Date: 11-21-2015

Case Style: STATE OF KANSAS v. JOHN E. ROBINSON, SR

Case Number: 90,196

Judge: Caleb Stegall

Court: SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF KANSAS

Plaintiff's Attorney: Steven J. Obermeier, Jacob M. Gontesky, Christopher L. McMullin,
Stephen M.Page, Natalie Chalmers

Defendant's Attorney: Paige A. Nichols, Joseph W. Luby

Description: John E. Robinson, Sr., was charged with multiple offenses related to the murders of six women—killings that constituted parts of a common scheme or course of conduct whereby Robinson would lure women to Johnson County with offers of employment, travel, and other benefits; exploit them sexually, financially, or otherwise; kill them and dispose of their bodies in a similar manner; and engage in various acts of fraud, deceit, and manipulation to conceal his crimes. This common scheme or course of conduct began in the mid-1980s and continued until Robinson's arrest in June 2000. The State charged Robinson with two counts of capital murder, one count for the intentional, premeditated murder of Suzette Marie Trouten (Count II) and the other for the intentional, premeditated murder of Izabela Lewicka (Count III). The State alleged, pursuant to K.S.A. 21-3439(a)(6), that the murders of Trouten and Lewicka were each part of a common scheme or course of conduct that also included the intentional, premeditated murders of Beverly J. Bonner, Sheila Faith, Debbie Faith, and Lisa Stasi.

The State also charged Robinson with aggravated kidnapping of Trouten (Count I), theft of Vicki Neufeld's property (Count IV), first-degree premeditated murder of Lisa Stasi (Count V), and aggravated interference with Stasi's parental custody (Count VI). The jury convicted Robinson on all counts.

Following the guilt phase trial, a separate sentencing proceeding was held pursuant to K.S.A. 21-4624(b). The penalty phase jury sentenced Robinson to death on each capital murder conviction and that sentence was imposed by the trial court. Additionally,

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the trial court sentenced Robinson to 246 months in prison for the aggravated kidnapping of Trouten, 7 months for the theft of Neufeld's property, a life sentence with parole eligibility after 15 years for the first-degree premeditated murder of Stasi, and a pre-sentencing guidelines sentence of 5 to 20 years or a postsentencing guidelines sentence of 13 months for the aggravated interference with Stasi's parental custody.

On appeal, Robinson has raised 19 general claims of reversible error covering the entire proceeding below. Within these general claims, Robinson asserts a variety of sub-claims. For simplicity, we number the general issues consecutively and address all claims arising under each category. At the outset, we take the unusual step of noting that our review of this matter—given its size and complexity—has been assisted and facilitated by the diligence and professionalism of the trial judge, Judge Anderson, throughout the proceedings below. Moreover, the decision we announce today is in large part a product of Judge Anderson's conscientious commitment to Robinson's fair trial rights.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND - GUILT PHASE

Resolution of Robinson's claims on this appeal demands a comprehensive review of the disturbing facts underlying his convictions and sentences.

John Robinson, Sr.

Robinson was a self-employed, but not entirely successful, entrepreneur. In the 1970s, he formed Hydro-Gro, Inc., a company that produced hydroponic vegetables. In the 1980s, Robinson offered financial consulting services through his company Equi II. His operations were interrupted when he was convicted of a nonperson felony and incarcerated at the Western Missouri Correctional Center in Cameron, Missouri. Following his release in the 1990s until his arrest, Robinson published a mobile home

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trade magazine called Manufactured Modular Home Living through his company Specialty Publications.

Robinson lived with his wife Nancy in a three-bedroom modular home in Olathe, inside Santa Barbara Estates—a large mobile home community. Robinson used computers and e-mail extensively and also utilized a cell phone and pager. Nancy began working as the on-site office manager at Santa Barbara Estates in 1997.

In the mid-1990s, Robinson acquired roughly 17 acres of property at a secluded Linn County location. He moved a trailer onto the property in July 1998 and installed two phone lines: one for his landline and one for his computer.

Though married to Nancy since 1964, Robinson's infidelity was an ongoing issue in their marriage. In 1998, Nancy learned her husband was involved in bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, sadism, and masochism (BDS&M) activities after discovering fetish websites saved in his Internet browser history. Robinson shared stories of his BDS&M liaisons with Carlos Ibarra, a maintenance employee at Santa Barbara Estates, and showed him nude photographs of a girlfriend depicted in BDS&M poses.

Robinson's Victims

The State's capital murder theory in Counts II and III was that Robinson killed Suzette Trouten and Izabela Lewicka, along with Sheila and Debbie Faith, Beverly Bonner and Lisa Stasi, and that these killings were all connected, constituting parts of a common scheme or course of conduct characterized by: (1) luring women with offers of employment, travel, and other benefits; (2) exploiting them financially, sexually, or otherwise; (3) killing them and disposing of their bodies in a similar manner; and (4) concealing the crimes through acts of deception and fraud. The State alleged Robinson

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committed other crimes along the way, including the aggravated kidnapping of Trouten, theft of Neufeld's property, first-degree murder of Stasi, and aggravated interference with Stasi's parental custody.

1. Suzette Marie Trouten

Suzette Marie Trouten was the youngest of Carolyn and Harry Trouten's five children. She lived near her mother in the Monroe, Michigan, area. The two were extremely close and talked daily, even when Trouten was away.

Unbeknownst to her mother, Trouten was active in the BDS&M community. She frequented BDS&M websites and chat rooms, created her own BDS&M web page, and traveled out of state for BDS&M trysts.

In the mid-1990s, Trouten met Lore Remington, a Canadian resident who shared Trouten's interest in BDS&M role playing games. Remington trained Trouten as a "slave," the submissive partner in a BDS&M relationship, for these online games, and the two became close friends. Remington introduced Trouten to her friend, Tami Taylor, who also lived in Canada, shared an interest in BDS&M, and became another friend.

Trouten placed personal ads on BDS&M websites seeking a position as a "slave." At that point, Trouten and Robinson began communicating by e-mail. In summer 1999, Trouten told her mother that Robinson had offered her a job caring for his elderly father, "Papa John." Trouten said Robinson and his father were selling off several companies and Papa John needed nursing care as they traveled to various locations to close the deals. Trouten said the job would pay $60,000 annually and require extensive travel to places such as Switzerland and Belgium.

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In October 1999, Trouten traveled to Kansas City, telling her mother she had an interview with Robinson. When she returned a few days later, Trouten told her mother she did not like the idea of being away from home but had decided to take the job for 1 year to earn enough money to return to school. Trouten took a second trip to Kansas in November, explaining she had to sign an employment contract and find a place to live.

Trouten shared the news of her employment opportunity with other friends and family. She told Taylor she would be working for a man named John, who needed someone to care for his elderly father, a wealthy businessman, while they traveled to Europe and other destinations throughout the United States. Trouten told Remington she would earn $6,500 per month and travel to places such as Australia and Hawaii working for Robinson. Trouten gave similar reports to her aunt, father, and employer in Michigan.

In late 1999 and early 2000, Trouten prepared for the move to Kansas and her upcoming travels. She researched colleges and other learning opportunities in Switzerland and Belgium, telling her mother that Robinson said they would be overseas long enough for her to take classes. Trouten completed a passport application. Just before Trouten left, her aunt, Marshalla Chidester, helped Trouten create a list of her friends' and family's contact information.

On or about February 12, 2000, Trouten left for Kansas, bringing along her two beloved Pekingese dogs, Peka and Harry, in the moving truck Robinson had rented for her. On February 14, Trouten arrived and checked into Room 216 at the Guesthouse Suites in Lenexa. Robinson had reserved this room for 7 nights under his company's name, Specialty Publications. The reservation was later extended for an additional week.

When Trouten checked into her room, hotel staff informed her of their no-pet policy. On February 16, Robinson brought two Pekingese dogs, one named Harry and the

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other named Peka, for boarding at Ridgeview Animal Hospital in Olathe. Robinson said the dogs belonged to his employee. In completing check-in paperwork, Robinson indicated the dogs would be boarded through the end of February.

Once in Kansas, Trouten called her mother almost every day. Trouten told her mother she had decided to put her belongings in storage, rather than find an apartment immediately, because she and Robinson would be leaving on their trip soon. Trouten also said their itinerary had changed. Rather than travel to Switzerland as originally planned, they had decided to go to California, pick up Robinson's new yacht, and sail to Hawaii first, so Robinson could relax before resuming his meetings.

Trouten and Remington continued to communicate daily on ICQ, an instant messaging program on Yahoo. In these conversations, Trouten disclosed that she was in a sexual relationship with Robinson. At trial, Robinson conceded that he and Trouten had carried on a sexual, BDS&M relationship. The fact of this relationship was corroborated by other evidence at trial, including several e-mails in which they discussed BDS&M; a "slave" contract signed by Trouten, purportedly governing the terms of their master/slave relationship; and a videotape of the two engaging in BDS&M sex.

The timeline of events on March 1 implicated Robinson in Trouten's disappearance. Around 1 a.m. on March 1, Trouten called her mother at work and said she and Robinson were leaving on their trip later that morning. Carolyn Trouten never saw or spoke to her daughter again.

Trouten and Remington were also communicating via ICQ chat early that morning. Remington ended her chat session with Trouten at 12:51 a.m. Remington never saw or spoke to Trouten again.

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At 11:43 a.m., a long-distance call was placed from Robinson's Linn County trailer to Nancy Robinson's work phone.

At 2:13 p.m., Robinson picked up Trouten's dogs at the animal clinic in Olathe. Employees said Robinson appeared to be agitated and in a hurry. He told one employee he was in a rush to get to the airport. Robinson placed the dogs in a small kennel and left. Trouten was not seen with Robinson or in his truck at the animal clinic.

At 2:24 p.m., Robinson's access code was used to gain entry through the security gates at his Olathe storage unit, and the code was used to exit the facility 6 minutes later.

At 2:35 p.m., Olathe animal control officer Rodney E. McClain was dispatched to Santa Barbara Estates after Robinson had instructed the office assistant to report two dogs on the loose. McClain arrived 10 minutes later and saw two Pekingese dogs inside a small-medium-sized carrying kennel located just outside the office. Both appeared to be in good condition. McClain transported them to the local shelter. Trouten never claimed her dogs.

Around 3 p.m., Isabel Clark, a housekeeper at the Guesthouse Suites, observed a man matching Robinson's general physical description loading Trouten's belongings from Room 216 into a truck matching the description of Robinson's vehicle in the hotel parking lot. When she cleaned the room, Clark noticed the linens and towels were stained with blood. However, she had observed similar blood stains when she cleaned the room throughout Trouten's stay. Trouten had an irregular menstrual cycle and would bleed heavily. Trouten told Remington that she was experiencing a particularly long and heavy period at the end of February.

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Around 3:30 p.m., a hotel security camera captured Robinson checking out of Trouten's room. Hotel staff confirmed Robinson was the person who checked out of the room and paid the bill. Trouten was not with Robinson at the time, and hotel employees did not see her at all on March 1.

A few days after Trouten had supposedly left for California, Carolyn Trouten received a letter from her daughter. Its arrival was somewhat unusual, as Trouten typically called her mother and did not write letters. The letter arrived in a pink envelope postmarked from Kansas City on March 6, 2000. The envelope was addressed to Carolyn Trouten, and the return address said only "Suzette Trouten." The handwritten letter was dated February 28, 2000, and discussed Trouten's plans to leave for California with Robinson. Carolyn Trouten believed the handwriting on the envelope and letter was her daughter's. However, she found it unusual the envelope was postmarked Kansas City on March 6 because Trouten said they were leaving on March 1. Suzette's father, who lived in Florida, received a similar handwritten letter dated February 28, 2000, in an envelope postmarked Kansas City on March 6, 2000.

Suspicious of the postmark date, Carolyn Trouten called Robinson, who said Trouten had decided not to take the job. Robinson claimed she had met a man named Jim Turner and left town with him. Jim Turner was one of Robinson's aliases.

A few weeks after receiving the first handwritten letter, Carolyn Trouten received a second letter purportedly written by her daughter in an envelope postmarked from San Jose, California. This time, the letter was typewritten with Trouten's name signed in cursive at the bottom. Trouten's mother believed the signature was Trouten's. The letter opened with the statement: "Well, I'm off on an adventure of a lifetime." Carolyn Trouten was convinced Trouten did not draft the letter because the language, style, wording, and typewritten format were wholly inconsistent with her daughter's writing.

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Just before her April 9 birthday, Trouten's grandmother received a birthday card purportedly written by Trouten. The card was in a green envelope postmarked San Jose, California, on March 27, 2000. Trouten's aunt, Chidester, believed the mailing address on the envelope was written in Trouten's handwriting but that the "S. Trouten" written in the return address section of the envelope was not. Trouten's father also received a similar typewritten letter in an envelope postmarked San Jose, California, March 27, 2000.

Unbeknownst to Trouten's family, Robinson had made arrangements in late March 2000 for Jean Glines to mail several letters for him from California. Glines was a former employee of Nancy Robinson, who maintained a long-distance relationship with Robinson by telephone and e-mail after she moved to California in 1997. Robinson asked Glines to mail some letters for him from California as a favor. Glines, who had grown tired of the relationship with Robinson, agreed to mail the letters if Robinson stopped calling her. Glines received a package containing three pastel-colored envelopes from Robinson on March 27. Glines noticed some of the letters were addressed to a person in "Minnesota or Michigan," and there was no return address, only the name "Sue," "Suzette," or the initials "ST." Glines mailed the letters that day from Milpitas, where all mail is sent to and postmarked San Jose, California.

Several weeks later, Trouten's family received a number of letters purportedly authored by Trouten in envelopes postmarked Veracruz, Mexico, on May 19, 2000. Trouten's aunt, Chidester, received one of these letters. She believed the address on the envelope was written by Trouten, but the return address was not. The letter was typewritten and dated May 5, 2000. It discussed Trouten's travels and was signed, "Love you, Suzette." Chidester believed Trouten signed the letter, but she was convinced Trouten did not draft it because the punctuation, style, and organization were not

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characteristic of Trouten's writing. Trouten's niece, her grandmother, and her father received similar letters postmarked May 19 from Veracruz, Mexico.

Once again, unbeknownst to Trouten's family, Robinson had made arrangements for several letters to be mailed from Mexico in May 2000. Lidia Ponce lived in Veracruz, Mexico. Her son, Carlos Ibarra, was a maintenance employee at Santa Barbara Estates and did side jobs for Robinson. Ponce traveled to Olathe to visit her son at the beginning of May. Robinson asked Ibarra to have his mother mail several letters from a resort when she returned to Mexico. Robinson gave Ibarra several pastel-colored envelopes, which Ibarra gave to his mother. Ponce returned to Mexico around May 10 and mailed the letters from a hotel in Veracruz several days later after writing the sender's initials on the envelopes as Robinson had instructed. At trial, Ponce examined the envelopes Trouten's family had received and said they were consistent with the ones she had mailed from Veracruz and that the writing on the return address appeared to be her own.

When law enforcement officers searched Robinson's storage unit in Olathe, they found the contact list that Chidester helped Trouten create before moving to Kansas. This list included the mailing addresses and, for some, birthday information for Trouten's family members. The officers also seized a clear plastic folder containing 42 envelopes preaddressed to members of Trouten's family, along with 31 pieces of pastel-colored stationary with "Love you, Suzette" signed at the bottom. The officers also found over a dozen pastel-colored envelopes with enclosed greeting cards and envelopes inside a plastic Target sack. These envelopes were preaddressed to members of Trouten's family, with "S. Trouten" written in the return address and the individual's birthday written in the upper-right corner where postage is typically placed. There were also several letters with generic greetings such as "Hi, dad" or "Hi, mom" handwritten at the top of stationary, along with a number of blank envelopes, stationary, and greeting cards.

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This was not the first time Robinson had prepared or coordinated deceptive letter writing campaigns. In fall 1997, Robinson met Aleisia Cox through a personal ad she placed in a local magazine. Sometime in 1998, Robinson offered Cox a job traveling with him on business trips to London, Paris, and Australia. Before their scheduled departure, he directed Cox to write letters to her mother and daughter as though she had already arrived at each of these destinations, explaining there would not be time to write family during the trips. Cox complied, crafting letters to her mother and daughter that were written as though she were in Paris, London, and Australia. The trips never materialized, and police found Cox's letters during the search of Robinson's Olathe residence 2 years later.

Robinson's concealment of Trouten's disappearance was not limited to written correspondence. On February 25, 2000, Robinson sent Trouten an e-mail message requesting login and password information for all of her e-mail accounts. Trouten provided the information in a reply e-mail. Robinson also had e-mail addresses for a number of Trouten's friends and family members.

On the morning of March 2, 2000, the day after Trouten's disappearance, Remington received an e-mail from Trouten's Hotmail account. The body of the message said Trouten and her dogs had left on "the adventure of a lifetime." Remington responded a few minutes later, sharing that she had ended the relationship with her former BDS&M "master." Remington received a reply from Trouten's Hotmail account, referring Remington to a new "master" at "eruditemaster@email.com." Remington contacted this new "master" and began communicating with a man she came to know as Jim Turner.

On March 24, 2000, an e-mail from Trouten's Hotmail account was sent to several members of Trouten's family, including her aunt, Chidester; her sister, Kim Padilla; her brother, Michael Trouten; and her father's girlfriend. The message said Trouten had

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written to her mother, that she had left on her trip, that she would not have online access for some time, and that she would try to stay in touch when possible. Chidester was convinced Trouten did not write the e-mail because the word choices, style, and format were inconsistent with Trouten's writing. Chidester was also convinced Trouten would have called her, rather than sending an e-mail, before leaving on such a trip. When law enforcement officers searched Robinson's Olathe storage unit several weeks later, they found the e-mail addresses for all four recipients attached to the contact list Trouten had prepared with Chidester before moving to Kansas.

On April 27, 2000, Robinson, posing as Jim Turner, discussed Trouten's disappearance in an e-mail to Remington, claiming that Trouten had stolen his credit cards and that he had hired a private investigator to look into it. He also asked Remington for information on all of Trouten's previous BDS&M partners. After consulting with law enforcement, Remington provided the requested information via e-mail. Law enforcement officers found a printed copy of this e-mail chain in Robinson's possession during the search of his Olathe storage locker several weeks later.

Robinson used e-mail not only to conceal Trouten's disappearance, but also to lure Trouten's friends into new BDS&M relationships. In March 2000, Remington told Taylor she had been communicating with Jim Turner, who she initially believed to be a friend of Trouten's employer, Robinson. Taylor jokingly told Remington to ask Jim Turner whether he had any single friends interested in a BDS&M relationship. Remington did just that, and Robinson, posing as Turner, said Taylor should contact "Tom" at "preipo@usa.net."

Remington forwarded the name and e-mail address to Taylor, and Taylor sent "Tom" an e-mail discussing her interest in BDS&M. When law enforcement officers searched Robinson's Olathe residence, they found a note with the "preipo@usa.net" e-

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mail address written on it. On March 17, 2000, Robinson, posing as Tom, responded to Taylor's e-mail, describing himself as a "very aggressive and hard working businessman" and outlining his ground rules for a BDS&M relationship. Taylor and Robinson, posing as "Tom," continued to communicate and discuss BDS&M topics via e-mail. Robinson also began calling Taylor. In one voicemail message, he told her he was changing his "preipo@usa.net" e-mail address to "bdsm@hotmail.com." "Tom" told Taylor that she would be well taken care of if she were his slave.

On May 28, 2000, Robinson, posing as "Tom," sent Taylor an e-mail from his new "bdsm" Hotmail account, asking her to visit him in Kansas City. Unlike his earlier e-mails, "Tom" signed this e-mail as "MASTER"—the same way this name/title appeared in Robinson's other e-mail communications, including Robinson's February 25 e-mail to Trouten and Jim Turner's April 27 e-mail to Remington.

Before committing to a visit, Taylor asked "Tom" for a reference from a past slave, and Robinson, still posing as "Tom," told Taylor she could contact one of his former slaves at "slavedancer@hotmail.com." Taylor e-mailed "slavedancer" seeking information about "Tom" as a master. On May 31, Taylor received a response from the "slavedancer" account, in which "Tom" was referred to as "MASTER" throughout. When law enforcement officers searched Robinson's Olathe residence 2 days later, they found a list of e-mail addresses and passwords, including "slavedancer@hotmail.com," written on a sheet of legal paper. They also found e-mails confirming Robinson's registration of the "slavedancer" name on several e-mail servers. Taylor received no further e-mail after Robinson's arrest on June 2.

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2. Izabela Lewicka

Izabela Lewicka was born in Poland on April 11, 1978. She moved to West Lafayette, Indiana, with her family at the age of 11. She began studies at Purdue University in fall 1996. She was interested in the arts and was an avid drawer and painter. According to friends, Lewicka also had a strong interest in several alternative lifestyles, including paganism, goth, and BDS&M.

In spring 1997, Lewicka told her friend, Jennifer Hayes, that an international book agent in Kansas City had offered her a job doing secretarial work and had commissioned her to illustrate BDS&M manuscripts. Lewicka said she planned to move to the Kansas City area to be with this older, married man, who had also agreed to train her to become a "dominant" in BDS&M relationships. Lewicka told Hayes he wanted her to call him "master" and to maintain strict confidentiality. Lewicka seemed concerned when she inadvertently told Hayes her master was named John.

While attending Purdue, Lewicka became friends with Dawn Carter and often used her computer to access the Internet. Lewicka told Carter she had a job opportunity in Kansas City illustrating and editing books. Lewicka said that a man named John, whom she had met online, had a job and apartment for her and that they had plans to travel.

Lewicka told her parents she had a summer internship with a publishing company in Kansas City, and if it led to a job, she might stay longer, but she did not rule out the possibility of returning to Purdue for the fall 1997 semester. Lewicka said she would be living at 9280 Metcalf in Overland Park and could be reached by e-mail.

On June 8, 1997, Lewicka left for Kansas in her car filled with belongings. Lewicka's friends believed she moved to Kansas both for BDS&M training and work.

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Once in Kansas, Robinson helped Lewicka establish herself. They leased a private mailbox at Mailboxes, Etc., located at 9280 Metcalf in Overland Park—the same address Lewicka had given her parents. Both Lewicka and Robinson were authorized to access mail at the box. In October 1997, Robinson had his insurance agent write a 2-year auto policy on Lewicka's vehicle, explaining she was an employee.

On November 14, Lewicka opened an account at Bank of America, where Robinson also held a business account for Specialty Publications.

In February 1998, Robinson contacted Jennifer Boniedot, a property manager for the Deerfield Apartment Complex in Olathe. Robinson said he needed a corporate apartment for employees he would train before they were transferred to positions out of state. In the rental application, Robinson identified himself and Lewicka as the prospective occupants. He told Boniedot that he met Lewicka at a graphics trade show, that she had been abused by her parents, and that he had adopted her. Robinson signed a 1-year rental agreement, from March 1, 1998, to February 28, 1999. Robinson paid rent with a Specialty Publications' check, and Lewicka occupied the apartment through the term of the lease.

In January 1999, just before the Deerfield Apartment lease expired, Robinson contacted Julie Brown, a manager for A.J. Lang Property Management, to find an apartment. Robinson said he was in the publication business and needed a corporate apartment for female employees he trained from across the country. Robinson executed a lease for a different apartment in Olathe (Edgebrook Apartment) for a term beginning January 15, 1999, through January 31, 2000. Lewicka occupied the Edgebrook Apartment, and Robinson paid the rent.

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While in Kansas, Lewicka worked for Specialty Publications, handling advertising graphics for Robinson's magazine. In 1998, Robinson told his publishing broker, Karen Scott, he had hired his adopted daughter, Lewicka, as a graphic designer. Lewicka told Pam Sadewhite, who owned a graphic arts company that did work for Robinson, that Robinson was her uncle, but Sadewhite saw them flirting and touching one another in a manner that suggested otherwise.

Lewicka often held herself out as Robinson's wife. Lewicka registered for an introductory drafting class at Johnson County Community College under the name Izabela Lewicka-Robinson and told her instructor that she was married to an older man. She also identified herself as Izabela Robinson to employees of several local businesses.

Though not married, Lewicka and Robinson did share a BDS&M sexual relationship, as evidenced by a BDS&M "slave" contract signed by Lewicka, along with numerous nude photographs depicting her in BDS&M poses, seized from Robinson's Olathe storage unit. Nancy Robinson learned of her husband's relationship with Lewicka in 1997. She believed the relationship was different from Robinson's other affairs. In the past, when Nancy had learned of an affair, Robinson had ended it immediately. This time, the relationship continued, and Nancy thought Robinson would leave her for Lewicka.

However, Lewicka disappeared sometime in late summer or fall 1999. Earlier that summer, Robinson convinced another paramour, Barbara Sandre, to move from Canada to Kansas. On August 18, they executed a lease for an unfurnished duplex at Hunter's Pointe, located on Grant Street in Overland Park (Grant Street Duplex). Sandre needed furnishings for the duplex, and Robinson agreed to provide them. On August 23, Robinson hired a moving company to deliver household items from Lewicka's Edgebrook Apartment to Sandre's Grant Street Duplex. Over the next 2 weeks, Robinson brought

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additional furnishings, including bedding and pillows, blankets, kitchen utensils, artwork, and hundreds of books. Many of these items were later identified as Lewicka's property.

Robinson had also rekindled his relationship with Aleisha Cox earlier in 1999. Later that year, Cox was unemployed and did not have permanent housing, so Robinson invited her to stay at Lewicka's Edgebrook Apartment. Cox testified the apartment was mostly vacant, but there were some boxes containing clothing and household items. Robinson told Cox the girl that had been living there quit her job and ran off with her boyfriend, leaving the clothes behind. Cox took some of the clothing, which was later identified as Lewicka's. Cox declined Robinson's offer to stay at the apartment.

In September 1999, with several months remaining on the lease, Robinson delivered September's rent for Lewicka's Edgebrook Apartment and notified the property manager, Brown, that he had vacated the premises. Brown later inspected the unit and found it to be mostly unkempt but noticed the two bedrooms had been cleaned meticulously.

Law enforcement officers searched Lewicka's Edgebrook Apartment on October 12, 2000. Detective Sally Lane, a forensic chemist with the Johnson County Crime Lab (JOCO Lab), found hundreds of small, reddish-brown spots on the wall of one bedroom that presumptively tested positive for blood. The blood spots were roughly circular and less than 1 millimeter in diameter. The pattern of stains ran from floor to ceiling and approximately 4 to 5 feet in width, from the middle of the south wall all the way to the east wall, with the highest concentration at waist to chest level. Lane took swabs from a representative sampling of the spots and submitted them to the Kansas City, Missouri, Regional Crime Lab (KCMO Lab) for further analysis, where Detective Frank Booth, a DNA analysist, confirmed the genetic profile from the samples matched Lewicka's DNA.

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Other circumstantial evidence corroborated Lewicka's disappearance in late summer or early fall 1999 and Robinson's involvement. In September, Robinson called his publishing broker, Scott, looking for a new graphic designer. Robinson told Scott that Lewicka had been caught smoking marijuana and deported to Czechoslovakia. On September 1, a $500 check payable to Specialty Publications was drawn on Lewicka's account, leaving an available balance of $1. On September 3, the insurance policy Robinson placed on Lewicka's vehicle lapsed because of nonpayment of premium.

After fall 1999, Lewicka was never seen at the local establishments she patronized. During her time in Kansas, she shopped at A. Friendly's bookstore on 25 to 30 occasions. Lewicka stood out to the owner, Robert Meyers, because of her European accent and interest in books about witch trials, horror, vampires, and medicinal plants. Sometime before winter 1999, Lewicka came to A. Friendly's with a man Meyers believed to be Robinson. Lewicka told Meyers she was moving and Robinson would be buying her books after her move. Lewicka shopped there one more time prior to winter 1999, and Meyers never saw her again.

As with other victims, family members received suspicious correspondence after Lewicka disappeared. Lewicka's father exchanged 25 to 30 e-mails with his daughter after she moved to Kansas. Lewicka was spirited and fought with her parents for autonomy and control over her life. When Lewicka responded to the e-mails, her tone was consistently abrasive and short, asking her father, "What the hell do you want [?]" and telling him to leave her alone. However, on April 14, 2000, Lewicka's father received a different sort of e-mail from his daughter's account. The message said she and another person had spent the last 2 weeks traveling the countryside in China. Unlike previous e-mails, the tone of this message was respectful and polite. The final series of e-mails Lewicka's father received from his daughter's account said she was traveling to overseas locations.

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3. Lisa Stasi

Lisa Stasi, formerly Lisa Elledge, was 18 years old when she began dating Carl Stasi sometime after June 1983. Lisa married Carl in August 1984. She was pregnant at the time. On September 3, 1984, Lisa Stasi gave birth to her first child, Tiffany Lynn, at Truman Medical Center in Kansas City, Missouri. After Tiffany's birth, Stasi's marriage crumbled and Carl reenlisted in the Navy. He reported for duty at Great Lakes Naval Base, outside Chicago, Illinois, in early January 1985.

Around the time Stasi began dating Carl, Robinson was looking for a private adoption opportunity for his younger brother, Donald Robinson, and Donald's wife, Helen, who lived in the Chicago area. At a family reunion in 1983, Donald and Helen told Robinson they were pursuing a private adoption. Robinson said he knew an adoption attorney, Doug Wood, and would handle the process for his younger brother. In fall 1984, Robinson told Donald and Helen a baby would be available in October. At Robinson's direction, Donald sent him a $2,500 cashier's check payable to Robinson's business, Equi II, allegedly to cover adoption-related fees. Robinson later said the birth mother had decided not to place the child for adoption.

In November 1984, Robinson contacted Karen Gaddis, a social worker at Truman Medical Center, and told her that he and several Johnson County businessmen had developed a program to provide housing, transportation, daycare, and job training for young mothers and their babies. Robinson said he needed referrals of Caucasian women because the program already had African-American participants and needed racial balance. Robinson was looking for a white woman in her teens or early 20s, who had a newborn child, was struggling or disadvantaged, and had no family support or ties. In January 1985, Robinson told Gaddis another organization, Hope House, had referred a

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young lady to his program, and he had placed her at a motel in Kansas. Lisa Stasi's aunt, Karen Moore, testified that she had contacted Hope House and took Stasi to the organization just before January 1, 1985.

Family members last saw Stasi and Tiffany in early January 1985. Carl Stasi's sister, Kathy Klingensmith, babysat Tiffany often. On January 8, Stasi dropped Tiffany off at Klingensmith's home and told her she had met a man named John Osborne, who was going to help her get a job and finish her GED. Stasi said she might even get to travel as part of the job training program.

Stasi returned to Klingensmith's home to pick up Tiffany on January 9. When she arrived, Stasi said John Osborne had paid for her to stay in a room at the Roadway Inn in Overland Park. At approximately 2 p.m., Stasi called the front desk at the Roadway Inn and gave the hotel receptionist Klingensmith's phone number in case Osborne called. Osborne called Klingensmith's number soon thereafter and got directions to her home. The weather was treacherous because of a strong snowstorm, but Osborne arrived at Klingensmith's home at approximately 3 p.m. Stasi and Tiffany went with Osborne, leaving Stasi's car parked outside Klingensmith's home. Less than 1 hour later, Stasi called Klingensmith to tell her she had arrived safely at the motel. Klingensmith never saw or heard from Stasi or Tiffany again. Stasi never returned for her car. Klingensmith identified Robinson at trial as the man she knew as John Osborne.

Around 4:30 p.m., Stasi called her mother-in-law, Betty Stasi, in a panic, crying and hysterical. Stasi said "they" were claiming that Betty Stasi planned to take Tiffany away because Stasi was an unfit mother. Stasi's mother-in-law told her not to believe what "they" were saying because it was not true. Stasi said "they" wanted her to sign four blank sheets of paper. Betty Stasi told her not to sign anything. Stasi said "here they come," and she hung up.

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Betty Stasi never spoke to or saw Stasi or Tiffany again. A few days later, Betty Stasi received a letter purportedly written by Stasi. It was typewritten and signed "Lisa" at the bottom and said Stasi had left town to start a new life with Tiffany.

Nancy Robinson testified that in early January 1985, the day of the terrible snowstorm, Robinson brought a baby to their home in Stanley. Robinson said that the baby's name was Tiffany and that he received her through a private adoption for his brother. Robinson called Donald and Helen and told them a baby was available immediately. He said the birth mother had decided against adoption after delivery, but the family did not support her decision, so she left the baby at a shelter and committed suicide.

Donald and Helen flew to Kansas City on January 10. Robinson picked them up at the airport in the late afternoon and drove them to the offices of Equi II in Overland Park, where they signed legal paperwork, including a Petition for Adoption. After signing the documents, Donald gave Robinson a $3,000 cashier's check payable to Doug Wood, allegedly for further adoption expenses. Donald and Helen named the baby Heather Tiffany Robinson. They returned to Chicago, along with the baby, the following day.

That same morning, Klingensmith called the Roadway Inn and learned Stasi's room had been reserved under a name other than John Osborne. On January 11, Klingensmith filed a missing persons report with the Overland Park Police Department.

Robinson's name surfaced early in the investigation. On February 1, 1985, Overland Park detectives interviewed Robinson, who told them he was starting a charitable organization to provide young mothers job training, food, and housing. Robinson admitted he had placed Stasi at the Roadway Inn as part of that program.

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However, he said Stasi had recently come to his office to give him the motel key. Robinson said Stasi thanked him for the assistance and said she had made other arrangements. Robinson claimed that Stasi and Tiffany left with a young Caucasian male in an older model green car.

One week later, Robinson provided a similar story to his Missouri Parole and Probation Officer, Steve Haymes. Robinson told Haymes he had placed Stasi at the Roadway Inn, but on January 10, she and Tiffany came to his business with a man named Bill and said they planned to start a new life together in Colorado.

To corroborate this story, Robinson paid Cora Holmes $800 in exchange for her false statement to police. At Robinson's direction, Holmes told Overland Park detectives that she had recently babysat Tiffany and learned Stasi had left for Arkansas with a man named Bill Summers.

In July 1985, Donald and Helen received a package from Robinson containing final adoption paperwork, including a Petition for Adoption, Decree of Adoption, birth certificate, and other documents. The Petition appeared to be signed by attorney Douglas Wood, who had handled over 100 adoptions in his career. Wood testified that he did not prepare the document, that it deviated from his standard form, and that his signature had been forged. Wood confirmed that he had never represented Robinson or any member of his family in any adoption proceeding nor received payment from Robinson for such legal work.

The Decree appeared to contain the signature of attorney Ronald Wood, who had handled only three adoptions in his 23-year career. Ronald Wood testified that he never signed the Decree. He had represented Robinson in other matters, and Robinson had access to other examples of Wood's signature. The Decree also appeared to be signed by

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Judge Michael H. Farley, but Judge Farley testified the decree was fraudulent and his signature had been forged.

Both the Petition and Decree appeared to be notarized by Evi Gresham, who had been in a BDS&M relationship with Robinson in the early to mid-1980s, but Gresham had never seen the documents, her name was misspelled, and she was never a notary public. Robinson had directed Gresham to sign numerous blank papers during their relationship. Neither the Petition nor the Decree was found in the district court clerk's official records.

After Robinson's arrest in 2000, Donald and Helen began to question the identity of Heather's birth mother. Law enforcement compared Heather's footprints to the known prints of Tiffany and found the prints matched, i.e., Heather Tiffany Robinson was Tiffany, Stasi's biological daughter.

4. Beverly Bonner

Beverly Bonner lived in Cameron, Missouri, with her husband, Dr. William Bonner, and their two sons. In 1992 and 1993, Bonner worked as a prison librarian at the Western Missouri Correctional Center while Robinson was an inmate. William Bonner was a prison physician who treated Robinson and other inmates.

In November 1993, Bonner filed for divorce. Toward the end of their marriage, Bonner told her husband she was helping Robinson find property for a hydroponics project. Bonner also said she planned to take a job with a company in Chicago.

Bonner was not seen by her family after her final divorce proceeding in February 1994. Bonner's brother, Louell Heath, invited Bonner to his September 1995 wedding,

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but she did not attend. Bonner's oldest son died in October 1995, but she did not attend his funeral.

After Bonner's disappearance, Robinson stole her alimony payments. In December 1993, Robinson, posing as Jim or James Turner, applied for a mailbox under Bonner's name at The Mail Room in Olathe. The owner, Colleen Davis, identified Robinson at trial as the person she knew as Turner. Robinson executed a lease for Box 182 under Bonner's name on January 1, 1994. Robinson presented Bonner's identification and told Davis he was collecting Bonner's mail while she worked in Australia. Davis never met Bonner and only saw Robinson access the mailbox.

William Bonner paid his ex-wife $1,000 in monthly alimony for 18 months. He timely mailed each alimony payment to Bonner's private mailbox in Olathe. Every alimony check was deposited into Robinson's Hydro-Gro, Inc., business account at Community Bank of Raymore, an account opened on February 1, 1994, with James A. Turner and Beverly J. Bonner as the authorized signatories. Three latent prints lifted from the original alimony checks matched Robinson's known prints.

Robinson attempted to conceal Bonner's disappearance with fraudulent communications to her family. In January 1994, Bonner's brother, Larry Heath, received a handwritten letter purportedly from Bonner that said she was starting a new career with an international corporation in Chicago and that she would be traveling extensively, both domestically and abroad. A few months later, Larry Heath received a typewritten letter purportedly from Bonner, which was unusual because Bonner had always written letters by hand. The letter said Bonner was working for "Jim Redmond" in the human resources department of a large international corporation. Larry Heath continued to receive similar typewritten letters every 3 to 4 months. Occasionally, he would respond, mailing correspondence to Bonner's private mailbox. During the same time period, Louell Heath

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received roughly half a dozen letters, which arrived in envelopes postmarked Australia, France, the Netherlands, and Kansas City, Missouri. The letters were typewritten, often discussed Bonner's travel overseas, and were signed in what Bonner's brothers believed to be her handwriting.

In early 1997 the letters ceased. Bonner's family grew concerned and contacted authorities to report her disappearance. Detective Frank Booth examined nine of the envelopes mailed to Larry Heath. Eight of the envelopes had sufficient amylase to create a full DNA profile, and each profile matched Robinson's known DNA.

5. Sheila Faith and Debbie Faith

Sheila Faith married John Faith, and the couple had a baby girl named Debbie Lynn on October 17, 1978. Debbie was born with a number of birth defects, including cerebral palsy, which limited her ability to walk and control her bladder, forcing her to wear adult diapers later in life. Sheila's husband passed away in 1993, and Sheila moved with Debbie from California to Pueblo, Colorado, to be closer to her friend, Nancy Guerrero. Sheila and Debbie lived on Social Security and struggled financially.

According to Guerrero, Sheila was lonely and responded to personal ads in hopes of meeting a companion. On several occasions, Sheila talked to Guerrero about her interest in BDS&M but did not share details because Guerrero was uncomfortable with the subject. Sheila's sister also believed she was interested in BDS&M.

In spring 1994, Sheila told Guerrero she had met a man named "John" from Missouri. Sheila said "John" was a wealthy executive who promised to take her on a cruise and put Debbie in private school. Sheila told her sister, Cathy Norman, that she had met a man with a good job, that they planned to travel together, and that he planned

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to buy Debbie a new wheelchair and accessible van. Norman said Shelia called him "Jim Turner" either in a letter or during their last telephone conversation.

Sheila told Guerrero that she and Debbie were going to visit John. They planned to be gone for about a month, spending a couple weeks with John in Missouri and then traveling to Texas to visit family. Guerrero expected Sheila to return within a few weeks because they had purchased tickets to the Colorado state fair, and Sheila planned to enter a cross-stitched angel into the fair competition. While Sheila packed, Guerrero noticed she did not take furniture, bedding, or other items one would need for an indefinite stay elsewhere.

Neither Guerrero nor Sheila's sisters saw or spoke to Sheila or Debbie again after they left Colorado to visit Robinson. Additionally, in 1995, Robinson gave one of his paramours, Sandra Shields, a cross-stitched angel as a gift. Guerrero identified the item as the piece Sheila Faith had made to enter into the state fair competition.

After Sheila and Debbie left, Sheila's sisters received letters purportedly written by Sheila. In December 1994, Norman received a typewritten letter purportedly from Sheila in an envelope postmarked Canada. The letter said Sheila had met a wonderful man named Jim. Norman was convinced the letter was a fraud because Sheila always wrote letters by hand and Sheila's signature appeared to be forged. Norman received another letter the following December. Again, she was convinced Sheila did not write it because of the typewritten format and the nature of the signature. Sheila's other sister, Michelle Fox, also received a letter in an envelope postmarked outside the country. Fox immediately suspected it was fraudulent because of the typed format, style, and unusual signatures.

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For years following their disappearance, Robinson stole Sheila's and Debbie's social security benefit payments. In June 1994, just months after setting up a private mailbox under Bonner's name, Robinson, posing as James Turner, set up another private mailbox at the Mail Room—this time under the names Sheila and Debbie Faith. The owner saw Robinson come to the mailbox at least once a month to collect two government checks mailed to Sheila and Debbie Faith.

While the Faiths were living in Colorado, the Social Security Administration (SSA) had mailed Sheila's and Debbie's benefit checks to a Pueblo, Colorado, address. For the first half of 1994, these checks were often deposited into an account held at Colorado National Bank. In June 1994, SSA received notice that Sheila's and Debbie's mailing address had changed to the private mailbox in Olathe. SSA began mailing benefit checks to this new address the following month.

From July 1994 to September 1995, the checks were deposited into Robinson's Hydro-Gro, Inc., business account at Community Bank of Raymore—the same account Robinson used to deposit Bonner's alimony checks. In fall 1995, Community Bank of Raymore notified Robinson, a/k/a James Turner, that Social Security checks could not be deposited into a business account. Thereafter, Robinson deposited the checks into his Specialty Publications' accounts at other financial institutions.

Robinson also employed fraud and deceit to ensure Debbie's disability benefits would continue. In August 1994, SSA received a completed disability review form for Debbie, purportedly signed by Sheila Faith. Attached to the disability form was a medical report confirming Debbie's ongoing physical impairment. The report appeared to be signed by Dr. William Bonner, but he testified that he had never treated Debbie Faith, had not prepared the report, and had never had an office at the address identified in the document.

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On June 7, 2000, law enforcement searched box 215 at The Mail Room and seized envelopes containing the June 2000 SSA benefit checks for Sheila and Debbie Faith. Lyla Thompson, a deputy with the JOCO Lab, developed several latent fingerprints from the other SSA checks that matched Robinson's known prints.

6. Vickie Neufeld

Vickie Neufeld lived in Texas. She lost her job as a geriatric therapist in March 2000, and her financial situation was dire. Neufeld placed personal ads on BDS&M websites and began e-mailing Robinson. Neufeld and Robinson discussed a potential BDS&M relationship, and he sent her a slave contract to review.

On April 23, 2000, Robinson asked Neufeld to visit him in Kansas. Robinson said he was a wealthy businessman with a history of helping other professional women get established in the area. He promised to support her and said they possibly could pursue a relationship.

Robinson arranged for Neufeld to stay at Extended Stay America in Overland Park. She arrived on April 23, 2000. As Robinson had requested, she brought her own sex toys along for the trip. Robinson and Neufeld engaged in sexual activity at various times during her stay. On the morning of April 26, Robinson told Neufeld he was leaving for a business trip in Israel and wanted to discuss a plan for her to move to Kansas. Robinson said his business would pay movers to bring her belongings to Kansas that weekend. Robinson asked Neufeld to leave her sex toys with him, explaining it would give her extra incentive to return. Neufeld left behind her rattan-type canes and a mesh bag full of sex toys, which she valued at $700.

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Neufeld returned to Texas, but the movers never arrived. On May 22, 2000, Neufeld asked Robinson to return her sex toys, but he did not comply. Neufeld filed a police report, and law enforcement found Neufeld's sex toys several days later during the search of Robinson's Olathe storage locker.

The Investigation

On March 25, 2000, the Overland Park Police Department took a missing person's report regarding Trouten and transferred it to the Lenexa Police Department, which had jurisdiction. Lenexa police created a multijurisdictional task force that quickly focused its investigation on Robinson's activities. They employed numerous investigative techniques, including surveillance, trash hits, consent searches, pen registers, wiretaps, and search warrants, leading to Robinson's arrest on June 2, 2000.

On March 29 and 30, 2000, Deputy Daniel Rundle, a forensic chemist with the JOCO Lab, searched Trouten's room at the Guesthouse Suites in Lenexa. Although Rundle found several small bloodstains in the room, he admitted the search produced nothing of evidentiary value.

On March 31, 2000, the Lenexa Police Department began searching trash left at the curbside for collection at Robinson's Olathe residence. On April 4, officers found an invoice for a package Robinson sent to Glines in California—the woman who mailed letters postmarked from San Jose, California, at Robinson's request. On April 25, investigators used a Deffenbaugh trash truck with the company's permission and collected three bags of Robinson's trash. They recovered a telephone bill for service at Robinson's Linn County property, which documented a long-distance call placed from Robinson's trailer on the morning of Trouten's disappearance.

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On May 22, 2000, law enforcement secured a court-ordered wiretap on Robinson's cell phone. Law enforcement later intercepted a call from Robinson to Remington's phone, which was answered by her minor son. During that call, Robinson identified himself as "Jim." Later that afternoon, law enforcement intercepted another telephone call from Robinson, posing as Jim Turner, to Remington. During this call, he said Trouten had stolen his credit cards and withdrawn money from his accounts, and that his private investigator had learned Trouten was in Mexico. He also said Carolyn Trouten had called one of his friends, inquiring about her daughter's whereabouts.

On the morning of June 2, 2000, law enforcement secured a warrant to search Robinson's Olathe residence and his Olathe storage unit. Robinson was arrested that morning just before officers executed the search warrants.

During the search of Robinson's residence, law enforcement officers seized a number of incriminating items, including books on creating false identities; a Home Depot credit card bearing the name "James A. Turner"; IRS Form 1099 statements for Sheila and Debbie Faith; Roadway Inn receipts with "Lisa Stasi" written on them, reflecting payment for lodging in January 1985; an IRS form signed by "Beverly J. Bonner"; documents identifying "James Turner" and "John Robinson" as affiliated with Equity Financial Group and Hydro-Gro, Inc.; papers and handwritten notes with e-mail addresses associated with the victims and their families; and e-mail communications between Trouten and Robinson.

During the search of Robinson's Olathe storage unit, law enforcement officers seized several items relevant to the disappearances of Trouten, Lewicka, and Sheila and Debbie Faith. First, several items were immediately identifiable as Trouten's, including her Social Security card, Michigan driver's license, birth certificate, high school diploma, Sam's Club membership card, American Red Cross certification card, passport

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application, and prescription medication. Law enforcement officers also found numerous personal items that family members identified as Trouten's property, including her jewelry boxes, jewelry, collectible items, nursing textbooks, and a journal with the name "Suzette" inside. A number of items also evidenced Trouten's BDS&M relationship with Robinson, including a slave contract, a sex tape, nude photographs, and e-mails.

Several items were also immediately identifiable as Lewicka's, including her Polish passport, Kansas driver's license, Social Security card, resident alien card, Olathe Public Library card, high school diploma, Indiana vehicle registration, and a document appointing Robinson as her power of attorney. Law enforcement officers also found several personal items that family members later identified as Lewicka's.

Additionally, law enforcement officers seized 1998 IRS Form 1099 statements for Sheila and Debbie Faith, along with photocopies of their SSA benefit checks for September 1997. Finally, police found a slave contract Neufeld had signed, along with her sex toys.

On the morning of June 3, 2000, law enforcement officers secured a warrant from Johnson County District Judge Larry McClain to search Robinson's Linn County property. The search began that morning and continued for roughly 1 full week.

Around 1 p.m. on June 3, Johnson County Sheriff's Detective Herald Hughes learned a cadaver dog alerted on two yellow, metal barrels on the property. The barrels were located out in the open, just to the south of a wooden shed located several yards to the southwest of the trailer on the property. Hughes opened the barrels and confirmed each contained the remains of a human body.

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The barrels were transported to the Shawnee County morgue, where Shawnee County Deputy Coroner Donald Pojman conducted autopsies on June 4. The body removed from the first barrel was that of Trouten. It was mildly decomposed, unclothed, and lying in a fetal position inside the barrel. There was a soft, nylon rope tied around the head with a piece of cloth underneath covering the nose and mouth, which Pojman believed to be a blindfold that had slipped below the eyes. There were two visible injuries: a tear to the skin near the left armpit inflicted postmortem and an oval-shaped defect on the left side of the head, which Pojman believed to be lethal. Pojman concluded the cause of death was a blow to the left side of the head with a hard object. Forensic odontologist Daniel Winter confirmed Trouten's identity with her known dental records.

Pojman then conducted the autopsy of the body in the second barrel, later identified as Lewicka. The body was moderately decomposed, lying in a fetal position, partially covered with a pillow, and clothed with a short-sleeve nightshirt. Inside the barrel, Pojman saw three pieces of gray or silver duct tape. He observed two blunt-force injuries to the skull, either of which could have been lethal. He noted the injuries were similar to Trouten's. Winter confirmed Lewicka's identity with her known dental records.

Back in Linn County, deputies from the JOCO Lab discovered a variety of incriminating trace evidence inside Robinson's trailer. First, Deputy Allen Hamm found a paper towel inside the kitchen sink with a reddish-brown stain that presumptively tested positive for blood. Detective Booth, KCMO Lab, determined the genetic profile from the blood on the paper towel matched Trouten's DNA profile. Booth testified that this genetic profile occurs in only 1 in 6 billion people.

Booth also found eight hair strands on the paper towel. Booth compared them to known samples from Trouten and Robinson and opined that they were common to Trouten and not Robinson. Booth admitted that, unlike DNA testing, comparative hair

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analysis cannot yield a positive identification. However, he explained the methodology is still useful in excluding individuals or including them among a group of people that share similar hair characteristics. Additionally, Booth obtained a root from one of the hair samples and successfully acquired a genetic profile that produced a match to Trouten.

Hamm found reddish-brown stains on wallboard in the kitchen that presumptively tested positive for blood. Booth confirmed that the genetic profile from the wallboard stains matched Trouten's DNA. Booth also found two hairs in the samples, both of which were common to Trouten and not Robinson. Hamm also collected swabs of a stain on a long piece of trim board in the kitchen area of the trailer. Booth found two hairs and two fragments in these swabs that were common to Trouten and not Robinson.

Johnson County Sheriff's Deputy Andrew Guzman found a roll of duct tape inside a green plastic trash container in the south bedroom. The tape appeared to be similar to the strands of duct tape found inside the barrel containing Lewicka's body. Investigators saw a reddish-brown stain on the roll of duct tape, and Booth's subsequent testing confirmed the genetic profile produced a match to Lewicka's DNA. Deputy Thompson lifted one latent print from the roll of duct tape that did not match Robinson's known prints. Thompson compared the print to several crime scene investigators' known prints but found no match. Due to the state of decomposition of Lewicka's body, Thompson was unable to compare the print to Lewicka's. Thompson saw what appeared to be another partial print with some ridge detail on the roll of duct tape, but it was too incomplete to be of value.

In addition to trace evidence, law enforcement officers seized a number of Trouten's belongings from inside Robinson's trailer. In the living room area, Guzman found a box with an "EZ Set" label on it and a box with a "Big Boy" label on it that contained glassware, oil lamps, figurines, and other collectable items. Carolyn Trouten

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confirmed that many of these items belonged to Suzette Trouten. Thompson developed a number of latent prints from items in the EZ Set box that matched Robinson's known prints.

On June 5, 2000, law enforcement officers executed a warrant to search a Raymore, Missouri, storage unit, rented by Robinson. In December 1993, Robinson had rented unit F-10 at Stor-Mor For Less in Raymore. He leased the unit under Beverly Bonner's name, claiming that Bonner was his sister and that he was storing her belongings while she worked in Australia. The leasing agent recalled Robinson saying Bonner worked for an agricultural company with "Hydro" in its name. Robinson leased this unit through the summer of 1996. In January 1994, Robinson leased a second unit, E-2, under Bonner's name and maintained that lease through the date of his arrest.

Law enforcement officers began searching unit E-2, and within 10 minutes, they smelled a foul odor that they associated with a decomposing body.

In the back of the locker, officers saw three barrels. The first was black and sealed with a gray lid. They opened the top and discovered a body inside. The two other barrels were located in front of the black barrel. They were covered with a large plastic sheet, and cat litter had been sprinkled around the outside of the barrels inside the plastic. Some of the litter appeared to have absorbed a dark fluid. The barrels were wrapped together with two additional pieces of plastic sheeting held up with pieces of duct tape. Thompson examined the plastic sheeting and duct tape and developed four latent prints of value. Three of the latent prints matched Robinson's known prints, and one was not identified. The officers did not open the second and third barrels but suspected they too contained human remains.

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All three barrels were transported to the Jackson County Medical Examiner Thomas Young. Young conducted an autopsy on the body inside the first barrel, later identified as Beverly J. Bonner. The body was curled up inside the barrel and fully dressed for cold weather. Young believed the body had been stored for a long period of time because most external features were blurred and the internal organs were hard to distinguish. The body had substantial trauma to the head caused by multiple blows from a blunt object with a rounded surface, consistent with a hammer. Young opined that any number of these blows could have resulted in death. On June 7, 2000, forensic odontologist Ronald Grier confirmed the victim was Bonner.

Next, Young conducted an autopsy on the body contained one of the two barrels wrapped in plastic, later identified as Sheila Faith. The body was an adult female, fully clothed. Young believed the state of decomposition was consistent with the death having occurred 5 to 6 years prior but admitted no precise date of death could be determined. The body had multiple injuries to the head caused by blunt-force trauma consistent with infliction by a hammer. Young opined that any number of these blows could have been fatal. Young also observed a fracture of the right forearm, specifically the right ulna, which he testified to be consistent with a defensive wound. Grier confirmed the victim was Sheila Faith.

Finally, Young conducted the autopsy on the body found inside the third barrel, later identified as Debbie Faith. The body was fully clothed, and the subject was wearing an adult disposable diaper. Young believed the victim was a teenager because x-rays revealed that several growth discs had not closed. Again, Young testified that the state of decomposition was consistent with the death having occurred 5 to 6 years prior but admitted no precise date could be determined. The victim had sustained at least three blows to the head, each of which could have been fatal, inflicted by a blunt object with a

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rounded surface, consistent with a hammer. Using known dental x-rays, Young opined the victim was Debbie Faith.

Lisa Stasi's body has never been found.

On June 9, law enforcement officers searched the Grant Street Duplex with Sandre's consent. They seized a number of items belonging to Lewicka, including two sets of bedding, an antique Polish coffee grinder, a Hungarian espresso machine, and a black journal with handwriting and sketches. Investigators noticed one of the sets of bedding matched the pattern on the pillowcase found inside the barrel containing Lewicka's body. The bedding also matched the pattern depicted in nude photographs of Lewicka found in Robinson's Olathe storage unit.

Hanging on the wall of the duplex was a framed oil painting with the signature "John '92" and the initials "JR" at the top. There were also two pencil drawings displayed in the spare bedroom signed "John 2000" and the initials "JR" underneath. Lewicka's friend Carter, who had cataloged Lewicka's artwork and was familiar with her paintings and drawings, recognized the framed painting as Lewicka's artwork. Lewicka's friend Hayes also identified the pencil drawings as Lewicka's work.

Law enforcement officers seized several books purchased from A. Friendly's, where Lewicka was a frequent patron. The owner, Meyers, specifically recalled selling two of the books to Lewicka.

The Trial

On June 2, 2000, the State filed its Complaint against Robinson, charging him with two counts of aggravated sexual battery and one count of theft. The State amended

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its Complaint on June 13, adding one count of aggravated kidnapping and two counts of capital murder. The State filed its Second Amended Complaint on July 28, adding one charge of premeditated first-degree murder and one charge of aggravated interference with parental custody. On August 31, 2000, the State filed its Third Amended Complaint, supplementing allegations in the existing counts.

At preliminary hearing, the State put on evidence supporting the eight counts in the Third Amended Complaint. District Judge John Anderson III found probable cause lacking and dismissed Count IV, aggravated sexual battery of J.M. Judge Anderson renumbered the remaining seven counts, which were tried to the jury.

Jury selection began on September 16, 2002. Judge Anderson empanelled the jury on October 4, and trial commenced on October 7. At the close of the State's evidence, Judge Anderson granted defendant's motion for directed verdict on Count IV, aggravated sexual battery of Vicki Neufeld. On October 25, 2002, the defense rested. That same day, the State filed a Fourth Amended Complaint charging Robinson only with the counts from the Third Amended Complaint that survived Robinson's motion for directed verdict.

The following six counts were submitted to the jury on October 28, 2002: Count I, aggravated kidnapping of Suzette Trouten; Count II, capital murder of Suzette Trouten; Count III, capital murder of Izabela Lewicka; Count IV, felony theft of Vicki Neufeld's property; Count V, premeditated first-degree murder of Lisa Stasi; and Count VI, aggravated interference with Lisa Stasi's parental custody. On October 29, 2002, the jury returned a unanimous verdict convicting Robinson on all counts.

Outcome: The outcome of this appeal is a testament to Judge Anderson's diligence and commitment to Robinson's fair trial rights. The caution he exercised and the preventative measures he employed were well planned and reasonably calculated to mitigate the risk of extraneous factors influencing the outcome of the guilt phase and penalty phase proceedings. These efforts have facilitated our determination that the sentence of death was not "imposed under the influence of passion, prejudice or any other arbitrary factor"; that the State's lone aggravating circumstance existed; and that Robinson's mitigating circumstances were insufficient to outweigh it. See K.S.A. 21-4627(c)(2). In sum, we affirm Robinson's capital murder conviction charged in Count II. We reverse his capital murder conviction charged in Count III and his first-degree murder conviction charged in Count V as unconstitutionally multiplicitous with the capital murder conviction in Count II. All remaining convictions are affirmed. We affirm Robinson's death sentence under his capital murder conviction in Count II. We vacate only that portion of Robinson's sentence designating certain of his crimes sexually motivated and remand so that the trial court can correct the journal entry.

Plaintiff's Experts:

Defendant's Experts:

Comments: