Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of assault and murder. Reader discretion is advised.
Dateline: Secrets Uncovered‘s upcoming episode, “The Call,” will air on Oxygen on Wednesday, April 24, 2024, at 8 p.m. ET. The episode follows the brutal murder of Meghan Landowski, a 16-year-old ballet dancer.
WTKR reported that Landowski was stabbed to death inside her Portsmouth home in April 2008. The police found that the killer had sexually assaulted Landowski and stabbed her more than 40 times, leaving her dead in a pool of blood. Chris Shortt, the victim’s stepfather, was the one to contact emergency services when he found her. However, the case remained unsolved for six months despite its extensive attention.
According to The Virginian-Pilot, Meghan Landowski was found only partially dressed with her face in the pool of blood at the crime scene. The killer also left her bound. Prints of a blood-soaked Nike tennis shoe were found from the body to the front door. There was blood on the sink handle as well as the doorknob. A dispenser was used to hold the tape that bound Landowski. The dispenser also had blood on it.
Although authorities found a knife in the sink, they suspected that there were two knives that the culprit used. The outlet reported that another knife was found in a drain about 100 feet from the house. The DNA evidence collected from the doorknob, the knife, and the sink belonged to the same person. An autopsy revealed that at least 12 of the 40 stabs were inflicted after the victim died. Even with the DNA of the killer in hand, no specific leads were procured.
Who killed Meghan Landowski?
Per WTKR, after six months of investigation, police caught Robert Barnes, a student at the Governor School of the Arts and a friend of Meghan Landowski. Barnes reportedly had visited her home before. Although he had no criminal record that made him a probable suspect, the DNA evidence, as well as Barnes’ confession, led to the court convicting him of Meghan’s murder.
Authorities also deduced that whoever killed Meghan Landowski must have been aware of the house layout and the geography of the place, making it likely that the person was familiar with the family. The Virginian-Pilot noted that the victim’s stepfather and her mother initially suspected a friend of theirs, who their daughter told them, was inappropriately touching her. They also reported this to the authorities. However, that man was questioned and found innocent.
They reportedly investigated her life at school before finding Robert Barnes. According to WTKR, the police also made it public that Barnes might have expressed romantic interest in Landowski before she rejected him.
Barnes pleaded guilty to the first-degree murder of Meghan Landowski, aggravated sexual battery, abduction, attempted rape and statutory burglary. He was sentenced to a total of 42 years in prison. 13 News Now reported that he was given a sentence of 38 years for first-degree murder, 2 years for burglary, and two more for aggravated sexual battery. He is currently incarcerated at the Pocahontas State Correctional Center, per state records.
The upcoming episode of Dateline: Secrets Uncovered follows the assault and murder of Meghan Landowski. It will be aired on Oxygen on Wednesday, April 24, 2024, at 8 p.m. ET.
