13 YO Discovers Sister's Disturbing Secret | The Case of Lisa Knoefel

Summary

In 2014, Sabrina, a troubled foster child, was accused of murdering her foster mother, Lisa Knoefel. The case took a shocking turn when it was revealed that Sabrina's foster father, Kevin Knoefel, had manipulated her into committing the crime. Kevin, a sexual predator, had groomed Sabrina and convinced her that killing Lisa was their only chance for a life together. After a tense trial, both Sabrina and Kevin were sentenced to life in prison, leaving behind a shattered family and a haunting story of betrayal and tragedy.

Takeaways

• 👶 Sabrina was born into a troubled family and entered the foster care system, eventually being adopted by Lisa Knoefel, a social worker specializing in sexual abuse.
• 🏠 Lisa Knoefel provided Sabrina with a loving home, but the environment became tense as Lisa's husband, Kevin, began spending more time alone with Sabrina, leading to suspicions of inappropriate behavior.
• 🗡️ Sabrina was arrested for the murder of Lisa Knoefel, her foster mother, on August 6, 2014, found with a bloody knife in her hand.
• 🚔 Megan Zanella, Sabrina's foster sister, witnessed the murder and tried to intervene, but was overwhelmed due to her young age.
• 🚨 The police's initial suspect was Kevin Knoefel, but the investigation revealed a complex situation involving manipulation and abuse.
• 🕊️ Lisa Knoefel was a dedicated social worker who aimed to provide stability and a sense of normalcy for Sabrina, but her intentions were undermined by her husband's actions.
• 🤔 Sabrina initially claimed to have no memory of the murder, suggesting she took too many ibuprofen and blacked out, raising questions about the truth of her story.
• 💰 Kevin Knoefel was revealed to have financial motives, having cashed in over $785,000 from life insurance after Lisa's death and spending it extravagantly.
• 🔍 Detective Parmertor and Prosecutor Karen Kowall uncovered a manipulative relationship between Kevin and Sabrina, with Kevin grooming and exploiting Sabrina to commit the murder.
• 📖 Sabrina's high school friend, Autumn Pavlik, provided crucial testimony that Kevin had discussed his plan with her, further implicating him in the crime.
• 🏢 Both Sabrina and Kevin were sentenced to life in prison without parole until 2042, with Sabrina expressing remorse and seeking forgiveness from her former foster sisters.

Q & A

What significant event occurred on October 27, 1994, in the life of Sabrina?

Sabrina was born on the outskirts of Cleveland, Ohio, on October 27, 1994.

How did Sabrina's life change when Lisa Knoefel became her foster mother?

Lisa Knoefel, a social worker specializing in sexual abuse, provided Sabrina with a stable home, two loving parents, two sisters, and a bright future.

What was the shocking event that led to Sabrina's arrest?

Sabrina was arrested for the murder of her foster mother, Lisa Knoefel, on August 6, 2014, after being found with a bloody knife in her hand.

Who was the key witness present at the scene of the murder?

Megan Zanella, Sabrina's foster sister and the daughter of Lisa Knoefel, was present at the scene and called 911.

What was the initial suspicion regarding the murder of Lisa Knoefel?

Initially, the police suspected Sabrina and Kevin Knoefel, the victim's husband and Sabrina's foster father, as the only leads in the murder case.

What was the turning point that led to Kevin Knoefel becoming a suspect in his wife's murder?

Kevin Knoefel became a suspect due to his odd behavior after the murder, his refusal to be interviewed without an attorney, and the large insurance payout he received after Lisa's death.

What was the role of Autumn Pavlik in the investigation?

Autumn Pavlik, Sabrina's high school friend, was wired by the police to confront Kevin about the murder. Kevin's lack of denial or reaction to her accusations provided crucial evidence.

What was the strategy used by Kevin Knoefel to manipulate Sabrina into committing the murder?

Kevin Knoefel used attention, gifts, and secrets to make Sabrina feel special and dependent on him. He manipulated her into believing that killing Lisa was her only option for them to be together.

What were the charges against Kevin Knoefel after his arrest?

Kevin Knoefel was charged with plotting to kill Lisa with the help of his foster child, Sabrina, and was also accused of sexual battery for having a sexual relationship with her.

What was the outcome of Sabrina's proffer interview with the case prosecutor, Karen Kowall?

During the proffer interview, Sabrina revealed that she was trying to protect someone and provided a consistent account of the events, implicating Kevin Knoefel in the murder plot and his sexual abuse of her.

What has become of Sabrina and Kevin after their trial?

Both Sabrina and Kevin were sentenced to life in prison without parole until 2042. They have both expressed remorse and sought forgiveness from their victims.

How has Megan Zanella coped with the aftermath of the murder and her role as a witness?

Megan Zanella has grown into a strong and independent woman, studying criminal law in college with the aim of helping other survivors of violent crimes and seeking justice for them.

Outlines

00:00

👶 A Tragic Beginning

The script begins with the birth of Sabrina, a girl born into a troubled family in Cleveland, Ohio. She eventually finds a semblance of a family with foster parents Lisa and Kevin Knoefel and two foster sisters, Megan and Hailey. However, Sabrina's life takes a tragic turn when she is accused of murdering her foster mother, Lisa, on August 6, 2014. The narrative introduces Megan, Sabrina's foster sister, who provides her first-hand account of the events leading up to the murder and the aftermath, including her struggle with the police and her own feelings of betrayal and confusion.

05:00

📖 Sabrina's Foster Life and the Unraveling

This paragraph delves into Sabrina's life as a foster child and her integration into the Knoefel family. It highlights Lisa Knoefel's empathy and decision to foster Sabrina, who was in desperate need of stability. The summary also uncovers the dark side of Sabrina's foster father, Kevin Knoefel, who is revealed to be sexually abusive towards Sabrina. The tension in the family escalates as Lisa becomes suspicious and starts to take measures to protect Sabrina, leading to an increasingly strained household environment. The paragraph culminates in the night of the murder, where Megan's attempt to defend her mother ends in tragedy.

10:04

🕵️‍♂️ The Investigation and Sabrina's Arrest

The narrative shifts to the investigation of the murder, focusing on the detective's suspicion of Sabrina's claims and the peculiar behavior of Kevin Knoefel. Despite Sabrina's initial denial and alleged memory loss, the detective's intuition leads to further questioning and the eventual summoning of Kevin for an interview. The paragraph also details Kevin's immediate request for legal representation and the subsequent revelation of his suspicious actions post-murder, including his quick cashing in of life insurance and the destruction of evidence related to the crime.

15:05

🔍 Uncovering the Truth Behind the Murder

This section of the script uncovers the manipulative relationship between Kevin and Sabrina, painting Kevin as a groomer who exploited Sabrina's vulnerabilities for his own sexual gratification. It details how Kevin manipulated Sabrina into believing that killing Lisa was their only option for a future together. The summary also highlights the detective's use of a proffer interview with Sabrina, leading to the discovery of Kevin's grooming and manipulation, as well as Sabrina's eventual confession of her actions and motivations.

20:07

🏛 The Trial and Aftermath

The final paragraph outlines the trial of Kevin Knoefel, who is indicted for plotting Lisa's murder and sexually abusing Sabrina. It includes testimonies from various witnesses that corroborate Kevin's suspicious behavior and his inappropriate relationship with Sabrina. The verdict is delivered, and both Kevin and Sabrina are sentenced to life in prison. The script concludes with Megan's ongoing struggle with the trauma of the murder and her pursuit of justice, as well as Sabrina's apologies and Megan's determination to help others avoid similar fates.

Keywords

💡Foster care system

The foster care system is a network of services that provides temporary care for children who cannot live with their biological families. In the video's narrative, Sabrina becomes part of this system due to her parents' abusive behavior, highlighting the system's role in offering a safe environment for vulnerable children. The script mentions how Sabrina was 'a child of the foster care system' before being taken in by Lisa Knoefel.

💡Sexual abuse

Sexual abuse refers to any unwanted sexual act or behavior, often involving children, and is a severe form of exploitation. In the video, Lisa Knoefel is portrayed as a social worker specializing in sexual abuse cases. The concept is central to the story as it foreshadows the manipulative and abusive relationship that develops between Kevin and Sabrina.

💡Murder trial

A murder trial is a legal process where an individual is tried for the crime of murder. The script revolves around Sabrina's trial for the murder of her foster mother, Lisa. The trial is a pivotal element in the video, illustrating the judicial response to violent crime and the pursuit of justice.

💡Custody

Custody refers to the legal guardianship and care of a child. In the script, Sabrina is taken into custody after being arrested for murder, demonstrating the legal measures taken when a minor is accused of a serious crime.

💡Grooming

Grooming is the process where an individual builds trust with a minor for the purpose of exploiting them, often sexually. The video describes how Kevin Knoefel groomed Sabrina, using attention and gifts to make her feel special and dependent on him, which is a critical aspect of the tragic events that unfold.

💡Trauma

Trauma is a deeply distressing or disturbing experience that can have long-lasting emotional effects. Megan, Sabrina's foster sister, experiences trauma when she witnesses the murder and tries to intervene. The script emphasizes the lasting impact of such an event, with Megan stating she 'has flashbacks all the time'.

💡Prosecution

Prosecution refers to the legal process of charging and accusing someone of a crime. In the video, Karen Kowall is the case prosecutor who seeks to uncover the truth behind the murder and ultimately brings charges against both Sabrina and Kevin. The term is integral to the narrative as it represents the legal action taken to address the crime.

💡Confession

A confession is a statement in which a person admits to committing a crime. Sabrina's confession during the proffer interview is a turning point in the story, as it reveals her involvement and Kevin's manipulation, providing a deeper understanding of the events leading to the murder.

💡Betrayal

Betrayal is the act of breaking someone's trust or faith, often in a way that causes emotional pain. The video script discusses multiple layers of betrayal, including Kevin's betrayal of Lisa through his actions with Sabrina, and Sabrina's betrayal of her foster family by participating in the murder plot.

💡Civil suits

Civil suits are legal actions taken to seek compensation for wrongful acts, distinct from criminal proceedings. In the script, Megan and Hailey file civil suits against Sabrina and Kevin, which result in an award of over $6 million in damages, illustrating the pursuit of financial reparation for the harm caused.

💡Redemption

Redemption is the act of making up for past mistakes or seeking to regain a positive reputation. Megan's journey in the video is one of seeking redemption, not for herself, but for her mother's legacy. She turns her experience into a purpose by studying criminal law, aiming to help others and continue her mother's mission of making a difference.

Highlights

Sabrina was born into a troubled family and became part of the foster care system.

Lisa Knoefel, a social worker specializing in sexual abuse, took Sabrina into foster care.

Sabrina was arrested for the murder of her foster mother, Lisa Knoefel, in 2014.

Megan Zanella, Sabrina's foster sister, was present at the scene of the murder.

Sabrina was found covered in blood with a knife in her hand by the police.

Lisa Knoefel had been considering divorcing her husband, Kevin, due to suspicions of his inappropriate behavior with Sabrina.

Kevin Knoefel was the only other lead in Lisa's murder, but initially dismissed as a suspect.

Sabrina claimed to have no memory of the murder, attributing it to a blackout caused by an overdose of ibuprofen.

Kevin Knoefel was revealed to be a sexual predator who manipulated Sabrina into believing killing Lisa was their only option.

Sabrina's high school friend, Autumn Pavlik, knew about Kevin's plot and was used to gather evidence against him.

Kevin Knoefel was arrested and indicted for plotting Lisa's murder and sexual battery against Sabrina.

Sabrina pled guilty to all charges and was sentenced to life in prison without parole until 2042.

Megan Zanella filed a civil suit against Sabrina and Kevin, resulting in an award of over $6 million in damages.

Megan has turned her experience into a purpose by studying criminal law to help other victims of violent crimes.

Sabrina has expressed remorse and sought forgiveness from her former foster sisters in interviews since her incarceration.

The case highlights the devastating effects of manipulation and abuse within a family setting.

The story underscores the importance of recognizing and addressing signs of grooming and manipulation in foster care situations.

Megan's journey demonstrates resilience and the pursuit of justice in the face of personal tragedy.

Transcripts

- In 1994, on the 27th of October,

four days before Halloween,

a little girl named Sabrina

was born on the outskirts of Cleveland, Ohio.

Fated with alcoholic and abusive parents,

she became a child of the foster care system

until Lisa Knoefel,

a social worker specializing in sexual abuse,

took her under her wing.

From then on, Sabrina had it all:

Two loving parents, two sisters,

and a bright future ahead of her.

Or so she thought...

Since on August 6th, 2014,

Sabrina was put on trial for the murder of Lisa,

her own foster mother.

- Two years before this was recorded,

Sabrina was arrested inside her foster parents' home

with a bloody knife in her hand.

- Lisa Knoefel was stabbed to death.

Her 18-year-old foster daughter is in custody tonight.

- I can't see the Sabrina that I know

being violent towards anyone,

let alone what she did.

- She would never have done this by herself.

- At the time, the police's only other lead

was Kevin Knoefel, the victim's husband

and Sabrina's foster father.

- But someone else knew what really happened.

On the night of the murder,

Megan Zanella, Sabrina's foster sister,

was also present at the scene.

My name is Megan Zanella,

and I am the daughter of Lisa Knoefel.

This is my first interview

and I have been waiting for this

since my mom passed away.

- After calling 911, Megan waited six agonizing minutes

before the police arrived.

She tried to fight off Sabrina, but at only 13,

she was easily overwhelmed.

Eventually, she heard the sirens wailing in the distance.

- I rush outside to meet them

and they point a gun at me

'cause they thought I was Sabrina.

- She's waving her hands.

“You need to hurry, hurry, hurry.”

Worst case scenario was going through my head.

What am I gonna see?

How bad is this gonna be?

- After clearing up the confusion,

the officers entered the residence.

They called out to Sabrina and Lisa,

but were met with only eerie silence.

Eventually, after entering the first room past the stairs,

the officers came face to face with Sabrina,

covered in blood, knife in hand.

- It was a very tense couple seconds.

I could see blood on the blade,

I could see blood on her.

Immediately we started screaming to drop the knife.

- Sabrina looked straight at the officer

for a couple of seconds, as if she was in a trance

before throwing away the knife

and putting her hands up.

While his partner cuffed her,

Randy Mullenax approached Lisa's bed.

- I could barely even see.

It looked like she literally showered in blood.

I knew there was nothing I can do.

- After his partner dragged Sabrina outside,

the officer began clearing the room

when he suddenly heard something unusual.

- I could hear a child crying from my left.

We opened up the door to clear the closet,

and that's when I found

a very, very small child screaming.

- This was Hailey Knoefel, Megan's little sister

who crawled into the closet

in fear once the attack began.

Later, at the station,

Sabrina tried to act as if

she didn't remember anything,

but couldn't hold it in

when the detectives brought up Hailey and Megan.

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- Megan's mother, Lisa Knoefel,

first met Sabrina through her job as a social worker.

During their conversation,

Lisa felt a deep sense of empathy for the teenager.

At 16 years old, Sabrina never had a stable home

or foster parents

and longed for some sense of normalcy.

Believing she and her husband Kevin

could provide Sabrina with the support she needed,

Lisa made a major decision.

- This wasn't her first time taking in a foster kid,

so I do remember

when we actually went to go pick up Sabrina.

She was really nice and I thought

she could be a big sister figure for me.

- She worked a lot in counseling,

how to cope and how to manage

with everything she was going through.

She was going to class, getting good grades.

I think Sabrina really was thriving in their home.

- For over a year,

Sabrina mingled well with the Knoefels,

especially with her sisters, Megan and Hailey,

even with Kevin, Megan's stepfather and Lisa's husband.

But eventually, Kevin began spending

more and more time alone with Sabrina,

neglecting the rest of his family.

Lisa tried to address this through text messages,

but Kevin dismissed her concerns,

insisting she was overreacting.

- I started to notice that something wasn't right

between Sabrina and Kevin.

- Lisa being in the field

of working for the job and family services

in the sex division,

I think she had a pretty good inkling

on what was going on.

- Sabrina had never experienced a stable family,

a loving household, the sense of security,

the sense of belonging.

Kevin seemed to know

how to prey on Sabrina's vulnerabilities.

- Kevin Knoefel is a sexual predator.

He was no better

than the people that sexually abused the kids

that Lisa was trying to help.

- With no way to prove her suspicions,

Lisa began talking about divorcing Kevin

and putting Sabrina back into foster care.

But her husband insisted they wait

for Sabrina to finish high school before letting her go.

In the meantime, Lisa became more strict

towards her foster daughter, ensuring she stayed home

to prevent Kevin from approaching her,

but her safeguarding quickly escalated.

For unknown reasons,

Lisa isolated Sabrina from her sisters too,

creating a very tense environment inside the house.

- There was some tensions between Lisa and Sabrina

and then Sabrina and the minor child too, Megan.

- It was all downhill from there.

And I never knew that it could lead to this.

As he was leaving for work,

she gave him a hug

and she whispered something to him,

and I just didn't think that was right.

- From the corner of her eye,

Megan noticed that Sabrina received

an unusually high number of text messages over dinner

and the rest of the evening.

Even past bedtime,

she could still hear her foster sister's phone

buzzing from the next room.

Suddenly, at 1:00 AM, the sound stopped

before a high-pitched shout pierced the silence.

- I was hearing screaming

and I was like, "What the hell is going on downstairs?"

So I walked down there

and Brie's stabbing my mother to death.

I said, "Get off of her!"

I was actually on her at one point and she shoved me

so I immediately go into the office area and call 911.

- At only 13, she was trying to explain the situation

to the operator while fighting off Sabrina

in an attempt to defend her mother.

- And this keeps going on for over six minutes,

Megan's worst nightmare coming true.

- I have trouble sleeping every night.

I have flashbacks all the time, and that will never stop.

- Following Sabrina's arrest,

she had to be taken to a hospital

to treat the numerous stab wounds

Lisa and Megan caused to her hands during the attack.

After she was stabilized,

police took her back to the station

and immediately began her interview.

- Our main goal when we first interviewed Sabrina

was to get Sabrina to tell us exactly what happened.

We caught her coming out of the room,

so we knew she did it,

but we wanted to know why.

- For over an hour, Sabrina claimed

she had no recollection of the events

and was unaware of Lisa's passing.

Her story was that she took too many ibuprofen,

blacked out, and woke up in the hospital.

But Parmertor, a veteran detective,

knew the teenager was hiding something.

- First thing she does is she has an itch on her forehead

for no apparent reason.

When people touch their face or start scratching

or start tapping their toes, it's a good indication to us

that the person's probably lying, they're nervous.

- The detective couldn't gather anything from her

except that she was deceptive.

Several people at the station proclaimed

he shouldn't open an investigation

since they caught Sabrina red-handed,

but Parmertor couldn't shake off the fact

that it was unusual for a suspect to deny everything

whilst being caught in the act.

So he asked Kevin to come to the station

for an interview.

To his surprise,

Kevin requested that his attorney be present

and Michael Connick, said attorney,

refused on his behalf.

To convince them to show up,

Parmertor gave them a false pretense.

They would only talk about Lisa's work.

- The police couldn't help but find this strange.

Why wouldn't Kevin help them?

Why was Michael so defensive with his client?

But what really caught Parmertor off guard

was Kevin and Michael's reaction

when he brought Sabrina into the conversation.

Before then, the detective knew nothing

of Kevin and Sabrina's strange relationship.

- In the aftermath,

Kevin kept looking over Megan for a few days

before her own father could move her out of the house.

During that short period of time,

the 13-year-old witnessed many things

that forced her to reconsider

her stepfather's involvement

in the events of November 16th.

- All I know is that the next day,

he was getting rid of my mom's stuff.

She was just murdered.

She didn't die from cancer.

It wasn't long coming or anything. She was murdered.

- On that very same day,

mere hours after his wife's murder,

Kevin was on the phone with his insurance company.

Turns out he previously had

terminated his own coverage

along with those of his two children

and transferred them to Lisa,

giving her quadruple protection

six months before her death.

When he hung up, he had cashed in over $785,000.

- He did, taking it out the morning of.

I was shocked.

It was a lot of money, and he blew through all of it.

- He was buying cars, he was buying a camper.

He was remodeling his house

all with Lisa's insurance money.

- During the rest of the week,

Kevin tried to visit Sabrina in jail every single day,

but was denied each time.

Megan couldn't help but wonder

why Kevin would do such a thing,

but his strange behavior had only just begun.

The next day,

he brought an ax into her mother's bedroom.

- The bed my mom was stabbed to death on,

he was chopping it up, like cutting it up.

I thought that was very odd.

- Even after Megan reunited with her biological father,

her suspicions kept rising.

Every time she saw Kevin,

she noticed something strange about his behavior.

At her mother's funeral,

he asked the attendees to pray for Sabrina,

the person allegedly responsible for the murder

of whom they came to mourn.

By merely glancing at her stepfather on that day,

Megan knew she was onto something.

- I was looking over at Kevin.

He had no emotion.

It's like my mom was never there.

Your wife was murdered

and you haven't even cried once?

That's weird and sketchy and that's when I knew...

He did this.

- After six months, the case went cold.

Both Megan and Parmertor knew Sabrina did it,

but didn't know why

and couldn't shake off how odd Kevin had been acting

since the murder of his wife.

That was until Sabrina, still in custody,

agreed to talk to Karen Kowall, her case prosecutor,

through a process called a proffer.

- So a proffer is a good faith first step.

When the defense attorney,

the prosecution meet with the suspect,

it's an opportunity for them

to be 100% completely honest

and tell exactly what happened.

- As Parmertor and Kowall investigated,

it became clear that Sabrina

was probably trying to protect somebody

when she claimed to have blacked out

during the attack.

Even from inside her cell,

Sabrina appeared to be overwhelmed

with regret for what she did and her concern

for the rest of her foster family never lessened.

For these reasons, Kowall went straight to the point

during the proffer interview.

- From what they've gathered,

Kevin appeared to be a groomer,

a sexual predator who builds a relationship

with an underage person to gain their trust

and prepare them for sexual abuse.

Kevin often used attention, gifts, and secrets

to make the 17-year-old feel special

and dependent on him.

He promised her that he would help her

get into a massotherapy school

and that she should train on him.

From there, it didn't take long for him

to get what he really wanted from the teenager,

and he would continue to exploit her

every time they were alone together.

- Sabrina had an appendix surgery, her appendix burst,

and I visited her in the hospital.

That day while I was there, shortly after,

Kevin had sexual relations with her

in a hospital bed after she just had appendix surgery.

That makes me sick to my stomach.

- Kevin extended his control over Sabrina

during the following year.

After every sexual encounter the two would have,

he would talk about Lisa,

twisting the narrative to make Sabrina believe

that the only way for them to be together

was to get rid of his wife permanently.

Slowly but surely, he manipulated Sabrina

into believing that killing Lisa was her only option.

- But things didn't go as planned.

Lisa woke up while Sabrina

stood frozen in front of her bed.

Realizing she'd reached a point of no return,

the teenager attacked her foster mother

and fell into a blind rage

when Lisa and Megan tried to fight back.

- Kowall and Parmertor were hesitant at first

since Sabrina could have easily invented everything.

Yet, instead of demonstrating the usual behaviors

associated with lying,

Sabrina was now much more confident,

assertive, and consistent in her account of the events.

To back her claims,

she even mentioned that someone else

knew about the plot,

her high school friend, Autumn Pavlik.

- Myself and a chief assistant prosecutor

knocked on her door.

We introduced ourselves and she says,

"I've been expecting you guys."

- Since Kevin had already talked

to Autumn about his plan,

the police thought he might do so again

if she confronted him.

So they wired up the 17-year-old

and sent her to meet Kevin.

When she accused him of killing his wife

and if having conspired

with his foster daughter to do so,

Kevin didn't deny her claims.

He didn't even react at all.

- If somebody's accusing you

of being involved in something

you know you're not involved,

you would say something like,

"What are you talking about?

I have no idea what you're talking about."

- Armed with Sabrina and Autumn's testimonies,

Parmertor didn't waste any more time.

- I got an arrest warrant.

We went to Kevin Knoefel's house and we arrested him.

I don't think he was surprised.

It was kind of weird

because he was sleeping up in Sabrina's room.

- After his arrest,

the police finally had Kevin to themselves,

but it wouldn't last long.

- Lake County grand jury indicted the man

for plotting to kill Lisa with help from his foster child,

but that's not all, he's also accused of sexual battery

for having relationship with that child.

- I was out to eat

and I remember just seeing my mom's face on the news

and my dad looked at me and said,

"Kevin got arrested today."

And I was like, "Really?"

And I had no emotion.

I had no emotion 'cause I didn't know what to say.

- At the trial, 12 witnesses took the stand,

from Sabrina's teachers and social workers

to family and friends of the Knoefels.

Each of them corroborated

that he acted suspiciously after the murder,

and many either knew or witnessed him

acting suggestively with Sabrina.

Even Kevin's best friend, David Strunk,

testified against him.

In a report he filled in the weeks after the murder,

he explained that Kevin insisted on showing him

some of Sabrina's suggestive modeling pictures

and that he kept talking about visiting her in jail

just like Megan noticed.

- He told me that he just wanted to let her know

that he was still there for her.

This was the person that had just killed his wife

and I was shocked that he would want to have

any sort of contact with her.

- After nine hours of consideration,

the jury came back with a verdict.

- In an interview with Karen Kowall,

the case prosecutor,

journalist Josh Mankiewicz remarked

that even though they had won their case,

a judgment like this bore little satisfaction.

- This is really just betrayal on top of betrayal

on top of betrayal, isn't it?

I mean, you got Kevin betraying Lisa,

Sabrina betraying Lisa.

Then you have Kevin betraying Sabrina,

and ultimately, Sabrina betraying Kevin.

- Yeah, it's a perfect circle.

- But the journalist is forgetting

someone in this allegory

because no one has been betrayed more than Megan.

Forced not only to witness the attack,

Megan tried to save her mom to no avail,

and now she has to carry that trauma with her

for the rest of her life.

- If I had to pick one emotion, I would say angry.

I am very angry.

To take away someone

who was helping a lot of people in their life

and doing what they could for their family is awful.

- I believe that I should do time

because I know they deserve justice

and the only justice they could get is me behind bars.

- Sabrina pled guilty to all charges and like Kevin,

was condemned to life behind bars

without parole until 2042.

In 2017, Hailey and Megan filed civil suits against them

and were awarded over $6 million in damages.

From her jail cell at Dayton Correctional,

Sabrina was interviewed twice since her incarceration,

once by Dateline in 2015 and again by HLN in 2020.

In both cases, she pleaded for forgiveness

from her former foster sisters.

- I realized that there's more than one

victim in this story.

If I had a chance,

yeah, I would tell them that I was selfish

and that I'm sorry and that I never meant to hurt them.

And I know, how can I say that

when I killed their mother?

I was in a place that I wasn't thinking about anybody

but myself, and that was wrong

and it doesn't make it right.

I know no matter what I say, I can't bring her back

and I can't undo what's already been done

and what they've felt.

If it means anything, I truly do apologize.

- Sorry will never be enough for the act that you did.

The pain I go through every day

knowing that my mom is not there

to see me get married and have kids,

you took that away from me.

- Since Sabrina and Kevin's condemnation,

Megan has grown up to become

a strong and independent woman.

She may never forgive her former sister,

but instead, she turned her adversity into purpose

by studying criminal law in college,

hoping to someday bring justice and reparation

to other survivors of violent crimes.

Today, Megan continues to show a desire to help others,

a trait she will forever share with her mother.

- She just wanted to help people,

you know, make a difference.