TikTok

Kidnap Survivor Who Escaped A Serial Killer Is Now Helping Others Cope With Trauma

Who knew TikTok could be a place to inspire and empower people to deal with their trauma? That’s what Kara Robinson Chamberlain has been using the platform for—and she has a unique voice to add.

Chamberlain was kidnapped by a serial killer when she was 15 years old. Now, she’s helping others process their emotions, giving advice to victims of crime, and generally being a hero.  

Chamberlain was kidnapped by Richard Evonitz on June 24, 2002 while watering flowers on her friend’s front lawn. Evonitz pulled into the driveway and asked if he could hand out some brochures. Then, he put a gun to Chamberlain’s neck and forced her into his vehicle, Chamberlain told Elizabeth Smart in a 2o18 interview with Crime Watch Daily.

Evonitz took Chamberlain back to his apartment, sexually assaulted her repeatedly, and held her captive for 18 hours. Chamberlain managed to escape by getting out of her restraints while Evonitz slept. She ran outside and luckily found someone to help her get to the police department. 

@kararobinsonchamberlainReposting my ##viral video ##survivor ##truecrime ##myvoice ##truecrimetiktoks ##mystory ##inspirational ##coffeechat♬ Put Your Records On – Ritt Momney

Later, Chamberlain discovered that Evonitz had fled from South Carolina to Sarasota, Florida. There, he died by suicide after being surrounded by police. The FBI says that Evonitz was responsible for killing three girls: Sofia Silva, and Kristin and Kati Lisk.

Chamberlain knew that she wanted to give back to the community and help other young people. She began working with the Richland County Sheriff’s Department in victim services while in high school and college. After she graduated, she went to the police academy to become a school resource officer and work in victim services. Currently, Chamberlain is raising her two young sons and finding ways to reach a large platform to share her message of survival and empowerment.

Enter TikTok. 

Chamberlain took to the video-sharing platform to make videos about how to support trauma survivors. She also took time to share her story, give advice, and speak about everything from law enforcement to parenting.

The video that made Chamberlain a viral hit—with nearly 3 million views—tells the story of how she discovered that during police academy, the lesson of the day was going to be about her captor. Explaining that no one in her class knew the connection between Chamberlain and Evonitz, Chamberlain starts the video noting, “This is going to be awkward.”

@kararobinsonchamberlain##pov sitting in class at the academy & my case comes up ##greenscreen ##mystory ##truecrime ##survivor ##reallife ##lawenforcement ##fyp ##viral♬ Bella ciao – HUGEL Remix Extended – El Profesor

Chamberlain now has more than 157,000 followers on TikTok—and she’s using her popularity to educate her followers on everything from how to escape restraints to reclaiming your story to dealing with PTSD. 

@kararobinsonchamberlainReply to @bleugreenredd SSDGM friends.♬ original sound – Kara Chamberlain

@kararobinsonchamberlainReply to @ladivaboricuapr clarifying a previous video ##storytime ##questionandanswer ##survivor ##traumasurvivor ##mystory ##myvoice ##notavictim♬ original sound – Kara Chamberlain

@kararobinsonchamberlainReply to @bmitch1128 ##tiktok ##fyp ##momsoftiktok ##motherhood ##momofboys ##parenting ##storytime ##survivor ##notavictim♬ original sound – Kara Chamberlain

Chamberlain told BuzzfeedNews that she hopes to use her platform to continue to inspire and help others:  “Bad things can happen, but it’s not the end of the world,” she said. “We get to choose when something negative happens, do we let it destroy us or do we let it make us a stronger person?”

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Patricia Grisafi

Patricia Grisafi, PhD, is a freelance writer and educator. Her work has appeared in Salon, Vice, Bitch, Bustle, Broadly, The Establishment, and elsewhere. She is passionate about pit bull rescue, cursed objects, and designer sunglasses.