The "Unsolvable" Cold Case // Robin Lawrence

Military Murder

Mama Margot Productions LLC

True Crime, History

4.8 • 2.5K Ratings

🗓️ 9 March 2026

⏱️ 28 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In 1994, Robin Lawrence was murdered by an intruder with violence on his mind. But Robin fought back. In her final moments, she clawed at her attacker, leaving behind critical DNA evidence that would one day help identify her killer. What investigators didn’t know then was that justice would take decades. Through persistent police work, advances in forensic science, and the dedication of a volunteer genetic genealogist determined to give Robin’s family answers, the case was finally solved. And when the suspect was confronted, a guilty conscience did the rest. Join Margot as she walks you through the long-awaited resolution of the cold case murder of Robin Lawrence, and the eventual identification of her killer, Stephan Smerk, a former soldier assigned to Fort Myer–Henderson Hall in Arlington, Virginia. ⸻ 🎧Did you know you could listen to this episode ad-free? Join the True Crime Army Club! Visit patreon.com/militarymurder to view the current membership options! ⸻ Check out today’s sponsor! Quince: Visit quince.com/militarymama for free shipping and 365 day returns! Gusto: Visit gusto.com/MMP for 3 free months of payroll! ⸻ Military Murder is a military true crime podcast that focuses on murders committed by military members, veterans, and sometimes their family members. ⸻ Don’t miss out on all things Mama Margot & Military Murder Podcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mamamargot TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@militarymargot Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/militarymurderpodcast Facebook Group: https://facebook.com/groups/militarytruecrime Want to advertise on the show? Email info@truenativemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Welcome back, True Crime Army. I am your host Margo, and this is military murder, a show where I
0:05.0	discuss cases involving military members and veterans, and I created this show to remind us all
0:09.9	to remain vigilant always. And today, I am telling you a story that will remind you that sometimes
0:15.6	the boogeyman lives right next door, but sometimes he sleeps right next to you, and you don't even
0:20.2	know it. Yeah, I know.
0:21.8	It sounds pretty dramatic, right? But in this case, it's true. Today I want to tell you about
0:27.0	Robin Lawrence, a wife, a mom, a businesswoman, who was slain in her home in Springfield, Virginia
0:32.5	way back in 1994. Robin's murder quickly went cold, and it wasn't until recently that her killer's identity
0:39.5	was revealed.
0:40.7	This is one of those cases where even the people at Parabon Nanolabs who solve all the cases
0:45.1	nowadays, they thought there was a zero percent chance of finding the perpetrator using
0:50.5	DNA alone.
0:52.0	But then, a volunteer spent three years working on a family tree using genetic genealogy
0:57.1	that ultimately led to the perpetrator.
1:00.4	Join me today as I tell you how the cold case of Robin Lawrence was miraculously solved
1:05.2	and how her killer once caught had a lot to say.
1:09.5	Now, let's dig in.
1:14.2	Military murder is an independent project and is not endorsed by the Department of Defense
1:18.9	or any military component. The views express are those of the host. The content of this
1:24.2	podcast is not meant to be legal or medical advice. Warning, this episode contains graphic details of murder and is not suitable for young listeners.
1:33.6	Listener, discretion, is advised.
1:41.8	Our story today takes us to Springfield, Virginia, circa 1994.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Mama Margot Productions LLC, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Mama Margot Productions LLC and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.