5 chilling details about John Robinson's crimes

John Robinson's offenses appalled the country and were the subject of Lifetime's Kidnapped by a Killer: The Heather Robinson Story. What appeared to be a typical suburban family man was found out to be a serial killer and confidence trickster who killed at least eight women and kidnapped his niece. His offenses ran over several decades and included manipulation, violence, and lying.

Officials discovered his crimes in 2000, and he had a very public trial before ultimately being convicted. The specifics of Robinson's activities show a deliberate scheme for targeting vulnerable women and employing multiple fraud schemes for financial gain.

Kidnapped by a Killer: The Heather Robinson Story airs on Lifetime on June 7, 2025.

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Five facts regarding John Robinson's crimes

1) He used a hammer as his weapon

Perhaps the most alarming fact regarding John Robinson's offenses is the way he murdered his victims. From investigators and autopsy reports, Robinson murdered his victims after hitting them on the head with a hammer. Police found 18 hammers at his residence that were sent to be analyzed as potential instruments of murder.

Forensic specialists could not identify which of the hammers was used for each of the murders, however. This gruesome technique was uniform throughout the bodies that were discovered, as reported by ABC News.

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2) He stashed bodies in chemical drums

John Robinson did everything in his power to hide his crimes. When police raided his Kansas farm and a Missouri storage unit, they found the bodies of five women wrapped inside 85-pound chemical barrels. The bodies were later confirmed to be those of Suzette Trouten, Izabela Lewicka, Beverly Bonner, Sheila Faith, and Debbie Faith.

The utilization of chemical drums made the bodies hard to identify and delayed their discovery for several years. This disposal tactic illustrated the level of planning that went into Robinson's actions and the attempt to cover up evidence, as per Simply Forensic.

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3) He orchestrated the kidnapping and illegal adoption of his niece

John Robinson's offenses didn't stop there. He also kidnapped his niece, Heather Robinson, after murdering her mother, Lisa Stasi. Robinson pretended to create legal documents so that it would seem like Heather had been formally adopted by his brother and sister-in-law.

He billed them thousands of dollars in bogus legal bills and presented false documents. For decades, Heather lived in ignorance of her real identity, only discovering the truth as a teenager when the crimes committed by Robinson were exposed.

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4) He preyed on vulnerable women with false hopes

John Robinson was adept at targeting and taking advantage of vulnerable women. He would usually pretend to be a successful businessman or promise job opportunities and assistance to vulnerable women. Most of his victims were looking for work or a new beginning when he met them.

Robinson's skill at manipulation and winning the trust of his victims enabled him to coax his victims into deadly situations. He used classified advertisements and the internet to obtain potential victims, making it more difficult to track down his schemes, as reported by ABC News.

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5) He killed for money

Money motives were a big part of John Robinson's crimes. He murdered some victims for access to their money or funds. For instance, after murdering Sheila and Debbie Faith, he took their Social Security checks, which amounted to $97,000.

In another instance, he murdered Beverly Bonner and still received her alimony payments. Robinson's crimes were both violent and premeditated for personal gain. Investigators believe that money was a driving factor in several of the murders.

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For more details about John Robinson, watch Kidnapped by a Killer: The Heather Robinson Story on Lifetime.