Secrets Untold
Here's the story of a brave woman named Heather Robinson. Heather grew up with her loving parents, but she had never been told she was adopted.
In fact, it wasn't until her late teenage years that she began to discover her true identity. Who were her natural parents? Why had they put her up for adoption? You'll soon find out...
How It All Began
Heather spent all those years thinking that her adoptive parents were her biological ones, but what was her story? Well, it all began in 1984, when Lisa and Carl Stasi began dating.
The couple got married one year later and in no time, Lisa was pregnant with her first child. Everything was working out for the best, but their relationship was about to take some unexpected turns.
Things Didn't Work Out
Everything went fine during their first months as newlyweds and Lisa finally gave birth to a beautiful baby who they Tiffany. However, as time passed by, their relationship took a downturn.
Carl and Lisa would pick up a fight nearly every day, so it was only a matter of time before they finally agreed to file for divorce. What happened next?
They Parted Ways
While Carl decided to go back to the military, Lisa went with her baby to a women's shelter known as Hope House.
Only a few weeks after moving there, she met a mysterious man called John Osbourne. He quickly took a liking to baby Tiffany, making Lisa believe that she was finally sorting her life out.
The Mystery Man
John and Lisa developed a close bond and Lisa came to think that things were finally working out for her.
John offered to pay her a room in a hotel so that she and her baby had more comfort and privacy. But that's not all; John was willing to go to even greater lengths to help Lisa.
A New Life
John began making lots of promises to Lisa. She offered her a new house, a full-time job, and even a daycare institution for baby Tiffany, promising to cover all costs.
While Lisa trusted him all along, some of her friends began to feel wary. Why was this stranger all of a sudden helping her so much? The way they saw it, there had to be another reason.
Something Strange Was Happening
Apart from her friends, Lisa's sister-in-law also started suspecting of John and it was only a a matter of time before her doctors at Truman Medical Center began feeling wary too.
Everyone began wondering doubting whether there was some sort of sinister plan he was hiding. Nevertheless, Lisa seemed to be blinded by her admiration towards him.
They Didn't Doubt Him
However, John started taking things way too far and his actions began rising even greater suspicion.
One day, he showed up at Truman Medical Center and asked for the phone numbers of young mothers. He said he was a pastor at a church, but the medical staff suspected he could be a baby broker.
A Disguised Criminal
But there's an even creepier detail that we forgot to mention: John was particularly keen on receiving the contact information of mothers of white babies, which happens to be a common interest among those involved in baby trafficking.
Obviously, Lisa had never doubted of his friend's true intentions and little did she imagine that he was involved in a gruesome criminal scheme.
Her Last Day
On January 1985, Lisa went for dinner to her sister-in-law Kathy's flat. She warned Lisa that something was not right and that she should stay away from John.
The following morning, John showed up at Kathy's door and took Lisa and her baby back to the hotel. Sadly, that was the last day Lisa was ever seen.
A Terrifying Phone Call
Later that day, Lisa's mother-in-law, Betty, received a spine-chilling phone call. She knew it was Lisa, but she could barely make out her words between her sobs.
Lisa screamed out that she was helpless and that they had taken away her custody of Tiffany. What on earth had happened during those few hours?
Here They Come Now
After calming down, Lisa explained Betty that John had made her sign a few blank documents, but she never even thought of asking him what she was signing.
Seconds later, Lisa told Betty: "Here they come now..." and immediately hung up. Betty was left in shock and immediately called 911.
Mysterious Letters
But the mystery doesn't end here. A few weeks later, some of Lisa's relatives started receiving letters from her, in which she said she had run away to begin a new life.
However, everyone found it odd that the letters had been typed instead of handwritten. They obviously showed the letters to the police and everyone agreed that Lisa had not been the author.
An Obvious Clue
It was only a matter of days until the police made a creepy discovery. Lisa had always said that her friend's name was John Osborne...
...but when the police looked into the details of the hotel booking, they realized that Lisa's room had been paid by a man by the name of John Robinson.
Another Mysterious Phone Call
But even though all eyes were on John, the police couldn't find any trace of him or of Lisa. However, two months later, the police received a mysterious phone call, and guess what? It was John!
The man claimed that Lisa was alive and that she had found a job as a babysitter, but never revealed where.
John The Convict
Lisa's family and friends were naturally heartbroken, but it wasn't until over a decade later that they finally received some closure.
In 2000, a man named John Robinson was convicted of sexual harassment and theft, and Lisa's sister-in-law realized it was the same man who had showed up at her house that very same day Lisa was last seen!
A Ghastly Discovery
After being put behind bars, the police was allowed to break into his house and search for any suspicious clue.
However, what the police found left the whole world shook: buried in John's backyard were the remains of two women. And what's even worse, there were three more bodies in the building's storage unit. But was their any trace of Lisa?
The Baby's Whereabouts
None of the bodies belonged to Lisa and it was only a matter of time before the police presumed her dead. However, the police eventually managed to trace the whereabouts of her daughter, Tiffany.
Apparently, John had given the baby to his brother, who had been trying to adopt a child for some time. However, John never revealed the truth to Tiffany's new parents. Meanwhile, Tiffany's new family renamed her Heather Robsinson.
Discovering Her Identity
Heather was 15 years old when the truth came out. She was obviously devastated to discover that her family hadn't adopted her in legal terms and that her biological mother's killer was actually her uncle.
But on the other hand, she had finally discovered her true identity and from now on, she had one aim in mind: to avenge her mother.
In Lisa's Honor
Heather decided to honor her late mother by launching an NGO called The Lisa Stasi Effect, whose aim is to offer professional help to those victims of violent crimes or trauma.
She could only imagine what Lisa had gone through, and this was a way of honoring her sacrifice.