Press Release: Lifetime once again partners with kidnapping survivor and advocate Elizabeth Smart to executive produce the network’s latest Ripped from the Headlines feature, The Girl Who Escaped: The Kara Robinson Story. Premiering Saturday, February 11 at 8p/7c, the film stars Katie Douglas (Ginny & Georgia), Cara Buono (Stranger Things) and Kristian Bruun (Orphan Black) and depicts the harrowing true story of Kara Robinson who survived a brutal abduction and ultimately brought down a serial killer. Following the movie at 10p/9c, Lifetime will air the two-hour documentary special, Escaping Captivity: The Kara Robinson Story.
The Girl Who Escaped: The Kara Robinson Story
15-year-old Kara Robinson (Douglas) was watering plants in her best friend’s front yard in South Carolina when she was approached by a man who put a gun to her neck and forced her into a plastic storage bin and drove off. He took Kara to his apartment where he held her captive and sexually assaulted her for 18 hours. With her survival instincts kicking in, Kara memorized as many details as possible throughout her ordeal and when her captor finally fell asleep, she escaped the restraints and fled his apartment. Kara was able to lead the police back to the apartment’s exact location and identify her captor as Richard Evonitz (Bruun), a serial killer who was also responsible for the unsolved murders of at least three other young girls. Cara Buono portrays Kara’s mother Debra.
Smart returns to Lifetime after narrating and executive producing the network’s highly rated 2018 film I Am Elizabeth Smart, and hosting the doc specials Elizabeth Smart: Finding Justice and Smart Justice: The Jayme Closs Case which featured Smart leading a roundtable discussion with other well-known victims of abduction including Kara Robinson.
Escaping Captivity: The Kara Robinson Story
In this special executive produced by Elizabeth Smart, Kara Robinson Chamberlain recounts in vivid detail the story of her abduction, restraint and subsequent escape. Now a fierce advocate for survivors and an educator for those who work with them, Kara unveils details about her life as a vivacious teen, the kidnapping, the man who abducted her and how she moved forward after her escape. The special features exclusive interviews with Kara’s parents, who recount the terrifying hours they spent fearing they would never see their daughter again, the high school boyfriend who supported Kara after her horrifying experience and law enforcement who were significantly aided in their search for Evonitz based on detailed information Kara provided after her daring escape.
The Girl Who Escaped: The Kara Robinson Story is executive produced by Joseph Freed and Allison Berkley of Marwar Junction Productions, Howard Braunstein and Elizabeth Smart. The film is produced by Juliette Hagopian. Simone Stock directs from a script written by Haley Harris.
Escaping Captivity: The Kara Robinson Story is produced by Marwar Junction Productions and Entertainment One with Elizabeth Smart, Kara Robinson Chamberlain, Allison Berkley, Joseph Freed, Tara Long, Geno McDermott and Carolyn Blackstone Day serving as executive producers.