48 Hours: Post Mortem | Closing the Cold Case of Robin Lawrence

Podcast: 48 Hours
Host: Natalie Morales (filling in), with correspondent Ann Marie Green
Episode Date: October 28, 2025

Episode Overview

This “Post Mortem” episode, hosted by Natalie Morales with 48 Hours correspondent Ann Marie Green, delves into the decades-old murder of Robin War Lawrence, an accomplished artist killed in her Springfield, VA home in 1994. The case remained unsolved for nearly 30 years until advances in DNA technology—and an amateur genealogist’s dogged determination—led investigators to her murderer. The episode explores investigative twists, forensic science, family grief, and the dramatic power of persistence in seeking justice long after hope had faded.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Crime and Its Immediate Aftermath

• [02:10] On November 18, 1994, Robin Lawrence was murdered at home, stabbed multiple times. Her husband, Ollie, was on a business trip in the Bahamas.
• The scene was discovered days later by Laurie Lindbergh, a friend sent to check on Robin, who found blood and the couple’s two-year-old daughter, Nicole, alone but unharmed.
  • “She could just see this sort of vacant expression on this little girl's face. She knows like there's something really, really bad that has happened.” – Ann Marie Green [03:12]

Early Investigation and Suspicions

• [03:43] Initial suspicion fell on Robin’s husband due to an extramarital affair, but a solid alibi and thorough checks cleared him.
  • “His alibi checks out. He is in the Bahamas, very far away from the scene… Robyn's family never suspected Ollie.” – Ann Marie Green [03:59]
• Evidence at the scene was sparse: a bloody, messy bedroom but few forensic leads, except for a tiny blood sample on a washcloth in the bathroom.
  • “But we have this one crime scene investigator… he notices a little bit of blood in the bathroom on a washcloth... 30 years later, it was going to make a heck of a difference.” – Ann Marie Green [04:54]

Remembering Robin and Her Family

• [05:43] Interviews with Robin’s family reflect their remarkable accomplishments and close bonds.
  • Robin’s father, Robert Sr., was a pioneering African-American community leader; the family is described as “super accomplished.”
  • Robin herself was a gifted artist—“She had just created that first medal, the Martin Luther King Jr. Medal... who knows where she would have gone?” – Ann Marie Green [06:55]

Technological Breakthroughs and the Cold Case Investigation

• [07:28] Advances in DNA technology in 2019 renewed hope. A DNA sample was sent to Parabon Nanolabs, narrowing the suspect pool by ancestry, but prospects for solving the case were still bleak.
  • “Parabon said to investigators, this is probably a zero probability that this case will be solved.” – Ann Marie Green [07:53]

The Genealogist Who Changed Everything

• [08:18] Enter Liz (last name withheld), a retired attorney turned amateur genealogist, who volunteered hundreds of hours pro bono to assist in the investigation.
  • “She was looking for a way to give back to the community... But this is a hard case, right?” – Ann Marie Green [08:56]
  • Liz's persistence was crucial—“She put in 1400 hours of work on this case over three years... and she just never gave up.” – Ann Marie Green [09:37]

[Segment Break at 12:36]

How the Suspect Was Identified: Genealogy to Justice

• [12:45] Parabon uploaded the DNA to Family Tree DNA and GEDmatch, yielding over a thousand possible cousin matches.
• Liz meticulously built extended family trees, tracked migration, and ultimately isolated the suspect’s lineage, identifying two brothers, one of whom was in Virginia at the time: Steven Smirk.
  • “What Parabon did is upload the DNA sample... So what she has to literally do... is build family trees for all of these cousins until she finds the right person.” – Ann Marie Green [12:45]
  • The breakthrough: “She said it was like magic. Like, you hear the phrase needle in the haystack. It was a needle in a needle stack.” – Ann Marie Green [14:24]

Forensic Artistry Links the Past and Present

• [15:19] Parabon’s forensic artists created a “phenotype” facial sketch from DNA, which was compared to Smirk’s high school yearbook photo—providing a striking and persuasive resemblance.
  • “I mean, it was pretty good. It was pretty damn good.” – Ann Marie Green [15:42]

The Family’s Gratitude for Closure

• [15:45] An emotional clip highlights the family’s gratitude to Liz.
  • “Thank you. Thank you very much for your hard work and dedication.” – Ann Marie Green quoting Mary [15:55]
  • “You are an angel, Liz... You brought comfort and closure to this family after so many years.” – Robert War Jr. [16:04]

Steven Smirk: The Unexpected Suspect

• [17:02] Smirk lived an unremarkable, law-abiding life in upstate New York—a “computer programmer,” married to a defense attorney, with two kids. A remarkable twist: his children attended the same high school as Robin’s niece.
• He was cooperative: allowed detectives into his home, freely gave DNA, and later turned himself in.
  • “He didn't seem surprised at all when they start to ask him questions about a murder that's going back 30 years... He willingly provides his DNA. And then… he then turns himself into the Niskayuna Police Department.” – Natalie Morales [18:13]
  • “They were not expecting things to unfold as quickly as they did...” – Ann Marie Green [18:50]

Smirk’s Confession and Psychological Assessment

• [19:36] During interrogation, Smirk chillingly stated, “I'm a serial killer, but I've only killed once before.”
• His background: challenging family dynamics, involvement in drugs and “the occult” as a teen, but later turned sober and supported by his wife. Psychological testing found him to score unusually low on psychopathy.
  • “He scores incredibly low, four out of 40. So low... it's suspiciously low.” – Ann Marie Green [20:46]
  • “He says that he has an undiagnosed mental illness... he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in the early 2000s.” – Ann Marie Green [21:35]

Random or Targeted? Profiling the Murder

• Authorities sought motive. Smirk insisted the attack was random; profiler Mary Ellen O’Toole, however, found this implausible:
  • “It doesn't feel like it's a random killing to me... You have an offender... thinking ahead enough to bring gloves and... the weapon.” – Mary Ellen O’Toole [22:44]
  • The timing—when the husband was away—was especially suspect.

Justice, Resolution, and Lingering Unanswered Questions

• [23:53] In 2024, Smirk accepted a 70-year sentence (parole eligible in 2037) in exchange for a guilty plea, avoiding trial.
• The family desired a trial for true accountability but found relief in knowing the killer is identified and incarcerated.
  • “I cried and grieved for the many years not knowing who killed Robin or why... I shouted hallelujah when we received a phone call that Robin's killer had been found. After 29 years... we can only imagine that at least finally having an answer has to give them all some peace.” – Robert War Sr. (via Ann Marie Green) [25:38]
• Robin’s daughter Nicole is thriving as an adult—a hopeful ending to a tragic story.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “She could just see this sort of vacant expression on this little girl's face. She knows like there's something really, really bad that has happened.” — Ann Marie Green [03:12]
• “His alibi checks out. He is in the Bahamas... Robyn's family never suspected Ollie.” — Ann Marie Green [03:59]
• “She put in 1400 hours of work on this case over three years... and she just never gave up. Amazing.” — Ann Marie Green [09:37]
• “She said it was like magic. Like, you hear the phrase needle in the haystack. It was a needle in a needle stack.” — Ann Marie Green [14:24]
• “Thank you. Thank you very much for your hard work and dedication.” — Mary and Robert Jr. War, on Liz [15:55–16:23]
• “I'm a serial killer, but I've only killed once before.” — Steven Smirk (as recounted by Ann Marie Green) [19:36]
• “It doesn't feel like it's a random killing to me... you have an offender... thinking ahead enough to bring gloves and... the weapon.” — Mary Ellen O’Toole [22:44]
• “I cried and grieved for the many years not knowing who killed Robin or why... I shouted hallelujah when we received a phone call that Robin's killer had been found.” — Robert War Sr. (via Ann Marie Green) [25:38]

Timestamps of Important Segments

• [02:10] Discovery of the crime and initial investigation
• [03:59] Clearing suspicion from Robin’s husband and family’s perspective
• [04:54] Forensic challenges at the crime scene
• [07:28] Breakthrough with DNA technology in 2019
• [08:56] Liz’s pro bono genealogical investigation
• [12:45] Step-by-step breakdown of how Liz identified the suspect through family trees
• [15:19] Forensic facial sketch with DNA phenotype
• [15:45] Family’s reaction to closure
• [18:13] Smirk’s behavior upon being confronted
• [19:36] Smirk’s confession and psychological evaluation
• [22:44] FBI profiler analysis: random or targeted crime?
• [23:53] Plea deal, sentencing, family’s resolution

Conclusion

This episode provides a compelling behind-the-scenes look at how Robin Lawrence’s murder was solved by the intersection of modern science, dogged volunteerism, and dedicated police work. Most hauntingly, it asks whether true justice is ever achieved and how even chance connections—and one stranger’s passion—can alter the fate of a grieving family.