, who was out of the country at the time, asked them to check on Lawrence after not hearing from her for days.
In 2023, a DNA match linked Smerk to the case, and hours after detectives approached him at his upstate New York home in Niskayuna to collect a volunteer DNA sample, he turned himself in to police and confessed to the crime just hours later.
"Thirty years ago, the random and brutal murder of a young mother rocked Fairfax County," Commonwealth's Attorney Steve Descano said. "While the scars of such a horrific claim can never be fully healed, I hope this conviction can provide closure to both the family of Robin Lawrence and our entire community."
When he is sentenced in March 2025, Smerk faces up to 70 years in prison.
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