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Sneak peek: Closing the Cold Case of Robin Lawrence

October 23, 2025 / 04:04

This episode covers the Robin Lawrence cold case, the violent attack on her, and the breakthrough in identifying a suspect through genetic genealogy.

The case began when Robin's husband, Ali, asked a friend to check on her after he was unable to reach her. The friend discovered a cut window screen and found Robin's daughter, Nicole, in a state of shock. Inside the master bedroom, there were signs of a violent attack, with Robin being stabbed 49 times.

Detectives initially struggled to find a suspect, despite having a strong DNA profile from a key piece of evidence, a bloodied washcloth. Years passed without a match, leading them to explore genetic genealogy as a potential solution.

In August 2023, a volunteer genealogist contacted the detectives with a lead on a suspect, a computer programmer from New York with an unremarkable background. This revelation raised questions about his potential involvement in the case.

The episode highlights the challenges of solving cold cases and the innovative methods used to bring justice to victims like Robin Lawrence.

TLDR

The Robin Lawrence cold case reveals a breakthrough through genetic genealogy after years of investigation into her violent murder.

Episode

4:04
00:00:03
[Music] When you're dealing with a 30-year-old cold case, it seems like there's not a lot of hope.
00:00:17
It's a great photo of Robin. Mhm. But look what happened in the Robin Lawrence case.
00:00:24
Something sparked it. >> That nobody ever expected. It just caught everybody off guard.
00:00:30
[Music] Her husband Ali had been trying to reach Robin all weekend. Ali was out of the country.
00:00:45
Who else was in the house? Nicole. Her baby. Well, Ali contacted me. He said, "Would
00:00:53
you mind going over to the house and checking on her?" I was like, "Yeah, sure."
00:00:57
There's no answer at the front door. So, went around to the back. So, when you go around to the back deck,
00:01:05
what do you notice? That the window screen is cut. That was the first time I thought, "Oh
00:01:12
my god, something is wrong here." I had to climb in through the window, and Nicole comes, you know, down the
00:01:19
hall. Her eyes were just so big, and her little face was just there's no expression on it.
00:01:26
I'm going down the hall, and I can see into the master bedroom, and I can see on the wall these
00:01:35
large splatters and swaths of blood. I was terrified, and I went and I called the police.
00:01:44
[Music] There was a very, very violent attack on Robin. She was stabbed 49 times.
00:01:54
It looks like a personal attack. It looked like Nicole had been kind of roaming around the house.
00:02:01
Clearly, she had been in that room with her mom. It's hard to think about. It's like a horror movie, but it's not a
00:02:12
movie. This is our family. This is our lives. This was Robin's life. I did think that maybe it was someone
00:02:20
she knew. That always kind of sat with my mind, like who did she know that could have done this?
00:02:27
Here's the photo of the washcloth where The key piece of evidence is a washcloth
00:02:33
that they find in the bathroom, and it has blood on both sides. I knew that we had a really strong DNA profile, which
00:02:40
obviously stood out. So, detectives just kept waiting to get that phone call from the lab saying that
00:02:47
we have a match. And unfortunately, that call never came. And then just another year would go by,
00:02:54
and another year would go by. So, you would switch tracks and try what we call genetic genealogy.
00:03:02
And that was becoming really big at that time. That's when we turned to the help of a
00:03:09
volunteer, and she said, "Genealogy is a hobby of mine. I dabble in it on the side. I'd be willing to do
00:03:17
this case for free when I have spare time." I knew it was going to be a needle in
00:03:22
the haystack, but I thought it was worth trying. >> Six, seven, eight, nine, 10 generations
00:03:28
away from even these people. And I think it's August of 2023. She sends me an email. She says, "I think I found
00:03:35
someone of interest." What happens as you start looking into him? Well, we find out computer
00:03:41
programmer up in New York, married to a defense attorney, two kids in high school, nice house in the suburbs, not
00:03:49
so much as a speeding ticket on his background. I am a serial killer who's only killed
00:03:55
once. [Music]

Badges

This episode stands out for the following:

  • 80
    Most heartbreaking
  • 80
    Biggest twist
  • 75
    Most shocking
  • 75
    Most surprising

Episode Highlights

  • The Violent Attack on Robin
    Robin was brutally stabbed 49 times in a personal attack that shocked her family.
    “There was a very, very violent attack on Robin.”
    @ 01m 49s
    October 23, 2025
  • The Key Evidence
    A bloodied washcloth becomes a crucial piece of evidence in the investigation.
    “The key piece of evidence is a washcloth that they find in the bathroom.”
    @ 02m 30s
    October 23, 2025
  • A Breakthrough in the Case
    After years of waiting, a volunteer genealogist finds a potential suspect in the case.
    “I think I found someone of interest.”
    @ 03m 35s
    October 23, 2025

Episode Quotes

  • It seems like there's not a lot of hope.
    Sneak peek: Closing the Cold Case of Robin Lawrence
  • This is our family. This is our lives.
    Sneak peek: Closing the Cold Case of Robin Lawrence
  • I am a serial killer who's only killed once.
    Sneak peek: Closing the Cold Case of Robin Lawrence

Key Moments

  • Cold Case00:09
  • Unexpected Evidence00:25
  • Family Horror02:12
  • Genealogy Breakthrough03:09
  • Suspect Revealed03:44

Words per Minute Over Time

Vibes Breakdown