John Edward Robinson: The Internet's First Serial Killer
- KRIS CALVERT
- 5 days ago
- 5 min read
The Internet's First Serial Killer
In the world of true crime, some names chill you to the bone. Others make you double-check your locks. Then there’s John Edward Robinson—a man who did both. Known as “The Internet’s First Serial Killer,” Robinson was the original predator of the digital age. Long before Tinder or Craigslist, he was lurking in BDSM chatrooms, hunting for vulnerable women under the guise of jobs, love, or power exchange.
He looked like someone’s grandfather. Church-going. Family man. A self-declared entrepreneur. But John Edward Robinson was anything but ordinary.
A Timeline of Deceit, Disappearance & Death
Robinson’s crimes spanned two decades, but it was the internet that turned him from conman to killer. In the late 1990s, he began targeting women in online BDSM forums, promising contracts, cash, and companionship. What these women got instead… was a one-way ticket to a grave.
Known Victims of John Edward Robinson
Lisa Stasi (1985) – A 19-year-old single mother from Kansas City. John promised her housing and job training, then murdered her and sold her baby, Tiffany, to his brother and sister-in-law. Tiffany (now Heather Robinson) didn’t learn her true identity until 2000.
Paula Godfrey (1984) – An 19-year-old who vanished after Robinson promised her a job with a false training program. Her body has never been found.
Catherine Clampitt (1987) – A 27-year-old from Texas who went missing shortly after moving to Kansas for a job offer from Robinson. Her body is also still missing.
Beverly Bonner (1995) – After leaving her husband for Robinson, she disappeared. He continued to cash her alimony checks for years.
Sheila Faith & Debbie Faith (1994) – Sheila and her disabled 15-year-old daughter Debbie moved to Kansas after being promised housing and care. Both were murdered, and their bodies later found in barrels.
Isabella Lewicka (1999) – A Polish immigrant and submissive in a BDSM relationship with Robinson. She believed they were married. Her body was later discovered in a chemical barrel.
Suzan Walden (1999) – A nurse and another submissive involved with Robinson online. Also found in a barrel.
Unknown Female (Possibly more) – While only 5 bodies were recovered, police suspect Robinson may have had additional victims due to patterns, missing person cases, and his use of storage units.
Modems & Murder: The Digital Trap
Robinson posed as “SlaveMaster” in online BDSM forums, using a disturbing combination of charm, control, and cruel manipulation. He created false contracts, stole identities, forged documents, and used tools of the digital age to erase people in the real world. What made him so dangerous wasn't just what he did—but how easily he slipped between roles: businessman, family man, monster.
Justice Served?
John Edward Robinson was arrested on June 2, 2000, in Olathe, Kansas. After the discovery of bodies in storage barrels and extensive digital evidence, he was convicted in both Kansas and Missouri. In Kansas, he received the death penalty. In Missouri, he was sentenced to life without parole.
He remains on death row at El Dorado Correctional Facility in Kansas.
The Legacy of a Digital Killer
Robinson’s case was groundbreaking. It changed how law enforcement approached internet crimes, identity theft, and missing persons cases—particularly involving women in the BDSM community. His manipulation of early digital anonymity is now used in FBI training and psychological profiling.
He was the first. But sadly, not the last.
sources used for this podcast:
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