Woman who escaped a serious criminal after 18 hours of captivity points to the warning sign she ignored

A woman who was abducted by a serial killer when she was just 15 years old, has revealed the one red flag she ignored prior to her capture.

Kara Robinson Chamberlain spent 18 hours in captivity after being abducted at gunpoint by killer Richard Evonitz.

The then-teen suffered horrific abuse at the hands of Evonitz, but her story is remarkably different from his other victims, who tragically lost their lives.

Kara was just 15 years old when she was kidnapped (ABC News)

Sofia Silva, 16, and sisters 15-year-old Kristin Lisk and Kati Lisk, 12, were all abducted from their homes in the same Virginia community within months of one another.

The FBI concluded that all three girls had been sexually assaulted and murdered by Evonitz.

What happened to Kara Robinson Chamberlain?

On 24 June, 2002, Kara was outside her best friend's home in South Carolina, watering plants while her friend was getting ready.

A man, later identified as Evonitz, pulled into the home's driveway and approached her asking about magazines and pamphlets.

However, things took a dramatic turn when he suddenly pulled a gun on the 15-year-old, before forcing her into a plastic storage container in his car.

Kara recalls being driven to the 38-year-old's apartment, where he restrained her before drugging and sexually assaulting her.

She was held captive by the killer for 18 hours before eventually managing to escape, but it was what she did during that time that eventually led to her kidnapper being identified.

Quick thinking identified Richard Evonitz

Kara's incredible quick thinking led her to memorize a number of identifiable details, including the music being played in the car, the cigarettes he was smoking and even the serial number inside the container she was trapped in.

Throughout the terrifying ordeal, Kara was able to remember several more ways to identify Evonitz, such as his doctor and dentist's names on the fridge.

Eventually, Kara was able to escape once Evonitz had fallen asleep, after she successfully freed one hand from the handcuffs, before sneaking out the apartment and asking passersby to take her to the police.

When she told police of her ordeal, she was able to provide them with enough evidence to lead the back to Evonitz apartment, though the kidnapper had already fled.

Cops tracked him down in Florida three days later, however he took his own life after being confronted by officers.

Richard Evonitz killed three other girls (ABC News)

Red flag Kara Robinson Chamberlain ignored

Since the horrific event, Kara has spent more than two decades advocating for survivors and working in law enforcement, where she helps support people who have experienced similar traumas.

Now, in an interview with ABC News, the 39-year-old has spoken about the one red flag that she ignored, which ultimately could've prevented her from being kidnapped.

Her intuition.

"A man pulled into the driveway and I did what many people do, which is that I noticed something that felt weird and I made an excuse for it," she recalled.

"I thought, 'this is weird that this guy just pulled in, I noticed him driving out of the neighborhood, and now here he is again, and maybe he know's my friend's mom or something'."

Kara said if she had trusted her instincts she wouldn't have let Evonitz into her personal space in the first place.

If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, you can contact Victim Support free on 08 08 16 89 111 available 24/7, every day of the year, including Christmas