Suspect in Springfield 1994 murder pleads guilty; chilling confession says he would’ve been a serial killer

FAIRFAX, Va. — The man who police said confessed to stabbing and killing a Springfield woman in 1994 pleaded guilty to first-degree murder on Friday.

Investigators from Fairfax County traveled to Niskayuna, New York and located 52-year-old Stephan Smerk, after leads developed from a Northern Virginia lab company that specializes in DNA phenotyping and genetic genealogy analysis.

Smerk, 22 at the time of the murder, was in Arlington for his first year as a software engineer in the Army when he was stationed at Fort Myer, now known as Joint Base Myer–Henderson Hall.

In an April court hearing, Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Kelsey Gill called what Smerk did to 37-year-old Robin Lawrence a “frenzied attack.” Gill said based on Smerk's confession with Detective Melissa Wallace, he set out that day with the intention to kill someone.

“It wouldn’t have mattered if there were 50 people in that house,” Gill said. “He set out to kill someone.”

During the guilty plea hearing, Gill added that Smerk drove as far away from the barracks to a location where he felt comfortable.

“It blew our family apart and for many, many years, it was very difficult and hard for all of us,” Mary Cowans, Lawrence’s sister, said. “At least he's no longer on the streets, no longer a danger to any other family or person and we will move on.”

Prosecutors read portions of Smerk's chilling confession to the courtoom Friday. 

“[Smerk] said, ‘I’ve not killed anyone else, but I could be a serial killer,’” Gill read.

In the same confession video, Smerk said he “cut [Lawrence] up pretty good.” He specifically described doing it twice, although court documents said she suffered 49 stab wounds.

“If not for my wife and kids, I probably would be a serial killer,” Smerk said in his confession video. 

Lawrence's family said the details of the confession were hard to stomach. 

“I can't grapple with that or anything what he did that he happened to pick my sister's house to go in and take her life for no reason other than what was in his head.” Cowans said. 

“He looks like he doesn't have a soul,” said Lauren Ovans, Lawrence's niece. 

Detective Wallace said she collected cheek swabs from Smerk twice. DNA was found at the scene, but at the time, there was no match.

Pictures of Stephen Smerk from 1988 and 1998 were found and compared to a digital composite image created by the lab company.

Court transcripts also revealed that Lawrence’s 2-year-old daughter was inside the house on Nov. 18, 1994, at the time of her murder.

Friends visited the house when Lawrence wasn’t answering her husband’s calls and found the large window in the back open and the screen cut out. The friend testified that she entered through the window, and the young daughter who “was in shock” approached her. The friend described seeing blood on the bedroom walls and went to a neighbor’s house to call police.

The detective assigned to the case in 1994 said when police responded, they found Lawrence face down next to her bed with a pillow in between her legs. He recalled several stab wounds on her head, face and neck.

Lawrence’s husband, who lives in France, tuned in to the hearing via video conference call.

Judge David Oblon said he’ll consider sealing the photo evidence that captured the gruesome nature of the victim’s injuries. 

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 7, 2025. Smerk could face 20 years to life based on the Virginia code, but the plea agreement means no more than 70 years. 

He is eligible for parole.