Kidnapped by a Killer: The Heather Robinson Story (2025) Movie Script

get away with this. I won't let you.
What the hell are you talking about?
Don't pretend you don't know, Colette.
He told me.
Who's he?
What are you talking about?
I saw what you wrote.
You said I'm an unfit mother?
You're trying to take Tiffany away from
me?
Who was telling you all this is lying?
It's not true.
I, uh... I don't know what's real
anymore.
He said sign these papers. There's four
pieces of paper, so I signed them. I
said don't you sign anything. Do you
hear me? Don't sign anything.
He's coming back. I gotta go.
How come I haven't met Uncle John?
He's been sick for a while. We haven't
been able to visit him since you were a
baby.
Sick with what?
A lot. He's had a heart attack.
He had a stroke.
So if you guys both die, I have to go
live with him?
Father, Tiffany Robinson.
Don't you even say that?
Well, she's right. That's what a
godfather is, any way you slice it.
Why'd you pick him for that?
It was easy.
Without him, we couldn't have adopted
you.
He's the one that found you for us.
Found me where?
You know, we'll tell you all about that
stuff when you're a bit older, okay,
honey?
Watch yourself on that step there. I
fixed it, but it's still a little wonky.
Come on in, everybody.
All right.
Our casa is su casa.
Right, hon?
You know, since the kids are grown, we
couldn't handle that much space. Yeah,
sure. And North Bay has been great.
Good?
Oh, yeah.
Good neighbors.
Quiet.
Real quiet.
Oh.
Well.
You must be Heather then.
Guess who that is?
I had more hair back then.
I was an Eagle Scout.
And you know, they flew us all the way
to London, England to sing
for the Queen.
The actual Queen of England.
Believe it?
You know, Heather, you don't have to be
so shy.
I know you a long time.
And I was there the day you became part
of...
See all these awards?
What do you think?
Do you want all those?
Sure.
Some of them. Back when I was your age.
Oh.
Look there.
That's me.
And that's you.
They'll kill you.
Did
your
dad ever tell you that I helped with
your adoption?
in the kitchen is real.
Lots of kids aren't as lucky as you.
You know that, right?
You're very special.
You're different than everyone else.
I'll have to go and help you.
I promise.
I'll tell you about it someday.
Pinky swear.
John Edward Robinson.
You were supposed to report here on the
17th.
My apologies.
I was away on business.
And by the time I got your letter, I was
already late.
What kind of business are you in?
Consulting. Mostly.
Consulting who? About what?
I'm a little confused, Miss Coy.
My probation is in... Kansas.
I'm not sure why I'm being called to
report in Missouri.
Tell me about Kansas City Outreach.
Sure.
It's a program that was created by
myself and other area
businessmen to provide housing for unwed
mothers, as well as job
training, babysitting.
Okay, so this is a charity that you
started.
Yes.
Felony conviction in 1967 for stealing
from your employer.
Felony arrest in 68 for theft at your
new place of work.
Misdemeanor arrest in 69, theft at the
workplace.
Starting to see a pattern.
That was a long time ago. One more in
69, arrest for embezzlement.
In 1976, convicted of mail fraud.
In 77, you forged the mayor's signature
to publicly award yourself Man of the
Year. For your work with the disabled.
Did you actually do any work with the
disabled?
Is the purpose of this meeting to
embarrass me, Miss Coy?
I didn't break my parole in Kansas.
So I ask you again.
With respect.
Why?
Am I being called here?
I got a call from someone at the
Birdsong Women's Shelter in Overland
She said you approached them in early
December looking for young single
to place in a work program. I asked if
we could be of service. You told her it
was sponsored by the Olathe Credit
Union, where you sat on the board of
directors.
the board of the Kansas City Outreach.
Our bank is the Olathe Credit Union.
Sounds like they should have been
writing this down.
Mr. Robinson, I see repeat offenders
every day.
You're not the only one with a folder
this thick. A con man is always looking
get over on someone else. So I wonder...
What's in it for you?
I don't see the angle here.
There is no angle.
I made some mistakes in my life.
I'm trying to find a way to get back.
And that's what I figured you'd say.
We could have done this by phone.
If there's nothing else... I
have a long ride back home.
If I have to call on you again, I don't
want to ask twice.
Hello, can I help you with something?
Good afternoon, ma 'am.
I'm Lena Coy. I'm with the Missouri
Department of Parole and Probation.
Oh, no. Is someone in trouble?
Oh, no. No trouble. I've been going
around to the women's shelters in the
to ask if anyone has been contacted by a
fellow named John Robinson.
It would have been back in early
January.
Doesn't ring a bell.
The only other person is Gil, I can ask.
He said he was representing a group
called the Kansas City Outreach.
Oh, you mean John Osborne. I spoke with
him. Nice guy.
John Osborne?
Yeah, we connected him with Lisa.
Lisa. Lisa who?
Lisa Stacy.
She was here sometime after the New
Year's. Oh, she had a baby girl named
Tiffany.
Oh, I'm so glad they landed back on
their feet. That baby was as cute as all
out. So Lisa and her baby were placed in
the outreach program?
Well, they were, but she backed out,
found herself a new man, ran off to
family together.
I think she mentioned Colorado.
You spoke to her about this?
No, she wrote us a letter in January.
Said she was doing great, Tiffany was
great, thanking us for our help, you
Do you still have this letter?
I know what I want, and I'm going to go
after it.
While I am truly grateful for Mr.
Osborne's help, I realize that I need to
on and make my own way.
Please don't worry about me.
I'm a big girl, and I know what is best
for Tiffany and me.
I'll write more as soon as I can.
Lots of love, Lisa.
Colette Dennings.
Lisa split from my son right before
Christmas.
Some big fight.
Dean took off for the Army, and Lisa
took Tiffany to stay at a shelter.
We helped out when we could while she
tried to find a job.
And that was when she met John. You know
him as John Osborne?
She said he was going to help her get
her GED, set her up with a place to
I kept saying, do you even know this
guy?
But she had a very trusting nature.
Anyway, he set her up in Overland Park,
a motel.
Harrow. The Harrow Inn.
That night I get a call, and it's Lisa.
And she's freaking out, accusing me of
trying to take Tiffany away from her.
I'm trying to calm her down, and she
says they made her sign on some papers
them, she said.
And then she says something like, he's
coming back, I gotta go.
She was gone.
I called the motel the next morning.
They said Lisa and Tiff had already been
checked out, and that's when I knew.
I knew something bad had happened.
So the police were made aware of John at
that time.
John Osborne.
I gave his name when we filed the
report.
Then we all got the letters.
You got letters?
That's supposedly from her.
Lisa's mom got one out in Alabama.
So did the shelter where she was
staying.
You don't think Lisa wrote this?
Maybe it's her signature.
But it's not her words, that's for sure.
He said they made her sign on four
sheets of paper. You've got one in your
right there. Lisa's mom got another.
In safe house.
Maybe there's one more out there. Did
the police see that?
They saw the one from the shelter.
They wondered why we still thought she
was missing.
I guess it was all they needed to stop
looking.
Yes, hello?
Hi, is this Lynn Jessup, Lisa Stacy's
mother?
Yes, speaking.
Hi, my name is Lena Coy. I'm with the
Missouri Parole and Probation
Is this about my girl?
Have you heard from Lisa?
No, ma 'am, I'm sorry. I'm not part of
the investigation.
But I am looking into a man you might
know as John Osborne.
Oh, yeah, yeah.
Dean's sister told me all about him.
They think he might have something to do
with the letters we got.
God knows Lisa didn't write them.
A mother knows what her daughter sounds
like, Miss Coy.
It's her signature, but it isn't her.
Miss Jessup, could you fax over a copy
of that letter?
I sure can.
Yes, I'd like to speak with Detective
Jenna Cormack, please.
Hey, Jen. Hey. Thanks for coming
halfway.
Oh, it's no hassle.
Gives me a chance to get out the office.
There's the case file on the Robinson
investigation.
So there is an investigation.
The family doesn't seem to think so.
We talked to the family about this.
We're not even sure it's a missing
person at this point.
Well, what about Robinson?
He was our only suspect, but he said he
hadn't heard from her.
Then the letters came in.
You saw the letters?
Of course.
Listened to the Overland Park PD.
Says she's living in Kansas.
Doesn't want anything to do with the
family.
Wasn't much more left to look into.
Hold on.
Who's Paula Godfrey?
That's her name, our missing person.
No, her name is Lisa Stacey. She has a
baby Tiffany. A baby?
What the hell are you talking about?
Who's Lisa Stacey? Who's Paula Godfrey?
Paula Godfrey, 19, reported missing by
her parents August 84.
She answered an ad about a job that
Robinson posted in the paper using his
name.
She left her family to attend a training
class in Texas and was never seen
again.
When she was reported missing, people
started getting letters.
Type letters with her signature.
Listen, we're not the only ones chasing
this guy.
The FBI is trying to pin him on federal
charges.
But all they can get on him is forgery.
You're kidding.
It's like busting Capone for tax
evasion.
Work for Capone?
He did something to those women and that
baby.
Fraud and forgery, just the tip of the
iceberg.
And soon he'll be off the streets.
This is a fine every one time to gather
evidence to back up our claim.
Robinson was arrested on federal charges
a couple months later.
He was sentenced to serve six to 20
years for forgery and fraud.
I spent the rest of that year working
with Overland Park and the FBI trying to
build a case against him for the three
missing females.
In the end, we couldn't find enough
evidence to charge him with anything,
one ever saw the women or that baby girl
ever again.
He was out on bail for a year while he
appealed, and three weeks before he went
to prison, another woman went missing.
Catherine Clampett answered a job ad
posted in the paper, and she was never
again. When her family reported her
missing, they got letters, typed
with handwritten signatures.
Six years later...
John Edward Robinson was released from
jail.
Hey, Lynn. Lena Coy here.
I didn't get you at a bad time?
No, no. I was just thinking it was about
time I got a call from you.
Listen, I wanted you to know... John
Robinson is being released...
I knew they couldn't keep it forever on
the frog stuff.
I did all I could.
I'm really sorry.
You got nothing to be sorry for, Lena.
I'll check back in soon, okay?
It's always nice to hear your voice.
Take care now. Bye.
Bye -bye.
Are you going to keep it up, Heather?
It's not like I held him down. You are
not qualified to give piercings to other
kids. Now, Joel's parents will deal with
him. You better hope it doesn't get
infected. Oh,
you think this is funny?
Huh? Making me come down, take you out
of school, it's funny to you?
Hey, we're not done here.
You can't just lounge around all day and
then tell me there's no time to help
out around here or do your homework or,
God forbid, you actually put the dishes
in the sink.
So,
how
was your day?
It's not fun.
It's not. She's that close to getting
kicked out of school. Come on. She
Joel's... You're absolutely right. That
was the
wrong thing to do. And it's not just
that. Mr.
Sawyer had a laundry list of
infractions, detentions, demerits. I can
of it all.
Okay, okay, okay. I get it. Can we
just... I've had a hell of a day and I
really looking forward to sitting down.
My two favorite ladies enjoying a
delicious meal that my beautiful wife
nice enough to make for us. Okay, all
right, all right, I get it.
To be continued.
Remember, we're going drive -thropping
for your cousin's wedding.
Why are we going to Lenexa for a
wedding?
We barely ever see them.
It's a ten -hour drive, Mac. Come on,
when's the last time we were on a road
trip? Can't we just send a card?
It's one weekend of your life, Buckup
Buttercup.
Wait, see?
If I said that, I would never hear the
end of it. Yeah, because you literally
say that all the time. No, and that's
not fair at all. That was not...
Oh, I'm going to have you mashed
potatoes if you don't eat them fast
stop.
Please, we get it.
Oh,
I like it.
What do you think?
Hard pass.
You said that to all four.
Well, they just keep getting worse.
I look like a doll in this. No, you look
like a regular girl.
Well, I don't want to be a regular girl.
This isn't my style.
You don't have a style, Heather. You
wear hoodies and those massive jeans.
You might as well be wearing a ball
gown.
That's how young people dress.
Well, that sure doesn't make it stylish.
And you're not wearing a hoodie and
jeans to the wedding, okay?
It's supposed to be a fun moment, you
know.
A mom taking her daughter to buy a
dress.
Fun for who?
Please, have a seat.
What brings you down?
We're on a missing persons.
And your name came up in our
investigation of a suspect.
Several times, in fact.
Not as an accomplice, I hope.
What can you tell us about John Edward
Robinson?
I knew this day was coming.
How much time you got?
Her name is Suzette Troughton.
Disappeared on April 5th after she took
a job with Robinson looking after his
sick father.
John Robinson's father died years ago
while he was in prison.
April 12th, 1993.
Yeah, Suzette never let a day go by
without calling her mom, so when the
suddenly stopped, she filed a report.
A few days later, she gets a letter.
Her mom said Suzette never used a
typewriter and couldn't spell to save
life. There's only one spelling mistake
on that letter, and that's her dog's
name.
And what about the dog?
Dogs. Two little Pekingese dogs, Pika
and Harry.
Her mom said she wouldn't cross the
street without them, so we started
Checked all the animal shelters, and we
learned that two Pekingese dogs were
found at a trailer park in Olathe the
day after Troughton's last call.
One of the residents living in this
trailer park is one John Edward
You've got to be kidding me.
Basically just left him on his own
doorstep.
He started again.
I wish I could say I was surprised.
Maybe he never stopped.
He hasn't even changed his M .O. and...
He must think he's untouchable.
So far he's been right.
Obviously you picked him up.
We couldn't push him off his story. That
she had run off at the last minute with
some guy named Jerry and they sailed off
into the sunset together.
Literally, like on a boat. This won't be
the last missing girl. He's not going
to stop until somebody stops him.
We're putting together a joint task
force.
Lenexa and Overland Park PD. Yeah, we're
overseeing it.
The FBI is assigning agents next week.
John Edward Robinson has jumped to the
front of the line.
Seems like you've had this guy pegged
from the start.
I've had this file in my desk for the
last 15 years.
I was there when he went to prison.
I was there when he got out.
I had spent the better part of my career
trying to call him out to whatever
branch of law enforcement would listen.
We're listening now.
Yeah. And the cavalry is on its way.
Sam changed his name.
So for about a year, about a year,
Samantha was known
as Sam, right?
And Sam was known as Batman.
And she's been getting away ever since.
And it looks like she's drunk again.
So Liam,
We have some advice for you.
Two words that you're going to have to
get used to.
Yes, dear.
We would like to propose a toast to the
happy couple.
Can you remember Sammy at this age? I
do.
Got it.
May I have this dance?
It's okay, hon. Go dance with your
uncle.
It's okay.
Why so glum, hon?
Isn't my dancing?
Now, I know we haven't seen each other
much, but we're family, okay?
And I want you to know, you can always
come to me for help or advice. Thanks.
I'm okay.
Now, your mom tells me you're having
trouble at school.
Home, too.
Of course, Jill told you that.
She'll tell anyone who'll listen. Hey,
you shouldn't call her that.
What, should I call her mom?
Mm -hmm.
Isn't that what you call your dad?
Different. Mm -mm.
You shouldn't be.
Heather, sweetheart, they only want the
best for you.
We all do.
Do you remember when you were little and
you visited us and I told you
you were special?
You promised you would tell me about it
when I was older. Mm -hmm.
You remember we pinky swore?
That means something from where I come
from.
Now, I owe you a story.
And I think you're almost there, too.
Excuse me.
Sorry for cutting in. I have been trying
to find my daughter all night on the
dance floor.
May I?
Don't you think that's the lady's
choice?
Oh, there's a smile. Okay.
My work here is done.
She's all yours, brother.
Thank you.
Good chat with your uncle?
Come here, hip. Only I'm suffering
something that's carrying.
How many heart attacks have you had, my
dear?
Didn't slow you down on the dance floor,
did it? No.
Well,
a visit in the books?
Yeah.
Be careful, baby brother.
So good to see you.
It's been too long.
We should do this more often. No.
Before you know it, You'll be having
your own wedding. And I'd better be
to that one.
Deal.
Come here.
Come here, little girl.
Oh,
little Heather.
Am I good?
All right, everyone, take a seat. Let's
get down to it.
For all the Missouri folks with us, I'm
Sergeant Don Tessio. And I'm Detective
Gail Evans.
We'll be overseeing this investigation.
This is John Edward Robinson.
He might not look like much.
But he's been a suspect in four murders
already, and our missing person couldn't
make it five.
One of his suspected victims is a five
-month -old baby girl.
Our objectives here are to locate Susan
Troughton or find enough probable cause
to get a warrant to search his two
properties.
He's heading your way.
Alongside the mobile home in Olathe,
Robinson owns a 16 -acre plot of
out in Lucene.
Phone records have him making a call
home from that location on the night
Suzette went dark.
We want round -the -clock surveillance.
If Suzette Troughton is being kept
there, we want to find out.
If he goes somewhere, we will follow.
If he meets someone, we'll be watching.
If he drops something, we'll be there to
pick it up.
The more days that go by, the less of a
chance there is of finding Ms. Troughton
alive. So that clock is already ticking.
She's not going to slip through our
fingers, okay?
Mr. Robinson has been making people
disappear since the 1980s. But whatever
doing to these girls, it stops here with
us.
That's it.
Let's get to it.
Why are you going through my things?
Where's my birth certificate?
What? My birth certificate. You have to
have it. I just want to see it.
Heather, honey, now is not the time,
okay? I want to see it.
Why? Why right now?
Why won't you show it to me?
Because it has my mom's name. It has my
real mom.
Why don't you ever do this when your dad
is here?
Huh? He's not your real father either.
He just gets a pet.
Yeah, because he treats me like his
daughter, not just a pet he has to push
around because he has nothing better to
do.
Nothing better to do?
You are my responsibility.
Mm -hmm.
I'm not your daughter, and you were
never meant to be a mom.
Do you really want to know?
Yes. Tell me.
Your mother killed herself in a women's
shelter.
That's not true. You're lying.
Your uncle told us.
He said you were going to be a ward at
the state.
You're just saying that to hurt me.
No, honey, I'm not. I didn't even want
to tell you, but you pushed me.
Heather!
She wasn't taking no for an answer.
We agreed that we would both tell her
together when she's 18.
I know, Mike, I know. And then you just
throw it out there in the middle of
stupid arguments?
It wouldn't be stupid.
Oh, my God, I am so sick of you
trivializing her behavior. No, she never
you the way she treats me. Like, I'm an
imposter. She's a child.
Uncle John?
It's Heather.
Heather, how you doing, hon?
I just want to know the truth.
Did my mom really kill herself?
I don't think it's my place to... Did
your dad tell you this?
Jill told me.
Did you know her?
Yeah, only for a short time.
What was she like?
She was sad, but she loved you, and I
know she loved you a whole lot.
What was her name?
Lisa.
Lisa.
Lisa who?
Look, honey, I think I've said all I can
without your parents say so.
You told me that I was special.
And I don't want to wait until I'm
older. I want to know where I came from.
I'll tell you what.
If you want to know the truth, the real
truth, then you're going to have to come
here and visit. Come here to Kansas.
They're never going to let me go.
You don't tell them, okay? You don't
tell anyone.
I'll send you a ticket, then.
You don't tell your mom and dad,
nothing.
And we'll sort it out, okay?
I'm your godfather.
And they'll listen to me.
Yeah, right. They would go crazy.
You let me handle that. You see, it's
easier to beg for forgiveness than to
for permission.
I need to think about it.
It's an open invitation just between the
two of us, all right? But when you're
ready. Or when things get a little rough
over there.
I don't know how things can get any
worse.
Trust me, hon, it could always get
worse.
Believe me.
Look, you just give them a break, okay?
They're doing the best they can, just
like you are.
We'll talk soon.
Okay.
Dear Mom, Sorry it's taken so long to
write. Everything has been so busy.
It feels like my feet haven't touched
the ground in such a long time.
Life has been so much fun with Jerry on
the boat. We visited so many beautiful
places. And Pika and Harry love be...
Pika and Harry love being out on the
water. I was worried they wouldn't be
to handle it, but they love it even more
than I do.
Misspelled the name again.
And they're not on the boat.
They're clearly at the animal shelter.
I'd say this eliminates any possibility
she's writing these letters.
Not unless she's lying to her mother.
Hey, I'm being DH still here. You know
what he'll say.
Not unless she's lying to her mother.
If Robinson told us about this Jerry
guy, and this letter proves the whole
story is bull, then he's the source of
the lie.
It's not enough to arrest him. No.
But it's enough to get search warrants
for his house and to land in La Cine.
Look, I want him locked up as much as
you.
But that is one hell of a gamble.
It'll pay off.
He's hiding something on that farm. We
just need permission to go look. We
got one chance at this.
We tip him off and the searches are a
bust.
He's going to dump any evidence we don't
find. There's a woman's life on the
line here.
Time's running out.
You know it as well as we do.
What's all this for?
Mr. Robinson, we have a warrant from the
district attorney of Johnson County
that serves this residence.
Serves for what?
Just get down here with me, please, sir.
It's okay. It's all right. It's all
right. It's all right. We're just going
do what they say, okay?
And I promise you, we'll all be over
soon. Mr. Robinson.
I'm making a meal out of this.
I don't know what you think you're going
to find here.
You got another team heading to your
place in Lassine.
What are we going to find there?
I'm going to call my lawyer.
Yeah. I figured you'd say that.
Watch him.
Might take a while.
Annabella the Wicker
There's something in this one.
This one, too. I need hands.
Give me a crowbar.
You find something?
Two. Got it.
Jamie, put cuffs on him.
Read him his rights.
Got anything?
Is that what I think it is?
Lena Coy here. Hey, Lena. It's Don
Tessio with Lenexa PD.
Am I catching you at a bad time? No, no,
not at all. How's the case going?
We arrested him this morning.
We found bodies on his land in La Cine.
You're kidding.
How many?
And the other one?
We're not there yet.
I'll know more after the autopsy.
It's already hit the local press. It'll
be national news by tomorrow.
I didn't want you to hear it that way,
so... I appreciate the call.
Thank you, Sergeant.
Yeah, one sec.
Dad. Huh?
It's for you.
Who is it?
Liam.
Sammy's Liam?
Hello?
JR's been arrested? Yeah, right.
He put you up to this?
What'd he say?
I don't know. He's saying check today's
paper?
What?
Ooh, slow down, slow down.
This can't be happening.
I think he might have killed three women
and an infant.
Oh, my God.
He murdered a mother and gave us her
baby.
That's what he did. Oh,
my God. They're going to think we helped
him.
We're going to go to prison.
No, no, no. We need to call the police.
They're going to find out anyway. We
have nothing to hide.
How could he have done this to us?
He made us a part of it.
Oh, my God.
Mike, they're going to take it.
Mike, they're going to take it away from
us. Never let that happen.
Heather.
Is this me?
A farmhouse in La Cine yesterday became
the site of a horrific discovery as two
bodies were found sealed up in 55
-gallon drums on the property belonging
John Robinson.
Robinson was arrested in connection with
the disappearance of 32 -year -old
Suzette Troughton, who has been missing
since April.
Robinson is also a suspect in the
disappearances of three women and a five
-month -old baby in the 1980s.
We well know who the victims are until
the medical examiners have a chance to
examine the bodies.
There's a chance they could be related
to the missing women cases in the 1980s,
but this is a case that is literally
unfolding before our eyes.
Thank you.
Barrel number one is going to be Suzette
Troughton. The tattoos and body
piercings match up.
As for number two, all I can say is
female in her 20s.
Both were killed by multiple blows to
the head with a blunt object.
You found the hammer at the scene.
That or something that size.
That's going to be Isabella Lewicka.
Her passport's Polish, but we've got her
resident alien card, social security,
and Kansas driver's license.
Evans, you're not going to believe this.
She killed herself at a women's shelter.
He had papers for us to sign. Everything
looked official. We thought the papers
were real.
Still, his office got word from a lawyer
representing one of Robinson's
relatives. They said that in January
1985, John helped his brother with a
private adoption.
A baby girl.
Same time Lisa Stacy and her baby went
missing.
Tiffany... Wait.
There's no way.
The girl's name is Heather Tiffany
Robinson.
Chicago FBI picked her up this morning
for DNA comparison with Lisa Stacy's mom
in Alabama.
So, he murdered the mother and gave her
child to his brother.
Did the brother know?
If he didn't, he sure does now.
find you here you used to come here to
think before
you could think
it's
getting late your mom's worried we
should uh go some food out for you how
did you pay him what
You must have paid him something. How
much?
Well...
$5
,000?
He said it was for adoption fees.
$5 ,000.
That's how much my mom's life was worth.
Heather, let's...
I was just some trophy that he could
always check up on and remember what he
did.
You even kept Tiffany in my name.
It might have been the only truthful
thing he ever told us.
When, um... When John and I were kids...
John was...
The favorite. He had the girlfriends and
the cool car.
And I looked up to him.
He always looked out for me.
He always came to my rescue when I was a
kid.
And with the adoption, he came to the
rescue again.
And I thought I could never repay him.
You know, for... Whatever happens,
getting to
be your dad's the best thing that's ever
happened to me.
Your mom, too.
I just... I don't know.
I don't want you to know that.
No.
It's horrible how you got here.
But you're here, and if you don't want
to go,
I won't let them take you.
John Robinson has been charged with two
counts of murder related to the two
bodies recovered on Monday.
The victims have been identified as
Suzette Troughton, missing since April
this year.
and Isabella Lewicka, who was last seen
in August of 1999.
Robinson has also been charged with a
third count of murder related to the
disappearance of Lisa Stacey in 1985.
Her remains have not been located, and
we're working through the evidence and
hope it will lead us to other potential
victims.
Thank you.
This was put together from Robinson
Shredder in his office.
It's an invoice for a storage rental
unit in Olathe under the name Beverly
Bonner.
Beverly Bonner?
That's a new name.
She was a prison librarian at Kansas
State, same time as our guy, until she
in April 1993.
The month Robinson is released.
She immediately divorces her husband and
disappears.
Aside from a few letters the family got,
nobody's heard from her since.
Let me guess.
typed out with her handwritten
signature.
Yeah. The husband sends alimony checks
every month to a P .O. box, so nobody
even thought she was missing.
We're looking into who's cashing those
checks, but we need to see what's inside
this storage locker.
All right.
I'll call the Missouri D .A. and tell
them you're coming.
Thank you, sir.
The good news is they know you didn't
have anything to do with any crime
to the adoption.
What about the actual adoption?
Legally speaking,
There wasn't one.
The adoption documents, her birth
certificate, they're all forgeries.
So what are they going to do?
This might be a conversation for just
the adults.
I'm not going anywhere.
No, she can stay.
Okay.
The FBI thinks the best place for
Heather right now is the place she's
known. But once the DNA confirms it...
Your biological father, Dean Stacey,
would legally assume guardianship.
What does this mean for Heather?
It means Heather is not her legal name,
and you're not her legal guardians.
So she isn't a resident of the state of
Illinois.
It means if you stay with your... with
E's parents...
Your biological family could put an end
to it at any point.
Until your father transfers
guardianship.
You can't be enrolled in school.
You can't get a driver's license or a
passport.
You'll have no valid ID.
Which means you can't open a bank
account or get a job or take part in any
or sports.
You can't get a library card.
How long can this go on?
Until her 18th birthday. Her actual
birthday, which is September
3rd, 2003.
My birthday is September 3rd?
I'm so sorry. I thought you knew.
That means that I'm already 16.
My sweet 16 was two months ago.
Okay, so what do we do now? How do we
proceed?
Hold tight.
Don't talk to anyone without me present.
Heather's a minor, so your names won't
be released to the press, but they will
find out eventually.
Then your life will be a whole lot
easier if you can stay out of the news.
I never met Beverly.
Just her brother a few times.
Last time was a little over a year ago.
It's been a while.
Her brother?
Yeah, he said that...
She was living somewhere overseas.
Australia, I believe it was.
Did you get his name?
John.
John Osborne.
Kitty litter.
Not enough to hide that smell.
Whoa.
I think I got something.
Give me some more right here.
Good afternoon, everyone.
Once again, I have a short statement,
then I'll open it up to questions.
The bodies recovered on Tuesday in
Olathe have been identified.
The first victim is Beverly Bonner, who
was last seen in January 1994.
The second victim is Sheila Faith, and
the third is her 15 -year -old daughter,
Ann Faith, who was last seen in the
summer of 1997.
My God, those poor women.
John Robinson has been charged with
three new counts of first -degree murder
Missouri.
There are now a total of eight victims.
I'll let District Attorney Dent fill you
in on those cases in his jurisdiction.
Here in Kansas, Mr. Robinson has
received the charge of aggravated
with parental custody related to the
kidnapping of Tiffany Stacy.
in January 1985, following the murder of
Lisa Stacey.
The baby, Tiffany Stacey, was adopted by
a Midwestern family in January 1985,
where she remains today.
We are confident that this adoptive
family had no knowledge of any criminal
activity.
But it was obviously not a legal
adoption.
Our job is to bring Mr. Robinson to
account for all these horrific crimes,
that's what we intend to do.
Thank you.
We finally squeezed some more
information out of the DA's office.
And?
So far, neither side of the biological
family has taken action.
That's good, isn't it?
It's only half the battle.
Your father hasn't filed for custody,
but he hasn't released it either.
Bottom line is, someone's going to have
to talk to Dean Stacey.
I can get you his contact info, but...
You'll have a better chance if you come
at this without lawyers.
I'll talk to him.
Honey. It has to happen sometime. It
might as well be now.
Hey, you don't have to do anything until
you're good and ready.
I'll talk to him.
He's not going to listen to you.
He might not listen to me, but I don't
want a new life.
If talking to him is the only way to
keep things as they are, then that's
I'll do.
Hi.
Is it Dean?
Tiffany? Is that you?
Yeah.
Yeah, it's me.
It's real good to hear your voice,
honey.
I spent a long time hoping this day
would come.
When they told me you were alive, boy,
they showed me your pictures.
You got your mama's eyes.
My mom had brown eyes.
I don't know if I'm ready for that yet.
Well, I don't want to rush you if you're
not ready.
There's a guest room here waiting for
you.
So there was something that I wanted to
ask you.
Listen, sweetheart, I know what you're
going to ask me.
And I don't want to take you away from
what you've got going on over there.
But I'm not signing over anything, and
that's that.
Why?
It wasn't them. It was... I'm your
family, Tiffany.
Your real family.
My name is Heather.
Your name is Tiffany.
Tiffany Ellen Stacy, and I know because
I named you.
Okay, well, I have to go.
You let me know if you change your mind.
I'm sure we could set something up to
come visit.
Okay.
Bye.
How are things different from a year
ago?
Like, what's a regular day for you right
now?
I don't have regular days.
I try to stay away from people.
I can't go anywhere without being gawked
at.
I hear them call me Tiffany, which is
weird enough.
But mostly it's the missing baby.
I can't drive.
I'm not allowed to go to school, so I
don't hang out with kids my age or any
age.
In the afternoons, I have a few hours of
homeschool with my tutor.
But instead of math and history, she
just goes on and on about John's trial
coming up.
And then after that, I go back to bed.
Or it's video games until I fall asleep.
And then it starts all over.
Same day, always living in fear that
some relative I've never met will come
take me away.
And that's about it.
Oh, wait.
This weekend, my illegal dad is
testifying in court against a serial
brother who's on trial for murdering my
mom, and I get to watch it on the news.
That's about it.
Wow.
Thank you.
Thank you for sharing that.
You're the fourth shrink I've told it to
this year.
Sounds like you haven't been getting
much out of therapy.
I'm just here to get my parents off my
back.
They find a new person every few months,
so here I am.
Being a therapist is like any job.
Some are a better fit than others.
The session's almost over and you've
barely said anything.
We just met.
I can't help until I know a bit about
who you are, where you're coming from.
Right.
If you figure it out in the next five
minutes, I will come back for session
Every person who walked through that
door, everyone's story is unique,
truly. But yours?
Yours really is a first.
And I can't imagine how that must feel.
Only you have ever known what this is
like.
John Robinson may be evil and dishonest,
but he was right about one thing. You
are special.
I don't want to be special.
I just want to be a regular teenager.
I want a boyfriend and I want to drive a
car, get a job like everyone else my
age.
I just want to be normal.
I don't really know what to do.
Well, you've lasted the whole hour,
which means you're making the effort.
That's a great start.
This is usually where I get a to -do
list or a prescription.
Nothing like that.
But just in case...
This is the last time that we meet.
I'd like to ask you something.
And I don't need an answer.
I'd just like you to think about the
question.
Sure.
If you had the choice between learning
the truth about your life or continuing
on without ever knowing, what would you
choose?
A year after Kansas authorities
discovered two bodies hidden in barrels,
trial for accused serial killer John
Robinson is finally underway.
He is now believed to have killed at
least eight women over two decades.
My wife and I, for the past five years,
have been trying to adopt a baby. And
when John found out that we were looking
into adoptions, he said he knew of a
lawyer that could help us cut through
some of the red tape.
And we jumped at the chance.
And in the early part of 1985, he calls
out of the blue
and said he had a baby.
He said we needed to get down to Kansas
City as quick as we could.
So he met us at the airport.
We all drove back to his house, and
that's when we met Heather.
When Karen first handed her over to us,
that was the happiest
moment of my whole life.
And we wanted to get a picture with her
and her new uncle,
her godfather, the man that found her
and he brought her into our
family.
Is this the photograph you took that
day?
Yeah.
This photo was taken the day after Lisa
Stacey disappeared.
The day after he had murdered her
mother, he's giving you this baby?
We flew out together the next day so we
could start lives together as a family.
That used to be my favorite memory,
but... I don't get to have that anymore.
Do you really think I did okay?
You told the truth.
That's all they can ask for.
How do you feel?
Tired. It felt good, though.
To walk out and leave them there.
Mr. and Mrs. Robinson.
I'm Lynn Jessup.
Lisa Stacy's mom.
Tiffany's grandmother.
Can I speak to you for a minute?
You know, we met your grandmother.
She came up to us after Dad testified.
Lynn.
That's right, yeah. Lynn Jessup.
What was she like?
Really nice.
Kind of shy.
Yeah, she's got a thick southern accent.
She wants to meet you.
If that's something that you'd want to
do.
I don't know if I'm ready for that.
It's just a lot right now.
Well, no one's present.
On the initial count of first -degree
murder, based on the evidence presented
the jury, finds the defendant guilty.
On the second count of first -degree
murder, the jury also finds the
guilty.
It was the longest trial in Kansas
history, but it took the jury less than
to come back with all guilty verdicts
for serial killer John Robinson.
And today, the jury has decided that
Robinson should pay the ultimate price
his crimes.
What kind of things would you like to
know about your mom?
Everything.
Stupid stuff.
Like, what was her favorite color?
What movies did she like?
You know, some of those questions can
still be answered, even if you don't
to see your... Whatever he is.
Do you remember the question I asked you
at our first meeting?
Whether I'd want to know the truth or
not?
My answer is yes.
I would want to know the truth.
As awful as it is, as much damage as
it's caused.
Well, you're kind of at that crossroads
now.
You can step back until you're ready, or
you can go forward and ask the
questions that might have painful
answers.
The choice is yours to make.
Hello?
I'm sorry.
I don't want to come at you with too
much.
It's really good to meet you again.
Nice to meet you too.
Needs a space, though.
I haven't changed much.
She grew up in this house.
She grew up in this room.
Her crib was right there where the bed
is.
And you used to get your diapers changed
right here.
made this for you.
Dean's sister sent it back with whatever
was left of her stuff.
The FBI used that to check to see if you
are who you are.
Made sure they didn't stuff it up.
When you're old enough to read this, I
hope you will still be feeling the love
have for you because it is a love
stronger than life itself.
That's it. There's only one entry.
She never got a chance to fill the
pages.
She made it for you.
So you should keep it.
Next time you come visit, I'll take you
up to see your mama's
headstone. Dateline Cemetery.
She has a son?
She has a plot right next to mine.
When they find her.
I'm really glad I got to see you again.
I never got to be a grandma like I hoped
to be, but however you want it to be.
Bye, Grandma.
We'll talk to you soon.
I can't wait to tell Miss Coy about
this.
She's going to fall over.
Who's Miss Coy?
So what comes next?
I suppose you guys will be assisting
with the Missouri trial?
There isn't going to be a trial.
He's pleading guilty?
I didn't think he had it in him.
Well, I guess that's that then.
I wanted to thank you in person, Lena.
Without your groundwork,
We couldn't have put all this together
the way we did.
I like to think we got him in time to
save the next one.
And the one after that.
You really should have been a detective.
If you ever get another hunch, please
call me directly.
Will do.
Thanks, Don.
Thanks so much, Lena.
Made a deal.
We get to take a photo and you can dress
however you want.
Everyone else my age got a parade. My
diploma came in the mail.
Oh, look on the bright side. You would
have hated that purple gown.
That's not untrue.
Are you set, Mike?
I, uh, I have no idea.
Ta -da.
You got it framed.
Honey, we are so proud of you.
And you should be proud of yourself,
too. You worked really hard for this.
Okay. But Kathy won't be getting any
Teacher of the Year awards because she
me most of the answers. Okay, Heather,
can you just let us have this one happy
moment for the next 30 seconds or so?
That's it.
Okay.
Okay. Yay us!
Exactly! Yay us!
Okay, let's go, Mike.
Okay.
I think I got it.
Countdown.
Everybody get ready.
Here we go.
Dear Heather, I know I'm the last person
you want to hear from right now.
But it's about time you learn the truth.
I've been accused of horrible things.
But I want to tell you, I did not harm
your mother or anyone else.
Your mom's family wanted her to get an
abortion.
And when she didn't, they disowned her.
She was a young, single mom with no
options.
She handed you to me and said, I want
you to take her and give her a good
Before she left, she kissed you and
said, Tiffany, this is
what's best for you.
You need a real family.
I'm doing this because I love you.
Happy birthday to you.
Happy birthday to you.
Happy birthday, dear Heather.
Happy birthday to you.
You know the drill, make a wish.
Hey, speaking of wishes, you're
officially an adult.
No guardians for you to do whatever you
want.
What do you want to do first?
Two things just because I'm an adult
doesn't mean and I looked it up
Adults can still be adopted.
I know it doesn't change anything, but I
Would like to make it official. I want
you to adopt me
We're supposed to be getting you stuff.
And then the second thing is, can I
borrow mom's car for a couple of days?
We can drive you. No, I just, I have
some things that I need to do on my own.
I just say I need to do them.
Um.
Oh, yeah, of course.
Sorry to interrupt.
Are you Lena Coy? Yes.
It's nice to finally meet you.
Please sit.
Hi, Mom.
I know you're not really in there.
But I'm never giving up hope that we're
going to find you.
And I'm never going to stop looking for
you.
I'm not the missing baby anymore.
My name is Heather Tiffany Robinson.
And I'm here.
I'm right here.