Tensions simmering in a family reached a boiling point when Lisa Carlson, a mother to two, was assassinated in Washington in July 1998. Soon, authorities began to suspect Daniel Carlson, her husband, and Carol, his mother. Investigation Discovery’s ‘The 1990s: The Deadliest Decade: A House in the Woods’ focuses on the lengthy inquiry into Lisa’s death and the evidence used to bring the killers to justice. So, let’s find out what happened then, shall we?
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How did Lisa Carlson die?
Lisa Ann Dahm was conceived in San Diego, California in June 1971. Her father was in military service so she moved from one military base after another. Lisa worked as an aide in a nursing home and the family settled in Tacoma, Washington. After a year of being together, she met Daniel Carlson at Tacoma and they were married in 1994. Together, the pair welcomed twin boys — Nicky and Chris — in 1995. However, Lisa and Daniel had begun to consider getting divorced by July 1998.
Daniel called 911 on July 18, 1998 at 9:59 pm. He said that Lisa was unresponsive and was in a pool blood. Lisa was found lying on her stomach, covered with a blanket, by police officers. The 27-year old was shot twice in her head and once in her chest with a.22 caliber firearm. Lisa was naked under the blanket, with a sextoy beside her. The TV also had porn paused.
Who Killed Lisa Carlson
Authorities believed that the crime scene was staged to resemble a robbery, and that the killer had posed Lisa Carlson to humiliate Lisa. There were no signs that forced entry had occurred. The drawers were opened and the contents were tossed but nothing of value was missing. The police found spent shell casings at the scene, and blood evidence on the back of the couch indicated that Lisa’s body had been moved after being shot.
Investigators discovered that Daniel and Lisa had been divorced but were still living together at time of incident. Their financial situation was worsened after Lisa quit her job as a stay-at home mother to deal with a lot of problems. Eventually, the couple filed for bankruptcy and moved to a trailer home owned by Daniel’s parents, Carol and Daryl, in Kapowsin, Washington. Another point of contention was Carol’s presence in their lives. Witness statements show that she was close to Daniel and did everything his mother asked.
Daniel and Lisa agreed to live together until their bankruptcy proceedings were over. Lisa continued her life and began dating Shawn McKillop. Carol and Daryl were reported as having confronted each other, with Carol verbally abusing Lisa, and Daryl physically attacking them both. Daniel said that he heard Carol call him around 8:45 pm. She told her son that her twins had unexpectedly shown up at her home around 5:45pm. Daniel came home around 9:45 pm and found Lisa. He called the police.
Carol said she left messages on Lisa’s voicemail but didn’t go there to check on her because the kids told her she was sleeping. Later, she explained that it was because of a temporary restraining order against Lisa. Shawn had seen Lisa the day she died. Lisa had left Shawn’s house at 12:30 pm. This would have meant that she would have reached her trailer between 1:45 and 1:15 pm. The medical examiner determined that Lisa had been killed sometime in the afternoon, so the police looked at Daniel’s timeline. He called his workplace at 2:45 to inform them he would be late for work. He arrived at 3:00 pm.
The police believed Daniel was responsible for the murder. They also felt that he had support from Carol, who cancelled her afternoon plans that day. Shawn also told police that Lisa had decided to leave Daniel and move to Arizona, where Shawn’s family lived. The authorities believed Daniel and Carol didn’t want to lose the children, so they made the drastic move. Shawn also mentioned that Lisa had a recording in which Daniel admitted to strangling Lisa in the past.
Daniel’s behavior in the time after Lisa was found was deemed suspicious. He provided his alibi in the 911 call and asked authorities to listen to their answering machines. Analysis revealed that the tape was altered, with Carol’s messages being recorded over other messages; Lisa’s mother had left a message on the day she was killed, but it wasn’t in the machine.
Where are Carol Carlson & Daniel Carlson Today?
The authorities ultimately felt that the mother and son duo — Carol and Daniel Carlson — were responsible for Lisa’s death because they didn’t want her to take the children away. The wife of Daniel’s best friend testified that Daniel had admitted to positioning Lisa’s body. Carol, then 51, was found guilty of murdering Lisa. Daniel, at the time 31, was also found guilty. For their crime, they were sentenced to 37 year imprisonment. They were later convicted, but the convictions were overturned, and they were given new plea bargains.
Carol pleaded guilty in three counts to second-degree assault, and one count to sexually violating the human remains. She was sentenced to a nine-year term and was released in 2008 as a result of time served. Daniel pleaded guilty to second degree murder in January 2008. He was sentenced with a 23-year term. He was eligible to be paroled in 2022 and it appears that he has been released. The mother and son have kept a low profile and are not known what their current activities are. While Carol appears to be living in Spanaway, Washington; Daniel seems to call Puyallup his home.
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