Richard Evonitz was born on July 29, 1963, at Providence Hospital in Columbia, South Carolina. His parents were Joseph and Tess Evonitz. He had two younger sisters, Kristen, born in July 1968, and Jennifer, born in March 1971.

Richard's family life was troubled. His parents separated twice, once when he was a baby and again when he was 12. They divorced officially in 1985. Richard's father was an alcoholic who often insulted the family, calling them "morons" and "peons." His father once drowned Richard's dog in front of him and even tried to drown Richard when he was six years old. Richard's wives later said he had nightmares about his father.

Jennifer, Richard's sister, described their childhood as living in a "prison." She said their father, Joe, was very controlling and demanded they get straight A's. If they didn't, he called them stupid and punished them harshly. She saw him as a sadistic person who enjoyed making them miserable.

Richard graduated from Irmo High School in 1980. After graduation, he briefly worked as a manager at Jiffy Lube before joining the United States Navy. He served as a sonar technician and earned a Good Conduct Medal before being honorably discharged after eight years.

After leaving the Navy, Richard worked at companies that sold compressors and grinding equipment. He struggled with finances after a divorce, leading to bankruptcy in 1997 and losing a house in 1999 due to a failed business. At the time of his death, Richard was working at an air-compressor company in South Carolina. Women at his workplace avoided him because of his misogynistic attitude and anger issues.

On January 3, 1987, Evonitz engaged in inappropriate behavior with Kelli Ballard in Jacksonville, Florida. He was later arrested after being seen following Kelli and her mother. Evonitz admitted to his actions and received three years' probation. He was also suspected in a 1994 abduction and a 1995 rape in Spotsylvania, Virginia.

On July 6, 1988, Sarah Margaret Cherry, a 12-year-old girl, was kidnapped while babysitting at a home in a rural part of Bowdoin, Maine. Several days later, her body was found hidden in a wooded area. She had been bound with rope, assaulted with birch sticks, stabbed, and then strangled with a scarf. In 1989, Dennis Dechaine was convicted of her murder, but he has filed many appeals, insisting he is innocent. The circumstances around his conviction are still debated.

Richard Evonitz was a sonar technician aboard the USS Koelsch, based in Portland, Maine, from May 8, 1988, to May 31, 1989. Deirdre Enright from the University of Virginia Law School’s Innocence Project has linked Evonitz to Cherry's murder because of the similarities in his methods. He had access to a white Toyota Corolla, which was similar to a car seen near where Sarah's body was found. He often visited the Brunswick Naval Air Station commissary, which was close to Bowdoin. Unfortunately, the DNA evidence from Sarah’s body couldn't be matched to Evonitz, so Dechaine remains in prison.

On March 2, 1996, 25-year-old Alicia Showalter Reynolds left her home in Baltimore, Maryland, to drive to Charlottesville, Virginia. Later that day, her car was found abandoned near Culpeper, Virginia. Witnesses reported seeing her talking to a man with a blue pickup truck on the side of the road. On May 7, 1996, her body was found in a wooded area. She had been murdered.

On September 22, 1996, the burned remains of 20-year-old Anne Carolyn McDaniel were found ten miles from where Alicia's body was discovered. Anne, who had cerebral palsy, was last seen hitchhiking along Route 29. Authorities believe Evonitz may have killed her after they found directions to Alicia's body in his belongings.

On September 9, 1996, Evonitz kidnapped 16-year-old Sofia Marlene Silva from her home in Spotsylvania County, Virginia. She was last seen doing her homework on her front steps. A month later, her decomposed body was found in Birchwood Creek. She was wrapped in a white cover, and her pubic hair was shaved off.

On May 1, 1997, Evonitz kidnapped sisters Kristin Michelle "Kristi" Lisk, 15, and Kathryn Nicole "Kati" Lisk, 12, from their front lawn in Spotsylvania County. They were last seen getting off their school buses. Their father found Kristin's book bag discarded in the yard. Evonitz assaulted and strangled the sisters before dumping their bodies in the South Anna River. Their bodies were found five days later.

In 2002, Richard Evonitz abducted 15-year-old Kara Robinson in South Carolina. Using deception, he lured her into his car, held a gun to her neck, and took her to his apartment where he subjected her to horrifying acts. Despite being tied up, Kara managed to free herself while Evonitz slept, escaped, and bravely informed the police about her abductor.

The police investigation linked Evonitz to other victims through matching evidence, including fibers from the handcuffs found on Kara. Disturbing discoveries in his apartment, such as nude photos of young girls and a collection of girls' underwear, further implicated him in heinous crimes.

On June 27, 2002, after admitting to his sister about his crimes, Evonitz was cornered by the police in Florida. Despite calls for surrender, he chose to end his own life rather than face justice. The case of Richard Evonitz has since been highlighted in the media, including a television film titled The Girl Who Escaped: The Kara Robinson Story, shedding light on the harrowing ordeal endured by Kara.