1 00:00:01,267 --> 00:00:03,268 - Female narrator: An unlikely pair finds love 2 00:00:03,304 --> 00:00:05,571 in the pacific northwest. 3 00:00:05,606 --> 00:00:08,307 - Deena: He was a nurse, and she was a nurse's aide, 4 00:00:08,342 --> 00:00:10,609 and it just bloomed from there. 5 00:00:10,644 --> 00:00:12,945 - It was sort of like the storybook wedding. 6 00:00:12,980 --> 00:00:14,713 They were pretty happy. 7 00:00:14,749 --> 00:00:16,482 - [sirens blaring] 8 00:00:16,517 --> 00:00:19,351 - narrator: But the fairytale ends when something evil 9 00:00:19,387 --> 00:00:22,755 befalls the remote washington wilderness. 10 00:00:22,790 --> 00:00:25,691 - Her sweatpants had been pulled down to her knees 11 00:00:25,726 --> 00:00:28,293 and theres a lot of blood around. 12 00:00:28,329 --> 00:00:30,562 - Narrator: As investigators take a closer look 13 00:00:30,598 --> 00:00:32,331 at this rural community, 14 00:00:32,366 --> 00:00:35,968 they uncover a disturbing family dynamic. 15 00:00:36,003 --> 00:00:38,537 - Mark: She essentially controlled his life, 16 00:00:38,572 --> 00:00:41,840 ran his life, told him what to do, when to do it 17 00:00:41,876 --> 00:00:43,742 and how to do it. 18 00:00:43,778 --> 00:00:45,811 - They were unnaturally close. 19 00:00:45,846 --> 00:00:47,413 - She was terrified that something 20 00:00:47,448 --> 00:00:48,714 was gonna happen to her. 21 00:00:48,749 --> 00:00:51,216 - Shawn: She told me that if anything should happen to her, 22 00:00:51,252 --> 00:00:53,452 this needed to go to the police. 23 00:00:53,487 --> 00:00:57,489 - Mark: She wanted to humiliate and embarrass her even in death. 24 00:00:59,160 --> 00:01:00,592 - [gunshot] 25 00:01:00,628 --> 00:01:05,631 - ♪ 26 00:01:06,634 --> 00:01:10,202 ♪ 27 00:01:11,539 --> 00:01:16,208 - narrator: July 18, 1998. Kapowsin, washington. 28 00:01:16,243 --> 00:01:19,411 It's a tranquil summer night in this remote community 29 00:01:19,447 --> 00:01:21,580 just south of tacoma. 30 00:01:21,615 --> 00:01:24,650 But at 8:59, the peace is shattered 31 00:01:24,685 --> 00:01:27,486 when the sheriff's office receives a desperate call 32 00:01:27,521 --> 00:01:30,756 from 27-year-old daniel carlson. 33 00:01:30,791 --> 00:01:32,925 - He says, "I found my wife, she's covered in blood, 34 00:01:32,960 --> 00:01:34,793 "I don't know what happened. 35 00:01:34,829 --> 00:01:36,829 "please send help, send the police, 36 00:01:36,864 --> 00:01:38,263 there's something wrong." 37 00:01:39,600 --> 00:01:41,733 - narrator: Officers and first responders race 38 00:01:41,769 --> 00:01:44,336 to the secluded location. 39 00:01:44,371 --> 00:01:47,139 - It takes them about 13 minutes, uh, to arrive. 40 00:01:48,442 --> 00:01:52,778 They can see that there is a woman on the couch, 41 00:01:52,813 --> 00:01:55,314 that there's a lot of, uh, blood around. 42 00:01:57,184 --> 00:01:59,718 - The victim, lisa carlson, a young mother, 43 00:01:59,753 --> 00:02:02,554 had been found in her residence. 44 00:02:02,590 --> 00:02:06,792 Police arrived and they found her husband there, 45 00:02:06,827 --> 00:02:09,428 uh, daniel carlson. 46 00:02:09,463 --> 00:02:11,430 - Mark: They don't really know what they have here, 47 00:02:11,465 --> 00:02:13,665 but they don't want it contaminated any more 48 00:02:13,701 --> 00:02:15,334 by daniel's presence. 49 00:02:15,369 --> 00:02:17,870 So, it's standard procedure to remove people, 50 00:02:17,905 --> 00:02:19,905 who are in the scene, out. 51 00:02:21,408 --> 00:02:23,842 - Narrator: While emts render aid to lisa, 52 00:02:23,878 --> 00:02:27,613 officers calm down her husband and ask him to recount 53 00:02:27,648 --> 00:02:29,281 what happened. 54 00:02:29,316 --> 00:02:31,783 Dan says that he was at work when he received 55 00:02:31,819 --> 00:02:34,086 a disturbing call from his mother, 56 00:02:34,121 --> 00:02:36,388 who lives just up the road. 57 00:02:36,423 --> 00:02:41,426 - His mom is telling him, "look, your twin boys 58 00:02:41,462 --> 00:02:46,532 "have walked up to the house here, and I've been trying 59 00:02:46,567 --> 00:02:49,801 "to reach lisa on the phone, and I can't reach her. 60 00:02:49,837 --> 00:02:52,471 "I've called repeatedly. 61 00:02:52,506 --> 00:02:58,110 So I think you should go check and see what's going on." 62 00:02:58,145 --> 00:03:00,279 - narrator: Dan says when he arrived home, 63 00:03:00,314 --> 00:03:02,481 he found his wife of four years 64 00:03:02,516 --> 00:03:05,751 unresponsive and covered in blood. 65 00:03:05,786 --> 00:03:07,953 - Mark: Police don't really know what they have here. 66 00:03:07,988 --> 00:03:11,356 Of course, dan is the person that finds lisa, 67 00:03:11,392 --> 00:03:14,426 so the investigators have a lot of questions for him 68 00:03:14,461 --> 00:03:17,529 on him and on lisa and their relationship. 69 00:03:20,968 --> 00:03:24,269 - Narrator: Lisa dahm was born in 1971 70 00:03:24,305 --> 00:03:28,774 in san diego, california, the elder of two children. 71 00:03:28,809 --> 00:03:31,677 - Lisa grew up, uh, as a military brat. 72 00:03:31,712 --> 00:03:33,145 Her father was army. 73 00:03:33,180 --> 00:03:35,581 She spent a lot of her youth moving around 74 00:03:35,616 --> 00:03:38,183 from military base to military base. 75 00:03:38,219 --> 00:03:41,153 - Narrator: When lisa's nomadic family finally settled 76 00:03:41,188 --> 00:03:42,888 in tacoma, washington, 77 00:03:42,923 --> 00:03:46,425 lisa was able to really come into her own. 78 00:03:46,460 --> 00:03:47,759 - Shawn: She had a great presence. 79 00:03:47,795 --> 00:03:50,762 She was sharp, sharp wit, um, 80 00:03:50,798 --> 00:03:53,365 and she did not suffer fools lightly. 81 00:03:53,400 --> 00:03:55,934 So yeah, she--she was amazing. 82 00:03:57,071 --> 00:04:00,572 - Narrator: After high school, lisa decided to pursue a career 83 00:04:00,608 --> 00:04:02,307 in healthcare. 84 00:04:02,343 --> 00:04:04,710 - Shawn: She was tough as nails on the outside. 85 00:04:04,745 --> 00:04:06,011 But once you got to know her, 86 00:04:06,046 --> 00:04:08,780 there was a tenderness and a caring within her 87 00:04:08,816 --> 00:04:14,620 that really, you--you gotta have to be a good nurse. 88 00:04:14,655 --> 00:04:16,588 - Narrator: After getting her certification, 89 00:04:16,624 --> 00:04:19,791 lisa took a job as an aide in a nursing home. 90 00:04:19,827 --> 00:04:24,029 There, she met 22-year-old dan carlson. 91 00:04:24,064 --> 00:04:27,065 - He was a nurse and she was a nurse's aide, 92 00:04:27,101 --> 00:04:29,735 and she needed a ride home one night. 93 00:04:29,770 --> 00:04:32,704 And that was the beginning of their relationship, 94 00:04:32,740 --> 00:04:35,440 and it just bloomed from there. 95 00:04:37,077 --> 00:04:37,909 - Narrator: On the surface, 96 00:04:37,945 --> 00:04:41,947 lisa and dan couldn't be more different. 97 00:04:41,982 --> 00:04:44,816 - I met dan in sixth grade camp. 98 00:04:44,852 --> 00:04:46,385 He was a great kid. 99 00:04:46,420 --> 00:04:49,488 He was a little shy, a little bit off-kilter. 100 00:04:49,523 --> 00:04:53,225 Dan was the quintessential virgin. 101 00:04:53,260 --> 00:04:57,763 He had had no experience whatsoever with anybody. 102 00:04:57,798 --> 00:05:00,599 But he gets to nursing school and he meets lisa, 103 00:05:00,634 --> 00:05:02,901 and he goes, "I was doing everything I could 104 00:05:02,936 --> 00:05:04,403 to get her attention." 105 00:05:04,438 --> 00:05:06,071 - barbara: They say that opposites attract, 106 00:05:06,106 --> 00:05:11,343 and I think that in the case of lisa and dan, 107 00:05:11,378 --> 00:05:12,611 that has to be it. 108 00:05:12,646 --> 00:05:17,482 Dan was quiet, and perhaps his obvious adoration of lisa 109 00:05:17,518 --> 00:05:19,651 was attractive to her. 110 00:05:19,687 --> 00:05:21,920 - Dan is very friendly, hard worker; 111 00:05:21,955 --> 00:05:24,156 he was extremely efficient in his job. 112 00:05:24,191 --> 00:05:25,991 Obviously, he was a caring person. 113 00:05:26,026 --> 00:05:28,060 I thought he was a great guy. 114 00:05:28,095 --> 00:05:30,929 - Dan and lisa dated for about a--a year, 115 00:05:30,964 --> 00:05:34,333 and then, uh, decided to get married. 116 00:05:36,103 --> 00:05:39,638 - Narrator: Shortly after the couple married in 1994, 117 00:05:39,673 --> 00:05:43,408 they both transferred to the rainier rehabilitation center, 118 00:05:43,444 --> 00:05:46,845 a home for disabled adults, where dan's father, daryl, 119 00:05:46,880 --> 00:05:48,814 worked as an attendant counselor, 120 00:05:48,849 --> 00:05:52,617 and dan's mother, carol, worked in housekeeping. 121 00:05:52,653 --> 00:05:54,019 - Dan seemed to have a very good relationship 122 00:05:54,054 --> 00:05:56,955 with both of his parents, they seemed very close. 123 00:05:56,990 --> 00:06:00,425 - Dan and carol were very, very tight at work 124 00:06:00,461 --> 00:06:02,761 and would meet quite frequently. 125 00:06:05,632 --> 00:06:07,766 - Narrator: Working with each other on a daily basis 126 00:06:07,801 --> 00:06:11,503 brought the entire family even closer together, 127 00:06:11,538 --> 00:06:14,840 and soon enough, they were welcoming new additions 128 00:06:14,875 --> 00:06:17,175 to their tight-knit unit. 129 00:06:17,211 --> 00:06:20,078 - About a year after dan and lisa married, uh, 130 00:06:20,114 --> 00:06:24,583 she was pregnant and she had twin boys. 131 00:06:24,618 --> 00:06:26,585 'course everybody was very happy about that-- 132 00:06:26,620 --> 00:06:30,756 the parents and grandparents on both sides of the family. 133 00:06:30,791 --> 00:06:32,724 - Shawn: Lisa as a mother was amazing. 134 00:06:32,760 --> 00:06:34,059 She was a doting mother. 135 00:06:34,094 --> 00:06:37,529 She was extremely protective of her children. 136 00:06:37,564 --> 00:06:40,632 She loved those children, absolutely, dearly. 137 00:06:40,667 --> 00:06:43,602 They were without a doubt her heart and soul. 138 00:06:45,372 --> 00:06:47,172 - Narrator: After the birth of their sons, 139 00:06:47,207 --> 00:06:50,175 lisa and dan were forced to make a difficult 140 00:06:50,210 --> 00:06:52,210 financial decision. 141 00:06:52,246 --> 00:06:54,579 - Shawn: She had decided to be a stay-at-home mom 142 00:06:54,615 --> 00:06:56,548 because twins are expensive. 143 00:06:56,583 --> 00:07:00,352 The cost of two kids at daycare would've just been absolutely 144 00:07:00,387 --> 00:07:02,921 economically unfeasible for them. 145 00:07:02,956 --> 00:07:05,524 That forced them to be a one-income family. 146 00:07:05,559 --> 00:07:07,993 - Rebecca: Unfortunately, they immediately had 147 00:07:08,028 --> 00:07:09,795 financial problems. 148 00:07:09,830 --> 00:07:13,665 They had accumulated ten credit cards and a lot of debt. 149 00:07:15,969 --> 00:07:18,203 - Narrator: As the couple watched their last penny 150 00:07:18,238 --> 00:07:23,575 slip away, dan's parents reached out with an offer. 151 00:07:23,610 --> 00:07:28,747 - His parents started floating the idea of having them move out 152 00:07:28,782 --> 00:07:32,517 to live in kapowsin, which is very, very pretty, 153 00:07:32,553 --> 00:07:37,856 but very, uh, thinly populated. 154 00:07:37,891 --> 00:07:40,625 - Rebecca: Dan's mother, carol, invited them to come 155 00:07:40,661 --> 00:07:43,862 to their property, where they'd put up another mobile home 156 00:07:43,897 --> 00:07:46,398 for the couple and their children. 157 00:07:46,433 --> 00:07:49,034 So, it seemed like a good idea at the time. 158 00:07:50,304 --> 00:07:53,038 - Narrator: The couple moved out to the carlson homestead 159 00:07:53,073 --> 00:07:55,774 in September of 1997. 160 00:07:55,809 --> 00:07:58,410 While dan worked to get the family's finances 161 00:07:58,445 --> 00:08:01,279 back on track, his parents stepped in to help 162 00:08:01,315 --> 00:08:02,814 with the twins. 163 00:08:02,850 --> 00:08:06,318 - Dan and lisa filed for bankruptcy, finally, 164 00:08:06,353 --> 00:08:10,655 to try to get on their feet, get rid of all the--the debt 165 00:08:10,691 --> 00:08:14,259 they had from credit cards and school loans. 166 00:08:14,294 --> 00:08:17,128 - We talked a lot about his, uh, plans that he had 167 00:08:17,164 --> 00:08:20,165 for the future, he was really focused on his family. 168 00:08:24,037 --> 00:08:25,937 - Narrator: But on July 18, 169 00:08:25,973 --> 00:08:29,074 the carlsons' future is ripped out from under them 170 00:08:29,109 --> 00:08:31,676 when lisa is found covered in blood 171 00:08:31,712 --> 00:08:34,012 inside their mobile home. 172 00:08:34,047 --> 00:08:36,982 - Rod: Mrs. Carlson had been shot, 173 00:08:37,017 --> 00:08:40,685 and there were multiple shots that she had received: 174 00:08:40,721 --> 00:08:44,289 Two shots were to the head, and one to her chest. 175 00:08:44,324 --> 00:08:45,957 She's dead. 176 00:08:47,294 --> 00:08:49,761 - Narrator: Homicide investigators are immediately 177 00:08:49,796 --> 00:08:51,096 summoned to the residence, 178 00:08:51,131 --> 00:08:54,666 and waste little time getting to work. 179 00:08:54,701 --> 00:08:57,102 - Mark: So the detectives, when they arrive, they walk in, 180 00:08:57,137 --> 00:09:01,039 they immediately see lisa is on the couch. 181 00:09:01,074 --> 00:09:06,011 She is, uh, lying with her head on a pillow 182 00:09:06,046 --> 00:09:08,747 that is up on the end of the couch. 183 00:09:08,782 --> 00:09:12,751 Her lower half is covered with a blanket. 184 00:09:12,786 --> 00:09:15,820 - Rebecca: When police take the blanket off of lisa, 185 00:09:15,856 --> 00:09:19,658 they see her sweatpants had been pulled down to her knees 186 00:09:19,693 --> 00:09:22,093 and they're kind of inside out. 187 00:09:22,129 --> 00:09:26,331 - Mark: Additionally, in lisa's left hand, 188 00:09:26,366 --> 00:09:29,034 she has an electronic controller. 189 00:09:29,069 --> 00:09:34,139 This is attached by wires to--it's a sex toy. 190 00:09:34,174 --> 00:09:38,109 The television is on, set to the vcr. 191 00:09:38,145 --> 00:09:41,880 - The tape in the tv was a xxx-rated, you know, 192 00:09:41,915 --> 00:09:44,282 pornography tape. 193 00:09:44,318 --> 00:09:48,253 - Your first take on this is that she was engaged 194 00:09:48,288 --> 00:09:52,123 in masturbatory activity, autoerotic activity, 195 00:09:52,159 --> 00:09:54,092 watching a pornographic tape, 196 00:09:54,127 --> 00:09:57,095 and she was killed while she was in that position. 197 00:09:59,900 --> 00:10:03,535 - Narrator: Coming up, a possible motive is uncovered. 198 00:10:03,570 --> 00:10:06,237 - Drawers are pulled out and then dumped, 199 00:10:06,273 --> 00:10:08,206 basically, upside down. 200 00:10:08,241 --> 00:10:11,276 - It looks like maybe it was a burglary gone wrong. 201 00:10:11,311 --> 00:10:13,545 - Narrator: But the evidence suggests something 202 00:10:13,580 --> 00:10:15,647 far more sinister. 203 00:10:15,682 --> 00:10:19,117 - A neighbor reports seeing this white car 204 00:10:19,152 --> 00:10:21,319 that he didn't recognize headed down the road 205 00:10:21,355 --> 00:10:23,355 towards lisa's house. 206 00:10:23,390 --> 00:10:26,858 - Barbara: You could see marks from where the hair 207 00:10:26,893 --> 00:10:31,963 and her blood had been dragged along the back side of the sofa. 208 00:10:34,034 --> 00:10:37,068 - ♪ 209 00:10:39,772 --> 00:10:42,207 - ♪ 210 00:10:44,544 --> 00:10:47,112 - narrator: On July 18, 1998, 211 00:10:47,147 --> 00:10:49,914 investigators in kapowsin, washington, 212 00:10:49,950 --> 00:10:53,518 are on the scene of a gruesome homicide. 213 00:10:53,553 --> 00:10:57,255 Dan carlson says he found his wife, lisa, shot dead 214 00:10:57,290 --> 00:11:00,158 in the couple's remote mobile home. 215 00:11:00,193 --> 00:11:03,628 - Mark: It's clear, at least from their understanding 216 00:11:03,664 --> 00:11:06,631 before the autopsy, that she has two gunshot injuries 217 00:11:06,667 --> 00:11:11,770 to her head and one up on the upper part of her left chest. 218 00:11:12,706 --> 00:11:15,774 - Narrator: A bizarre crime scene has thrown investigators 219 00:11:15,809 --> 00:11:17,542 for a loop. 220 00:11:17,577 --> 00:11:22,614 - Lisa's body is on the couch in the living room. 221 00:11:22,649 --> 00:11:27,952 She's kind of splayed out in a kind of awkward pose. 222 00:11:27,988 --> 00:11:29,621 - Mark: She's got a sex toy in her hand 223 00:11:29,656 --> 00:11:34,159 and there's a pornographic video in the vcr. 224 00:11:34,194 --> 00:11:38,196 - Narrator: Detectives begin scouring the trailer for clues. 225 00:11:38,231 --> 00:11:40,999 - Police are searching mostly for the weapon. 226 00:11:41,034 --> 00:11:43,802 Police cannot find the gun, 227 00:11:43,837 --> 00:11:46,538 and that's key to building a case. 228 00:11:46,573 --> 00:11:50,842 - In their search of this crime scene, they identify, 229 00:11:50,877 --> 00:11:56,648 locate and recover three .22 long-rifle shell casings. 230 00:11:57,818 --> 00:11:59,918 They're also looking around the house to see 231 00:11:59,953 --> 00:12:03,755 what's the level of disturbance in this house. 232 00:12:03,790 --> 00:12:07,192 In the master bedroom and in the master bathroom, 233 00:12:07,227 --> 00:12:13,031 drawers are pulled out and then dumped, basically, upside down. 234 00:12:13,066 --> 00:12:17,135 - It looks like the house has been ransacked, trashed, 235 00:12:17,170 --> 00:12:19,838 you know, maybe it was a burglary gone wrong. 236 00:12:22,209 --> 00:12:24,642 - Narrator: But upon further examination, 237 00:12:24,678 --> 00:12:28,680 investigators find evidence that points elsewhere. 238 00:12:28,715 --> 00:12:33,251 - There were many items of value that were clearly in plain view 239 00:12:33,286 --> 00:12:35,620 that were not taken. 240 00:12:35,655 --> 00:12:38,757 - The tv wasn't taken, the computer wasn't taken, 241 00:12:38,792 --> 00:12:42,827 the stereo wasn't taken, lisa's jewelry wasn't taken. 242 00:12:42,863 --> 00:12:44,229 There's nothing missing at all 243 00:12:44,264 --> 00:12:47,332 and there's no sign of forced entry at all. 244 00:12:49,136 --> 00:12:51,669 - Narrator: In light of the puzzling crime scene, 245 00:12:51,705 --> 00:12:54,672 investigators turn back to lisa's husband 246 00:12:54,708 --> 00:12:57,142 in hopes that he can help bring some clarity 247 00:12:57,177 --> 00:12:59,043 to the situation. 248 00:12:59,079 --> 00:13:02,914 - When you have a homicide, the spouse or boyfriend 249 00:13:02,949 --> 00:13:06,751 or girlfriend is always gonna be the very first people 250 00:13:06,787 --> 00:13:09,420 that law enforcement are gonna look at. 251 00:13:09,456 --> 00:13:11,923 - Narrator: Dan tells police that his wife had gone out 252 00:13:11,958 --> 00:13:14,259 in the morning and was supposed to be home 253 00:13:14,294 --> 00:13:18,263 in time for him to leave for work at 1:30. 254 00:13:18,298 --> 00:13:21,332 - Mark: Daniel reports that she's late, 255 00:13:21,368 --> 00:13:25,370 that she doesn't get home 'til about 2:15, 256 00:13:25,405 --> 00:13:30,008 and he immediately takes the car and then heads off to work. 257 00:13:30,043 --> 00:13:33,178 He says he leaves around 2:20 in the afternoon 258 00:13:33,213 --> 00:13:35,914 and gets to work around 3 o'clock. 259 00:13:37,951 --> 00:13:41,319 - Narrator: Dan says he was supposed to work until 10:30, 260 00:13:41,354 --> 00:13:45,290 but at 8 p.M., he received a phone call from his mother, 261 00:13:45,325 --> 00:13:47,158 carol carlson. 262 00:13:47,194 --> 00:13:50,295 - He got a call from his mother that the twins had walked up 263 00:13:50,330 --> 00:13:52,330 to her place all by themselves 264 00:13:52,365 --> 00:13:54,966 and that she couldn't reach lisa on the phone. 265 00:13:55,001 --> 00:13:57,936 Carol assumed that lisa was sleeping. 266 00:13:57,971 --> 00:14:00,438 Dan told police he left work early to go home 267 00:14:00,473 --> 00:14:02,273 to check on lisa. 268 00:14:02,309 --> 00:14:05,276 - Mark: He says he comes through the front door... 269 00:14:05,312 --> 00:14:08,313 He sees lisa right there and she's covered in blood. 270 00:14:08,348 --> 00:14:12,817 He goes immediately to lisa; he takes her pulse. 271 00:14:12,853 --> 00:14:16,321 He then goes to the phone and he calls 911. 272 00:14:17,991 --> 00:14:20,992 You want to know: Are there people that 273 00:14:21,027 --> 00:14:23,728 had it out for lisa? 274 00:14:23,763 --> 00:14:26,197 Was there anybody following her, stalking her? 275 00:14:26,233 --> 00:14:29,200 Did she report being harassed by anybody? 276 00:14:29,236 --> 00:14:32,070 All these questions get asked and the answers 277 00:14:32,105 --> 00:14:34,739 to all those questions are no. 278 00:14:34,774 --> 00:14:37,675 Everybody liked lisa, she didn't have any enemies. 279 00:14:39,813 --> 00:14:42,080 - Narrator: Without any leads to go on, 280 00:14:42,115 --> 00:14:45,884 detectives turn the scene over to crime scene investigators 281 00:14:45,919 --> 00:14:48,519 and begin canvassing the neighborhood. 282 00:14:48,555 --> 00:14:51,256 When they're doing a neighborhood canvass, 283 00:14:51,291 --> 00:14:55,059 they do identify a neighbor that lives down the lane 284 00:14:55,095 --> 00:14:59,931 from the carlsons who reports seeing this white car 285 00:14:59,966 --> 00:15:02,901 that he didn't recognize, but had headed down the road 286 00:15:02,936 --> 00:15:04,769 towards lisa's house. 287 00:15:07,307 --> 00:15:09,841 - Rebecca: Any unknown vehicle would really stick out 288 00:15:09,876 --> 00:15:12,810 in this area because everybody knows everybody. 289 00:15:12,846 --> 00:15:15,146 Everybody knows what everybody drives, 290 00:15:15,181 --> 00:15:18,049 and you'd know if there was any vehicle 291 00:15:18,084 --> 00:15:20,018 that didn't belong there. 292 00:15:20,053 --> 00:15:22,453 - Narrator: Could the driver of this suspicious vehicle 293 00:15:22,489 --> 00:15:24,455 be lisa's killer? 294 00:15:24,491 --> 00:15:26,758 - Police put out an all-points bulletin, 295 00:15:26,793 --> 00:15:28,493 looking for this white van. 296 00:15:31,364 --> 00:15:34,132 - Narrator: As investigators continue the canvass, 297 00:15:34,167 --> 00:15:37,869 they follow up with lisa and dan's closest neighbors-- 298 00:15:37,904 --> 00:15:41,039 dan's parents: 52-year-old daryl 299 00:15:41,074 --> 00:15:44,309 and 47-year-old carol carlson. 300 00:15:44,344 --> 00:15:48,346 - Daniel's parents' home was about 150 yards 301 00:15:48,381 --> 00:15:53,217 from their home through a very, very heavy forest, 302 00:15:53,253 --> 00:15:56,454 couldn't be seen from their house. 303 00:15:56,489 --> 00:15:58,556 - Mark: Carol has been home all day long 304 00:15:58,591 --> 00:16:00,792 and she said she never heard anything 305 00:16:00,827 --> 00:16:05,263 until, in her time estimate, at 5:45 p.M., 306 00:16:05,298 --> 00:16:08,199 the twins show up on her front door, 307 00:16:08,234 --> 00:16:11,169 but lisa's not with them. 308 00:16:11,204 --> 00:16:13,871 The twins had never-- according to carol--ever come up 309 00:16:13,907 --> 00:16:17,208 to the house by themselves. 310 00:16:17,243 --> 00:16:19,544 - Rebecca: The twin boys, who were just three years old, 311 00:16:19,579 --> 00:16:22,480 said that their mommy was sleeping. 312 00:16:22,515 --> 00:16:26,150 - Carol reported that she was a heavy sleeper and she thought, 313 00:16:26,186 --> 00:16:30,088 "well, I'll just call her and, you know, try to wake her up." 314 00:16:30,123 --> 00:16:31,522 - rebecca: She telephoned lisa, 315 00:16:31,558 --> 00:16:33,858 got the answering machine a couple of times, 316 00:16:33,893 --> 00:16:37,996 left two, you know, fairly irate messages saying, 317 00:16:38,031 --> 00:16:40,999 "wake up, lisa," and "where are you?" 318 00:16:41,034 --> 00:16:43,001 - narrator: As carol tells her story, 319 00:16:43,036 --> 00:16:47,238 detectives can't help but ask a curious question. 320 00:16:47,273 --> 00:16:49,273 - If the twins have come up to your house 321 00:16:49,309 --> 00:16:51,442 and they've never done this before, 322 00:16:51,478 --> 00:16:53,578 shouldn't that make you concerned? 323 00:16:53,613 --> 00:16:56,447 Most people would then have gone down to check on lisa 324 00:16:56,483 --> 00:16:58,316 to see what's going on. 325 00:16:58,351 --> 00:17:01,519 - Carol's explanation was that she wasn't welcome. 326 00:17:04,524 --> 00:17:06,224 - Narrator: Carol says that the problems started 327 00:17:06,259 --> 00:17:09,861 when she and her husband let the financially strapped couple 328 00:17:09,896 --> 00:17:13,865 move into their spare trailer rent-free. 329 00:17:13,900 --> 00:17:16,300 - Rebecca: When you live near your in-laws, 330 00:17:16,336 --> 00:17:19,370 and you're indebted to them for a place to live, 331 00:17:19,406 --> 00:17:21,973 they sort of feel that they have the right to drop in, 332 00:17:22,008 --> 00:17:25,410 and dan's mother, carol, did drop in a lot. 333 00:17:25,445 --> 00:17:30,048 - Lisa did not appreciate this. Not even a little tiny bit. 334 00:17:30,083 --> 00:17:32,183 And that was a source of friction. 335 00:17:32,218 --> 00:17:34,552 - Narrator: Carol says that lisa had mistaken 336 00:17:34,587 --> 00:17:38,056 her well-intentioned help as meddling. 337 00:17:38,091 --> 00:17:40,558 - Carol says, "I didn't wanna create any problems 338 00:17:40,593 --> 00:17:43,594 by going down to the house myself." 339 00:17:43,630 --> 00:17:46,364 - narrator: As detectives wrap up with the carlsons, 340 00:17:46,399 --> 00:17:48,933 their radios crackle with an urgent message 341 00:17:48,968 --> 00:17:50,234 from the crime scene: 342 00:17:50,270 --> 00:17:55,406 Csi has encountered additional problems with the evidence. 343 00:17:55,442 --> 00:17:59,110 - From doing blood spatter analysis 344 00:17:59,145 --> 00:18:02,480 of the high-velocity spatter on the couch and on the wall, 345 00:18:02,515 --> 00:18:05,349 the position in which lisa was shot 346 00:18:05,385 --> 00:18:08,553 indicates that she was sitting up on the couch, 347 00:18:08,588 --> 00:18:13,124 in the center of the couch, and not where she was found. 348 00:18:13,159 --> 00:18:16,394 - The entry wounds, they were all from left to right-- 349 00:18:16,429 --> 00:18:20,264 all three of them-- and from up to down. 350 00:18:20,300 --> 00:18:24,001 Also, on the back of the couch, one could see that there was 351 00:18:24,037 --> 00:18:27,472 a hair swipe pattern from the bloody hair. 352 00:18:27,507 --> 00:18:31,909 So she was moved from the position where she was shot. 353 00:18:36,116 --> 00:18:38,516 - Mark: There's this pornographic tape in the vcr 354 00:18:38,551 --> 00:18:40,118 and the vcr is on. 355 00:18:40,153 --> 00:18:42,420 So, if she's actually watching this tape, 356 00:18:42,455 --> 00:18:45,556 I would expect to find the remote within easy reach, 357 00:18:45,592 --> 00:18:49,994 likely on the couch next to her, but it's not there. 358 00:18:50,029 --> 00:18:53,431 This was a very poorly staged crime scene. 359 00:18:53,466 --> 00:18:56,334 - Rod: It was a massive screw-up on the people that staged it. 360 00:18:56,369 --> 00:18:59,470 It didn't fit the narrative whatsoever. 361 00:18:59,506 --> 00:19:03,207 - Rebecca: Somebody had gone to a lot of trouble to set up 362 00:19:03,243 --> 00:19:07,411 a scenario that made lisa look bad. 363 00:19:07,447 --> 00:19:11,616 - Mark: There was a very strong attempt here 364 00:19:11,651 --> 00:19:14,118 to humiliate lisa. 365 00:19:14,154 --> 00:19:18,189 Humiliate her in death, humiliate her as a person, 366 00:19:18,224 --> 00:19:20,558 humiliate her as a mother. 367 00:19:21,561 --> 00:19:24,362 Now, who would do that? Would a stranger do that? 368 00:19:24,397 --> 00:19:28,099 A stranger doesn't care, they have no connection to lisa. 369 00:19:30,470 --> 00:19:34,005 - Narrator: Coming up, an unexpected love affair 370 00:19:34,040 --> 00:19:36,040 is exposed. 371 00:19:36,075 --> 00:19:38,743 - Police want to know if there'd been some kind 372 00:19:38,778 --> 00:19:41,078 of lover's quarrel. 373 00:19:41,114 --> 00:19:43,314 - Mark: What's his relationship with lisa? 374 00:19:43,349 --> 00:19:45,449 Was there a jealousy component? 375 00:19:45,485 --> 00:19:48,286 - Narrator: And a new piece of evidence reveals 376 00:19:48,321 --> 00:19:50,321 telling statements. 377 00:19:50,356 --> 00:19:54,692 - She decided to secretly tape-record a conversation. 378 00:19:56,763 --> 00:19:59,730 - ♪ 379 00:20:02,301 --> 00:20:05,203 - ♪ 380 00:20:06,673 --> 00:20:08,940 - narrator: Investigators working the murder 381 00:20:08,975 --> 00:20:12,910 of 27-year-old mother of 2, lisa carlson, 382 00:20:12,946 --> 00:20:15,346 have uncovered inconsistent evidence 383 00:20:15,381 --> 00:20:18,549 suggesting a doctored crime scene. 384 00:20:18,585 --> 00:20:20,685 - Rod: When it's a stranger-to-stranger type thing, 385 00:20:20,720 --> 00:20:23,020 or it's a home invasion, they don't move bodies 386 00:20:23,056 --> 00:20:24,922 and pose them such as this. 387 00:20:24,958 --> 00:20:30,361 So, this immediately puts it into some intimacy with somebody 388 00:20:30,396 --> 00:20:32,396 somewhere very close to her 389 00:20:32,432 --> 00:20:35,099 that she's had contact with before. 390 00:20:36,603 --> 00:20:39,670 - Narrator: Investigators don't need to look far for someone 391 00:20:39,706 --> 00:20:42,940 who fits the bill: Lisa's husband, dan, 392 00:20:42,976 --> 00:20:46,043 is still on the scene, and when detectives ask him about 393 00:20:46,079 --> 00:20:50,414 the recent state of his marriage, he drops a bombshell. 394 00:20:50,450 --> 00:20:53,251 - She was planning on leaving him and taking her kids, 395 00:20:53,286 --> 00:20:55,720 taking the two boys and moving away. 396 00:20:57,724 --> 00:21:00,324 - Narrator: Dan tells police that their marital issues 397 00:21:00,360 --> 00:21:03,761 coincided with their financial woes. 398 00:21:03,796 --> 00:21:07,465 - They realized that their marriage had deteriorated 399 00:21:07,500 --> 00:21:11,035 and there was probably no going back. 400 00:21:11,070 --> 00:21:12,603 - Barbara: They hadn't decided what to do 401 00:21:12,639 --> 00:21:16,140 and they couldn't afford to be divorced. 402 00:21:16,175 --> 00:21:20,444 They were just kind of trapped. Or felt trapped. 403 00:21:22,048 --> 00:21:23,781 - Rebecca: The two of them had an arrangement: 404 00:21:23,816 --> 00:21:26,117 They would continue to live at the mobile home, 405 00:21:26,152 --> 00:21:28,119 both of them, with the children, 406 00:21:28,154 --> 00:21:32,790 but that they were informally separated. 407 00:21:32,825 --> 00:21:37,028 - Lisa slept in the bedroom. Dan slept on the couch. 408 00:21:37,063 --> 00:21:40,131 Um, they were not sexually intimate and, according to dan, 409 00:21:40,166 --> 00:21:43,134 hadn't been intimate for 18 months, 410 00:21:43,169 --> 00:21:48,239 so this was really a very stressful relationship. 411 00:21:48,274 --> 00:21:50,441 - Narrator: Dan says that the relationship became 412 00:21:50,476 --> 00:21:53,744 even more stressful when lisa started seeing 413 00:21:53,780 --> 00:21:57,715 dan's childhood friend, shawn mckillop. 414 00:21:57,750 --> 00:22:00,284 - Mark: He was initially daniel's friend. 415 00:22:00,320 --> 00:22:02,353 He developed a relationship with lisa, 416 00:22:02,388 --> 00:22:05,489 first a platonic friendship relationship. 417 00:22:05,525 --> 00:22:07,725 But the longer they were together and the more time 418 00:22:07,760 --> 00:22:11,162 they spent together, I think that the romance developed 419 00:22:11,197 --> 00:22:13,698 between shawn and lisa. 420 00:22:15,068 --> 00:22:17,568 - Narrator: While dan is their immediate focus, 421 00:22:17,603 --> 00:22:23,040 shawn is now on the radar as a potential person of interest. 422 00:22:23,076 --> 00:22:26,210 - Mark: It's clear: Dan has to be ruled in or out. 423 00:22:26,245 --> 00:22:29,080 The first thing police have to do is establish whether 424 00:22:29,115 --> 00:22:31,849 dan actually has an alibi or not. 425 00:22:31,884 --> 00:22:36,120 - Rebecca: Police confirm that dan was at work that day, 426 00:22:36,155 --> 00:22:40,524 that he was late arriving at work and left early. 427 00:22:40,560 --> 00:22:45,763 The police decide fairly early on that dan didn't have 428 00:22:45,798 --> 00:22:50,534 a big enough window of time to have killed lisa 429 00:22:50,570 --> 00:22:54,472 and staged the murder and ransacking of the house 430 00:22:54,507 --> 00:22:55,873 before he left for work. 431 00:22:55,908 --> 00:22:58,042 There just wasn't time to do all of that. 432 00:23:00,546 --> 00:23:02,380 - Narrator: After speaking with dan, 433 00:23:02,415 --> 00:23:04,815 detectives turn their attention to his wife's 434 00:23:04,851 --> 00:23:07,818 new flame, shawn mckillop. 435 00:23:07,854 --> 00:23:10,521 - They have to understand, what motivations does he have? 436 00:23:10,556 --> 00:23:12,423 What's his relationship with lisa? 437 00:23:12,458 --> 00:23:15,426 Was there a jealousy component? 438 00:23:15,461 --> 00:23:18,596 - Police want to know if there'd been some kind 439 00:23:18,631 --> 00:23:23,267 of lover's quarrel, perhaps, between shawn and lisa. 440 00:23:23,302 --> 00:23:24,835 - Narrator: Early the following morning, 441 00:23:24,871 --> 00:23:29,607 detectives arrive at shawn's apartment for a chat. 442 00:23:29,642 --> 00:23:31,609 - Shawn: The police showed up at my front door 443 00:23:31,644 --> 00:23:35,479 at about 6 o'clock in the morning on the 19th of July. 444 00:23:35,515 --> 00:23:38,682 They flashed their badges, and I was in shock. 445 00:23:40,653 --> 00:23:42,520 - Narrator: Shawn sits down with detectives 446 00:23:42,555 --> 00:23:46,757 and openly admits to his love for lisa. 447 00:23:46,793 --> 00:23:48,893 - Shawn: Lisa and I were friends almost immediately. 448 00:23:48,928 --> 00:23:51,929 Dan did a lot of working, so I'd hang out with lisa 449 00:23:51,964 --> 00:23:53,297 and the kids. 450 00:23:53,332 --> 00:23:54,632 Lisa and I maintained a friendship. 451 00:23:54,667 --> 00:23:58,602 And then after they split up-- and I'd known they split up-- 452 00:23:58,638 --> 00:24:00,771 I absolutely fell in love with her. 453 00:24:00,807 --> 00:24:02,473 It wasn't like we were planning it, 454 00:24:02,508 --> 00:24:04,408 it just sort of happened. 455 00:24:04,444 --> 00:24:07,845 She was waiting for the bankruptcy to hit. 456 00:24:07,880 --> 00:24:11,615 That was why they were staying together still. 457 00:24:11,651 --> 00:24:14,652 - Mark: The bankruptcy was just coming to a close. 458 00:24:14,687 --> 00:24:17,755 So, once the bankruptcy was finalized, 459 00:24:17,790 --> 00:24:20,391 that would essentially have released lisa from 460 00:24:20,426 --> 00:24:23,260 all of the debt that they had accumulated, 461 00:24:23,296 --> 00:24:25,329 and I think would have put her into a position 462 00:24:25,364 --> 00:24:27,465 to then file for divorce. 463 00:24:27,500 --> 00:24:30,534 - Narrator: Although shawn sounds smitten with lisa, 464 00:24:30,570 --> 00:24:33,971 detectives can't just take his word for it. 465 00:24:34,006 --> 00:24:35,372 - Shawn: They said, "well, can you account 466 00:24:35,408 --> 00:24:37,741 for your whereabouts in the last 24 hours?" 467 00:24:37,777 --> 00:24:39,877 so, of course, I go to my computer. 468 00:24:39,912 --> 00:24:41,912 I said, "I can not only account for them, 469 00:24:41,948 --> 00:24:43,914 I can give you the chat logs." 470 00:24:43,950 --> 00:24:44,982 my background is it. 471 00:24:45,017 --> 00:24:49,587 That afternoon, I spent several intervening hours 472 00:24:49,622 --> 00:24:54,692 on a number of bulletin board systems online. 473 00:24:56,729 --> 00:24:58,863 - Narrator: After shawn is effectively cleared 474 00:24:58,898 --> 00:25:02,333 as a suspect, he tells investigators that he might 475 00:25:02,368 --> 00:25:06,770 be able to shed some light on lisa's final hours. 476 00:25:06,806 --> 00:25:11,375 - On July 18, the morning that, uh, lisa was killed, 477 00:25:11,410 --> 00:25:13,811 she'd spent the night at shawn's. 478 00:25:13,846 --> 00:25:16,013 - She'd come out the night before 479 00:25:16,048 --> 00:25:18,349 and we'd spent time together, 480 00:25:18,384 --> 00:25:20,851 and she looked at me and she says, "this is it. 481 00:25:20,887 --> 00:25:22,853 "after dan goes to work today, I'm leaving. 482 00:25:22,889 --> 00:25:25,022 "I'm gonna pack up the kids and I'm out. 483 00:25:25,057 --> 00:25:27,691 "and then you and I are gonna-- we're gonna go to your father's 484 00:25:27,727 --> 00:25:30,027 and we'll--we'll get out of here." 485 00:25:30,062 --> 00:25:34,265 - shawn had family in arizona, and it seemed to be a place 486 00:25:34,300 --> 00:25:37,301 where they could relocate and start over. 487 00:25:38,738 --> 00:25:41,272 - Shawn: I said, "great, let's go!" 488 00:25:41,307 --> 00:25:42,806 she told me she loved me. 489 00:25:44,777 --> 00:25:47,678 The last thing I saw... 490 00:25:47,713 --> 00:25:50,481 Was a smile on her face as she drove off. 491 00:25:53,619 --> 00:25:55,920 - Narrator: Shawn suspects that dan would not have been 492 00:25:55,955 --> 00:26:00,057 happy to hear about lisa's impending plan. 493 00:26:00,092 --> 00:26:03,527 - I'm begging her not to say anything to dan. 494 00:26:03,563 --> 00:26:07,398 "just wait for him to leave and leave. 495 00:26:07,433 --> 00:26:10,467 "don't give any heads up, don't give any warning, 496 00:26:10,503 --> 00:26:14,605 because if you say anything, it's only gonna cause a fight." 497 00:26:14,640 --> 00:26:16,807 - narrator: Shawn explains that dan had become 498 00:26:16,842 --> 00:26:20,844 uncharacteristically volatile in recent days. 499 00:26:22,048 --> 00:26:23,747 - Shawn: Dan, according to lisa, 500 00:26:23,783 --> 00:26:25,816 was becoming more and more violent. 501 00:26:25,851 --> 00:26:29,053 According to her, he'd slam things or throw things. 502 00:26:29,088 --> 00:26:31,455 He'd hit her a couple times. 503 00:26:31,490 --> 00:26:34,992 He, uh, of course was verbally and emotionally abusive. 504 00:26:35,027 --> 00:26:37,328 He had started going down a darker road. 505 00:26:39,365 --> 00:26:41,799 - Narrator: Not only does shawn tell detectives about 506 00:26:41,834 --> 00:26:46,637 dan's alleged abuse, but he also seems to have proof. 507 00:26:46,672 --> 00:26:51,842 - After dan had put his hands on lisa's neck, 508 00:26:51,877 --> 00:26:55,879 she decided to secretly tape-record a conversation 509 00:26:55,915 --> 00:26:57,848 with him about it. 510 00:26:57,883 --> 00:27:00,484 - Shawn: When lisa came to me with this tape, 511 00:27:00,519 --> 00:27:02,720 she told me that if anything should happen to her, 512 00:27:02,755 --> 00:27:04,455 it needed to go to the police. 513 00:27:04,490 --> 00:27:06,690 Apparently, he admitted hitting her. 514 00:27:07,827 --> 00:27:10,361 - Rebecca: During that conversation, lisa asks dan 515 00:27:10,396 --> 00:27:11,629 to never hurt her again. 516 00:27:11,664 --> 00:27:13,597 He promises never to hurt the children, 517 00:27:13,633 --> 00:27:16,533 but he doesn't say anything about hurting her in the future. 518 00:27:18,504 --> 00:27:21,138 - Narrator: Police are positive that dan would not have had 519 00:27:21,173 --> 00:27:24,842 enough time to kill lisa and stage the crime scene 520 00:27:24,877 --> 00:27:28,145 before leaving for work, but shawn suspects 521 00:27:28,180 --> 00:27:31,081 that dan didn't act alone. 522 00:27:31,117 --> 00:27:33,817 - My thoughts immediately went to carol. 523 00:27:33,853 --> 00:27:35,986 She ran that family with an iron fist. 524 00:27:36,022 --> 00:27:39,790 I know that dan 525 00:27:39,825 --> 00:27:42,359 would do and say 526 00:27:42,395 --> 00:27:46,530 just about anything if carol asked him to do it. 527 00:27:49,769 --> 00:27:52,002 - Narrator: Coming up, detectives uncover 528 00:27:52,038 --> 00:27:55,506 a mother's deadly obsession. 529 00:27:55,541 --> 00:27:57,041 - She was looking through the windows 530 00:27:57,076 --> 00:27:58,308 and trying to spy on her. 531 00:27:58,344 --> 00:28:01,779 - Shawn: She'd made a comment, "everybody thinks that I'm this 532 00:28:01,814 --> 00:28:03,814 "meek and mild, timid, little lady, 533 00:28:03,849 --> 00:28:07,484 but I can be one real mean bitch if you cross me." 534 00:28:08,888 --> 00:28:11,655 - ♪ 535 00:28:17,396 --> 00:28:19,430 - narrator: Less than a day after the death 536 00:28:19,465 --> 00:28:22,299 of 27-year-old lisa carlson, 537 00:28:22,334 --> 00:28:26,170 her boyfriend, shawn mckillop, tells police that lisa's 538 00:28:26,205 --> 00:28:29,673 estranged husband, dan, and his mother, carol, 539 00:28:29,709 --> 00:28:33,310 are likely behind lisa's murder. 540 00:28:33,345 --> 00:28:37,181 - Carol's relationship to dan is unnaturally close. 541 00:28:37,216 --> 00:28:40,617 - Mark: Everything that daniel did was through his mother. 542 00:28:40,653 --> 00:28:46,023 She essentially controlled his life, ran his life, 543 00:28:46,058 --> 00:28:49,359 told him what to do, when to do it and how to do it. 544 00:28:51,397 --> 00:28:54,364 Carol had no respect for lisa. 545 00:28:54,400 --> 00:28:58,235 She thought that her son should never have married lisa. 546 00:28:58,270 --> 00:29:00,204 - Shawn: Lisa always thought carol was pushy. 547 00:29:00,239 --> 00:29:03,207 Once they moved out to kapowsin, 548 00:29:03,242 --> 00:29:06,243 the pushy became downright manipulative. 549 00:29:06,278 --> 00:29:11,148 She complained that carol was starting to spy on her, 550 00:29:11,183 --> 00:29:13,217 was starting to break into the house, 551 00:29:13,252 --> 00:29:15,586 was starting to rummage through her belongings. 552 00:29:18,691 --> 00:29:19,723 - Narrator: According to shawn, 553 00:29:19,759 --> 00:29:24,094 things only got worse when the twins came along. 554 00:29:24,130 --> 00:29:27,397 - Carol would call the twins her babies. 555 00:29:27,433 --> 00:29:30,100 Now, sometimes grandparents do that, 556 00:29:30,136 --> 00:29:32,569 but it seemed that carol really 557 00:29:32,605 --> 00:29:36,673 looked on these three-year-olds as her children. 558 00:29:36,709 --> 00:29:40,277 - Shawn: I do remember at one point there was an argument, 559 00:29:40,312 --> 00:29:43,113 and carol tries to pick up one of the kids, 560 00:29:43,149 --> 00:29:48,252 and lisa pulls the kid back and says, "that's my child." 561 00:29:48,287 --> 00:29:51,255 and carol says, "don't you dare touch my baby." 562 00:29:51,290 --> 00:29:56,026 and lisa goes, "that's my child. You are the grandparent, 563 00:29:56,061 --> 00:29:59,429 you will touch them when I say you can touch them." 564 00:30:01,133 --> 00:30:04,067 - narrator: Shawn tells police that lisa became convinced 565 00:30:04,103 --> 00:30:07,671 that carol was plotting against her. 566 00:30:07,706 --> 00:30:13,477 - Lisa knew that something was really getting bad and, uh, 567 00:30:13,512 --> 00:30:16,713 she kept her curtains shut because she knew carol 568 00:30:16,749 --> 00:30:19,082 was looking through the windows. 569 00:30:19,118 --> 00:30:21,418 - Narrator: Shawn says that if carol found out 570 00:30:21,453 --> 00:30:25,222 that lisa was planning on taking the kids to arizona, 571 00:30:25,257 --> 00:30:29,326 she might have spurred dan into murderous action. 572 00:30:29,361 --> 00:30:32,596 - Carol is absolutely a master manipulator. 573 00:30:32,631 --> 00:30:35,666 She'd made a comment when I was like 17, 18 years old: 574 00:30:35,701 --> 00:30:38,302 "everybody thinks that I'm this meek and mild, 575 00:30:38,337 --> 00:30:41,638 "timid little lady, but I can be one real mean bitch 576 00:30:41,674 --> 00:30:43,340 if you cross me." 577 00:30:47,446 --> 00:30:49,112 - narrator: Based on shawn's statement, 578 00:30:49,148 --> 00:30:52,583 detectives execute a search warrant at carol's house 579 00:30:52,618 --> 00:30:54,718 on July 22. 580 00:30:54,753 --> 00:30:57,487 Although they don't find a murder weapon, 581 00:30:57,523 --> 00:31:00,157 they discover something of great interest 582 00:31:00,192 --> 00:31:02,192 in the investigation. 583 00:31:02,228 --> 00:31:04,294 - Rebecca: They do find a journal 584 00:31:04,330 --> 00:31:06,330 that carol's been keeping. 585 00:31:06,365 --> 00:31:10,500 She was basically spying on lisa. 586 00:31:10,536 --> 00:31:13,370 - They were almost like reconnaissance. 587 00:31:13,405 --> 00:31:14,304 Times and dates, 588 00:31:14,340 --> 00:31:17,040 "lisa's doing this, lisa's going here." 589 00:31:17,076 --> 00:31:19,776 they were almost like surveillance. 590 00:31:19,812 --> 00:31:23,146 - Rebecca: Carol kept a record of lisa's shortfalls, 591 00:31:23,182 --> 00:31:26,516 and not--not cooking, not cleaning the house, 592 00:31:26,552 --> 00:31:28,518 not taking good care of the kids. 593 00:31:28,554 --> 00:31:33,857 The purpose of carol's journal seemed to be information 594 00:31:33,893 --> 00:31:38,795 that would eventually bolster dan's arguments for custody 595 00:31:38,831 --> 00:31:40,163 for the children. 596 00:31:42,768 --> 00:31:44,668 - Narrator: Reading from carol's journal, 597 00:31:44,703 --> 00:31:49,706 police realize carol wasn't just a passive observer. 598 00:31:49,742 --> 00:31:52,843 - Carol's notebook tells a lot about her relationship 599 00:31:52,878 --> 00:31:54,344 with her son. 600 00:31:54,380 --> 00:31:59,683 She encourages dan to think poorly of his wife. 601 00:31:59,718 --> 00:32:04,688 Her anger towards lisa was down in black and white. 602 00:32:04,723 --> 00:32:06,523 - Narrator: But it's the most recent entries 603 00:32:06,558 --> 00:32:10,193 that truly shock investigators. 604 00:32:10,229 --> 00:32:12,362 - Rebecca: After lisa was murdered, 605 00:32:12,398 --> 00:32:15,732 she even made a note about if her son was arrested, 606 00:32:15,768 --> 00:32:17,634 how much time might he serve. 607 00:32:20,439 --> 00:32:22,239 - Narrator: Although the circumstantial evidence 608 00:32:22,274 --> 00:32:25,442 is overwhelming, investigators need something 609 00:32:25,477 --> 00:32:28,578 more concrete in order to make an arrest. 610 00:32:30,482 --> 00:32:34,518 Detectives hope a conversation with lisa's mother, donna dahm, 611 00:32:34,553 --> 00:32:36,253 might help. 612 00:32:36,288 --> 00:32:40,424 On July 29, donna confirms that she too was aware 613 00:32:40,459 --> 00:32:44,761 of lisa's tumultuous relationship with carol and dan. 614 00:32:44,797 --> 00:32:50,334 - Lisa, she told her that dan was acting crazy and weird. 615 00:32:50,369 --> 00:32:53,737 She was terrified that something was gonna happen to her. 616 00:32:53,772 --> 00:32:57,174 - We were begging her to get out of there as quickly as possible, 617 00:32:57,209 --> 00:32:59,876 but lisa said that she couldn't yet. 618 00:32:59,912 --> 00:33:02,346 - Narrator: Lisa's mother tells police that she had been 619 00:33:02,381 --> 00:33:06,616 so worried, that she called her daughter every afternoon. 620 00:33:06,652 --> 00:33:10,754 But on the day of the murder, lisa never picked up. 621 00:33:10,789 --> 00:33:13,890 - Lisa's mother called and left a message 622 00:33:13,926 --> 00:33:16,626 on the answering machine wondering where lisa was 623 00:33:16,662 --> 00:33:17,794 and trying to reach her. 624 00:33:19,832 --> 00:33:21,832 - Narrator: Detectives pull the tape from the answering 625 00:33:21,867 --> 00:33:25,535 machine for evidence, hoping it might help narrow down 626 00:33:25,571 --> 00:33:27,337 lisa's time of death, 627 00:33:27,373 --> 00:33:29,306 but when they listen to the tape, 628 00:33:29,341 --> 00:33:32,275 they make a curious discovery. 629 00:33:32,311 --> 00:33:34,678 - When the police took the answering machine 630 00:33:34,713 --> 00:33:39,983 to study it, there were carol's two messages basically ranting 631 00:33:40,019 --> 00:33:44,488 at lisa to wake up, but nothing from her mother. 632 00:33:56,602 --> 00:34:00,670 - Mark: There would have been no reason--logical reason-- 633 00:34:00,706 --> 00:34:06,276 for the phone call that lisa's mother had left 634 00:34:06,311 --> 00:34:10,547 to not have been on that recording with carol's messages. 635 00:34:10,582 --> 00:34:12,883 So, that tape was sent off to the fbi lab. 636 00:34:16,655 --> 00:34:19,723 The fbi lab determined that the message 637 00:34:19,758 --> 00:34:23,527 that lisa's mother had left on the tape had been erased 638 00:34:23,562 --> 00:34:29,833 and the messages that carol left had been recorded over the top. 639 00:34:29,868 --> 00:34:32,669 - The answering machine had been tampered with. 640 00:34:32,704 --> 00:34:35,539 - Narrator: There is only one person who investigators 641 00:34:35,574 --> 00:34:38,909 suspect had the motive and opportunity 642 00:34:38,944 --> 00:34:42,345 to tamper with lisa's answering machine. 643 00:34:42,381 --> 00:34:44,815 - Police believed it would have had to have been carol, 644 00:34:44,850 --> 00:34:49,886 had gone on and erased donna's voicemails to lisa and then 645 00:34:49,922 --> 00:34:53,590 had made sure her own voicemails were there. 646 00:34:55,360 --> 00:34:57,427 - Mark: I don't think carol could take the chance that 647 00:34:57,463 --> 00:34:59,696 somebody else's message could be on there 648 00:34:59,731 --> 00:35:03,467 that could then essentially timestamp her into a much, 649 00:35:03,502 --> 00:35:05,569 much tighter box. 650 00:35:05,604 --> 00:35:08,305 - Narrator: This newfound evidence gives investigators 651 00:35:08,340 --> 00:35:11,875 a stronger sense as to the likely roles both dan 652 00:35:11,910 --> 00:35:14,945 and carol played in lisa's murder. 653 00:35:14,980 --> 00:35:17,681 - Mark: In my view, dan was probably 654 00:35:17,716 --> 00:35:19,583 the shooter in this case. 655 00:35:19,618 --> 00:35:23,320 Dan admits to buying a .22 pistol, 656 00:35:23,355 --> 00:35:26,022 but the disposition of that pistol, 657 00:35:26,058 --> 00:35:28,758 it all becomes very fuzzy. 658 00:35:28,794 --> 00:35:30,927 He said he traded away to somebody. 659 00:35:30,963 --> 00:35:33,063 "um, who did you trade it to?" 660 00:35:33,098 --> 00:35:35,765 "uh, I can't remember who it was." 661 00:35:35,801 --> 00:35:37,767 "when did you trade it?" "oh, it was a while ago, 662 00:35:37,803 --> 00:35:39,669 I don't really remember the date." 663 00:35:39,705 --> 00:35:42,873 I just think that's all so curious. 664 00:35:42,908 --> 00:35:45,342 - Rebecca: Police finally concluded that the mastermind 665 00:35:45,377 --> 00:35:48,411 of all this was carol. 666 00:35:50,516 --> 00:35:54,584 - I feel very confident that carol was the one involved 667 00:35:54,620 --> 00:35:57,387 in doing all the staging. 668 00:35:57,422 --> 00:36:01,658 She really hated lisa, so she wanted to humiliate her 669 00:36:01,693 --> 00:36:04,361 and embarrass her even in death. 670 00:36:07,633 --> 00:36:10,133 - Narrator: Coming up, could this murderous pair 671 00:36:10,169 --> 00:36:12,802 get off scot-free? 672 00:36:12,838 --> 00:36:15,105 - Just because you have an arrest, doesn't necessarily 673 00:36:15,140 --> 00:36:17,040 mean you're gonna have a conviction. 674 00:36:17,075 --> 00:36:19,843 - In my view, this was 675 00:36:19,878 --> 00:36:21,878 essentially a travesty of justice. 676 00:36:24,049 --> 00:36:27,350 - ♪ 677 00:36:35,027 --> 00:36:37,260 - ♪ - narrator: Investigators strongly believe that 678 00:36:37,296 --> 00:36:41,531 lisa carlson was murdered by her estranged husband, dan, 679 00:36:41,567 --> 00:36:43,533 and his mother, carol. 680 00:36:43,569 --> 00:36:48,104 However, investigators hold off on making any arrests... 681 00:36:48,140 --> 00:36:50,106 For now. 682 00:36:50,142 --> 00:36:53,610 - We wanted to make sure that we had everything we needed 683 00:36:53,645 --> 00:36:56,446 before swearing out charges against them. 684 00:36:56,481 --> 00:36:58,682 And that took a fair amount of time. 685 00:37:01,286 --> 00:37:03,153 - Narrator: After solidifying their case 686 00:37:03,188 --> 00:37:05,055 for nearly three years, 687 00:37:05,090 --> 00:37:09,292 prosecutors finally decide it's now or never. 688 00:37:09,328 --> 00:37:13,096 - Barbara: What finally led to their arrest was a meeting 689 00:37:13,131 --> 00:37:17,334 with law enforcement where we sat down for several hours, 690 00:37:17,369 --> 00:37:21,137 we couldn't think of anything outstanding that we thought 691 00:37:21,173 --> 00:37:25,675 at that time could build a stronger case. 692 00:37:25,711 --> 00:37:30,280 We were ready to go and we should go for it, and we did. 693 00:37:30,315 --> 00:37:34,084 - Narrator: On July 20, 2001, detectives arrive 694 00:37:34,119 --> 00:37:37,120 at the rainier rehabilitation center in tacoma 695 00:37:37,155 --> 00:37:41,591 to arrest dan and carol carlson. 696 00:37:41,627 --> 00:37:43,793 - Kirby: I found it hard to believe that he had done this. 697 00:37:43,829 --> 00:37:46,396 It was so out of character for him of-- 698 00:37:46,431 --> 00:37:48,632 with the person that I had known. 699 00:37:48,667 --> 00:37:51,368 - Narrator: Both dan and carol carlson are charged 700 00:37:51,403 --> 00:37:54,804 with first-degree murder and face the possibility 701 00:37:54,840 --> 00:37:57,374 of life in prison. 702 00:37:57,409 --> 00:38:00,176 - Shawn: The emotions that were running through my mind 703 00:38:00,212 --> 00:38:03,747 at that point were hesitant elation. 704 00:38:03,782 --> 00:38:06,549 Just because you have an arrest, doesn't necessarily mean 705 00:38:06,585 --> 00:38:08,084 you're gonna have a conviction. 706 00:38:11,156 --> 00:38:13,690 - Narrator: On February 3, 2003, 707 00:38:13,725 --> 00:38:16,192 the joint trial begins. 708 00:38:16,228 --> 00:38:19,829 In opening statements, prosecutors allege that carol 709 00:38:19,865 --> 00:38:23,333 was the mastermind behind the plot to kill 710 00:38:23,368 --> 00:38:24,534 her daughter-in-law. 711 00:38:24,569 --> 00:38:28,138 - Mark: Lisa was gonna take the boys, move out of state, 712 00:38:28,173 --> 00:38:30,440 and carol would not see the babies again. 713 00:38:30,475 --> 00:38:35,612 So, I think that's what put this whole thing in motion. 714 00:38:35,647 --> 00:38:38,481 - Narrator: Prosecutors argue that carol couldn't carry out 715 00:38:38,517 --> 00:38:41,318 the murder on her own. 716 00:38:41,353 --> 00:38:45,355 - Mark: I think she involved dan in the homicide. 717 00:38:45,390 --> 00:38:48,191 "you've got to do this part. 718 00:38:48,226 --> 00:38:51,828 "and the only way that you're gonna be able to keep your boys 719 00:38:51,863 --> 00:38:53,697 is if we get rid of lisa." 720 00:38:57,302 --> 00:39:01,571 - narrator: Prosecutors believe that on July 18, 1998, 721 00:39:01,606 --> 00:39:05,642 dan and carol were ready to execute their plan. 722 00:39:05,677 --> 00:39:08,812 - Carol was there in the morning to visit dan 723 00:39:08,847 --> 00:39:10,847 before lisa ever got home. 724 00:39:10,882 --> 00:39:13,783 - Narrator: When lisa arrived to take care of the kids, 725 00:39:13,819 --> 00:39:17,454 dan asked to have a chat about their impending divorce, 726 00:39:17,489 --> 00:39:19,756 but the moment lisa sat down on the couch, 727 00:39:19,791 --> 00:39:24,361 dan pulled out a .22 and shot lisa three times. 728 00:39:24,396 --> 00:39:27,630 - [gunshots] 729 00:39:29,234 --> 00:39:32,802 - narrator: Then, dan headed off to work while carol came by 730 00:39:32,838 --> 00:39:34,437 to take over. 731 00:39:34,473 --> 00:39:36,506 - Mark: Dan committed the homicide, 732 00:39:36,541 --> 00:39:41,778 but everything else was carol: The staging of the crime scene, 733 00:39:41,813 --> 00:39:44,914 the ransacking of the bedroom, of course, 734 00:39:44,950 --> 00:39:46,383 bringing the children up to her house, 735 00:39:46,418 --> 00:39:48,918 I think that was all her. 736 00:39:48,954 --> 00:39:50,920 Clearly, she's the mastermind. 737 00:39:53,325 --> 00:39:56,459 - Narrator: The defense argues that investigators overlooked 738 00:39:56,495 --> 00:40:00,764 a key piece of evidence: A mysterious white car seen 739 00:40:00,799 --> 00:40:05,635 driving near the carlsons' home on the day of the murder. 740 00:40:05,670 --> 00:40:09,272 - Barbara: Whether or not there was a white vehicle 741 00:40:09,307 --> 00:40:12,842 in the neighborhood that afternoon is unproven. 742 00:40:12,878 --> 00:40:16,846 There's never been a time, never really been any specific 743 00:40:16,882 --> 00:40:20,350 descriptions other than a white vehicle. 744 00:40:20,385 --> 00:40:21,951 It's just one of those things that I think no one 745 00:40:21,987 --> 00:40:24,921 will ever really know. 746 00:40:24,956 --> 00:40:27,924 - Narrator: After nearly two months of testimony, 747 00:40:27,959 --> 00:40:31,728 the prosecution finally rests its case. 748 00:40:31,763 --> 00:40:34,964 - The jury was out for a very long time, 749 00:40:35,000 --> 00:40:39,502 and they came back and convicted them both. 750 00:40:39,538 --> 00:40:44,707 The court sentenced them to 37 years, which 751 00:40:44,743 --> 00:40:48,778 for individuals who had not previously been convicted 752 00:40:48,814 --> 00:40:52,916 of any felony crimes at all, was a high sentence. 753 00:40:54,619 --> 00:40:57,987 - Shawn: I felt justice had been served. 754 00:40:58,023 --> 00:40:59,989 I felt sad for the boys. 755 00:41:00,025 --> 00:41:05,662 I felt...Disgust for carol. 756 00:41:05,697 --> 00:41:08,698 - Narrator: But justice for lisa is short-lived. 757 00:41:08,733 --> 00:41:10,900 In may of 2006, 758 00:41:10,936 --> 00:41:14,804 the appeals court makes a critical decision. 759 00:41:14,840 --> 00:41:16,473 - Rebecca: The case is overturned, 760 00:41:16,508 --> 00:41:19,375 all on the basis of the search warrant 761 00:41:19,411 --> 00:41:23,046 of carol's property, which turned up her journal. 762 00:41:23,081 --> 00:41:26,783 The police at the time did not have the correct search warrant. 763 00:41:26,818 --> 00:41:29,486 They didn't have the legal right to take her journal, 764 00:41:29,521 --> 00:41:32,655 which a lot of the case had been built on. 765 00:41:32,691 --> 00:41:36,359 So the verdicts were thrown out. 766 00:41:37,762 --> 00:41:39,729 - Mark: The pierce county district attorney's office 767 00:41:39,764 --> 00:41:41,731 was prepared to try them again. 768 00:41:41,766 --> 00:41:44,667 And I was prepared to testify again. 769 00:41:44,703 --> 00:41:46,836 - Narrator: But before dan and carol step foot 770 00:41:46,872 --> 00:41:48,805 in front of a new jury, 771 00:41:48,840 --> 00:41:51,975 the case takes an unexpected turn. 772 00:41:52,010 --> 00:41:56,312 - It was very close to a second trial when, um, 773 00:41:56,348 --> 00:41:58,815 I was notified that there would be no trial, 774 00:41:58,850 --> 00:42:01,684 that their--a plea agreement had been reached. 775 00:42:04,756 --> 00:42:07,423 - Rebecca: Dan pled to second-degree murder 776 00:42:07,459 --> 00:42:11,427 and then received a reduced sentence of 23 years. 777 00:42:11,463 --> 00:42:14,030 Carol pled guilty to second-degree assault 778 00:42:14,065 --> 00:42:16,966 and sexually tampering with a body. 779 00:42:17,002 --> 00:42:18,902 She was sentenced to nine years. 780 00:42:20,505 --> 00:42:22,772 - Shawn: I was disgusted at how little carol 781 00:42:22,807 --> 00:42:24,040 was going to receive. 782 00:42:24,075 --> 00:42:26,776 I knew full well that with time served, 783 00:42:26,811 --> 00:42:31,347 it meant she was probably going to get out fairly soon. 784 00:42:31,383 --> 00:42:33,049 That didn't feel right. 785 00:42:33,084 --> 00:42:36,085 - Mark: Carol basically got out with time served. 786 00:42:36,121 --> 00:42:39,589 In my view, this was, uh, 787 00:42:39,624 --> 00:42:41,958 essentially, a travesty of justice. 788 00:42:41,993 --> 00:42:44,928 - Narrator: Now, lisa's family is forced to accept 789 00:42:44,963 --> 00:42:49,465 the disheartening reality that no only is lisa gone, 790 00:42:49,501 --> 00:42:54,637 but one of her suspected killers is enjoying her freedom. 791 00:42:54,673 --> 00:42:56,706 - Kirby: The situation is extremely sad. 792 00:42:56,741 --> 00:42:59,709 It's not something that you can really wrap your heard around 793 00:42:59,744 --> 00:43:01,678 and make sense of. 794 00:43:01,713 --> 00:43:04,113 - Shawn: I think about lisa all the time. 795 00:43:04,149 --> 00:43:07,016 Her smile. Her laugh. 796 00:43:07,052 --> 00:43:09,752 Her infectious personality. 797 00:43:09,788 --> 00:43:11,588 She was a wonderful person. 798 00:43:12,824 --> 00:43:24,400 - ♪