Serial Killer's Ex-Wife Connects with Survivor Decades Later

A chilling message on Instagram, reading "I hear we have something in common," bridged decades of trauma between Bonnie Lou Gower, the ex-wife of serial killer Richard Marc Evonitz, and Kara Robinson Chamberlain, a victim who escaped Evonitz's clutches.

Gower was married to Evonitz from 1988 to 1996. During their marriage, Evonitz, who served in the Navy, moved the couple frequently. They lived in Portland, Maine, and San Diego, California, before settling in Spotsylvania County, Virginia. Gower was a child when she first met Evonitz, who was 20 years her senior.

Evonitz was eventually linked to the murders of three teenage girls in Virginia during the 1990s. Forensic evidence later tied him to the kidnapping, sexual assault, and murder of sisters Kristin and Kati Lisk, aged 15 and 12, in May 1997. He was also linked to the murder of 16-year-old Sofia Silva in September 1996. Evidence found in his apartment after his suicide suggested he was responsible for more crimes.

In 2002, Kara Robinson Chamberlain was kidnapped by Evonitz from her friend's front yard. She managed to escape and subsequently assisted police in their investigation. Evonitz died by suicide before he could be apprehended. Chamberlain later forged a career in law enforcement and became a victim advocate.

Decades after her ordeal, Chamberlain sent a message to Gower, initiating a connection that has been explored in the series "The Serial Killer Connection." The series premiered on Investigation Discovery last week, featuring Chamberlain and Gower's collaboration.

Gower had previously posted online identifying Evonitz as her first husband and the serial killer. She had remarried and had children with her second husband by the time Chamberlain was kidnapped.