The Tragic Murder of Lisa Knoefel

Lisa Knoefel was a social worker for the Cuyahoga County Department of Children and Family Services. She worked in the sex abuse department of the institution while her husband, Kevin Knoefel, was a truck driver.

The Tragic Murder of Lisa Knoefel: A Foster Daughter's Betrayal

Lisa Knoefel, a 41-year-old social worker from Willoughby Hills, Ohio, was brutally murdered in her home on November 16, 2012.

The shocking crime was committed by her 18-year-old foster daughter, Sabrina Zunich, who stabbed Lisa 178 times in a vicious attack.

The Knoefel Family

Lisa Knoefel worked in the sex abuse department at the Cuyahoga County Division of Job and Family Services. She was married to Kevin Knoefel, a truck driver, and together they had two daughters - Megan from Lisa's previous marriage and Hailey, born in 2009.

In July 2011, the Knoefels welcomed 16-year-old Sabrina Zunich into their home as a foster child. Zunich had a troubled upbringing, having been abandoned by her substance-abusing parents at age 3 and raised by her grandmother. She seemed to fit in well with the Knoefel family at first.

The Affair and Murder Plot

However, in December 2011, Zunich began acting out at home, fighting with Lisa and accusing her of favoritism towards her own daughters. During this time, Zunich grew unnaturally close to her foster father, Kevin.

In March 2012, their relationship turned sexual, starting with massages and progressing to oral and vaginal sex over the following months. By summer, Kevin and Lisa were fighting often, and Kevin told friends they might divorce.

Zunich later testified that in the fall of 2012, Kevin began talking about having Lisa killed, mentioning the $785,000 in life insurance policies he had on her life. He allegedly told Zunich that Lisa would be "worth more dead than alive".

The pair plotted the murder, with Kevin suggesting Zunich stab Lisa with a large bread knife that would "do more damage on the inside". He also allegedly told Zunich to steal some valuables and stage the scene to look like a robbery.

The Brutal Murder

On the morning of November 15, 2012, Kevin drove Zunich to school as usual. He began crying, saying he and Lisa had a terrible fight the night before and that he would commit suicide if Lisa wasn't dead. Zunich agreed to kill Lisa herself.

The next day, November 16, 2012, Zunich sneaked into the master bedroom and stabbed Lisa 178 times in the head, neck, torso, and extremities. Lisa fought back and suffered many defensive wounds, but the attack was so violent that the knife bent.

Zunich's 13-year-old sister Megan called 911, reporting that Zunich was stabbing their mother. Police arrived to find Zunich with the bloody knife in her hand and Lisa's lifeless body in the bedroom. Zunich's 3-year-old sister Hailey was hiding in the closet.

The Investigation and Trials

When Kevin returned home from Michigan, police noted he seemed "relatively calm" and more curious about the attack than disturbed by it. Friends also thought his demeanor was strange, with one commenting that $50,000 (Lisa's salary) would be "a lot to make up".

Kevin began cashing in on Lisa's life insurance policies and went on a lavish spending spree: paid off his home, bought cars and a house in Florida, and took flying lessons.

Feeling that she had been abandoned by her previous romantic partner, Zunich decided to cooperate with authorities in early August 2013. She agreed to testify against Kevin Knoefel for his involvement in the murder of his wife, Lisa.

While there was no physical evidence of a relationship between Zunich and Kevin, investigators believed Zunich's story.

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Kevin was arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit aggravated murder, complicity to aggravated murder, and sexual battery.

Zunich agreed to plead guilty to aggravated murder and testify against Kevin in exchange for 30 30-year to life sentence. Witnesses testified to inappropriate behavior between Zunich and Kevin, and Zunich herself described their sexual relationship on the stand.

In 2014, Kevin Knoefel was convicted on all counts and sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 30 years. Zunich received the same sentence for her role in the brutal murder.

In 2018, Lisa's family was awarded $6.2 million in a wrongful death lawsuit against the Cuyahoga County Department of Children and Family Services. They alleged the agency failed to properly investigate and monitor the Knoefel home, despite Lisa's suspicions about Zunich and Kevin's relationship.

Citations:

[1] https://www.wkyc.com/article/news/local/lake-county/62-million-awarded-in-lisa-knoefel-murder-case/95-406704200

[2] https://www.oxygen.com/snapped-behind-bars/crime-news/snapped-behind-bars-what-to-know-about-sabrina-zunich-case

[3] https://www.oxygen.com/true-crime-buzz/why-sabrina-zunich-viciously-stabbed-lisa-knoefel-178-times

[4] https://cases.justia.com/ohio/eleventh-district-court-of-appeals/2015-2014-l-088.pdf?ts=1450131643

[5] https://fox8.com/news/teen-gives-chilling-details-of-foster-moms-murder/