Murder of Lisa Freiberg and her two children by Edward Allen Covington investigated on Evil Lives Here

Evil Lives Here is examining the shocking crimes of Edward Allen Covington. He murdered girlfriend Lisa Freiberg and her two young children, Zachary Freiberg and Heather Savannah Freiberg, at their home in Lutz, Florida, in 2008.

Lisa’s mother, Barbara Freiberg, had suspected that Covington was abusing her daughter and grandchildren, but nothing prepared her for the horrific scene she found at her daughter’s home on May 12, 2008.

When Barbara opened the front door of Lisa’s house, she spotted the bloody nude body of 7-year-old Zachary and immediately phoned the cops. The police subsequently discovered the remains of 26-year-old Lisa and 2-year-old Heather. They also found the bloody remains of the family dog, Duke.

The bodies had been severely mutilated and dismembered, and the walls of the house were smeared in blood and guts. The Hillsborough County Sheriff called it the grisliest scene they had ever come across.

The cops also found a hammer and five knives, which were clearly the murder weapons. And incredibly, inside the house, they also found the killer. Covington was hiding in a closet. As he was taken into custody, he told the officers: “I can’t believe what I’ve done.”

Edward Covington asked for the death penalty

At the start of his trial, Covington surprised everybody by firing his defense lawyers and announcing that he would plead guilty to the murders. This meant that his fate was left for the judge to decide, and the killer further surprised everyone when he urged the judge to opt for the death penalty.

He told the court: “I expect you to sentence me to death. I feel it’s warranted. The Freibergs feel it’s warranted. The state feels it’s warranted. I have no problem with this.”

Covington’s lawyers argued that he was mentally ill, so, therefore, should be spared the death penalty. But the judge sided with the killer and ruled that execution was an appropriate punishment.

Covington was convicted on three counts of first-degree murder, three counts of abusing a corpse, and one count of animal cruelty. He is currently on death row.

More from Evil Lives Here

Follow the links to read about more twisted killers profiled on Evil Lives Here.

Cristobal Palacio was jealous when his ex-wife, Jennifer Winter, married Paul Winter, so he responded by shooting dead Paul in the driveway of his home in front of his own children.

Robert Brashers was a career criminal who targeted women and children for rape and murder in multiple states. He died in a shootout with police in Kennett, Missouri. Years later, DNA evidence revealed the extent of his crimes.

Evil Lives Here airs at 9/8c on Investigation Discovery.