I’m reading the wikipedia article for Melvin Carr (suspected killer of the two Williams women in 1967) in the Suspected crimes section. Earlier in the article, it says that ten years after in 1977, Carr was found dead after killing three people that were found in the trunk of his car. He killed them with carbon monoxide poisoning from the vehicle, and Carr was also found dead at the scene (outside the car in his garage), suspected of dying inadvertently from the carbon monoxide as he was killing them. This is “The discovery” in the quote below:
en.wikipedia.org
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The discovery prompted police to investigate other murders in the area for which Carr may have been responsible. One suspicious case was the disappearance of Lois Williams, 35, and her daughter Karen, 17. On the night of January 25–26, 1967, Lois and Karen disappeared from their apartment in Indianapolis.
[14][15] Lois's vehicle was found abandoned at a service station owned by Carr with mud on the tires; no blood was found at the scene, and nothing was reported missing from their apartment.
[16]
After their disappearance, police suspected Carr's involvement and brought him in for questioning; however, he was released due to insufficient evidence.
[14] According to a letter Lois wrote to her father, Carr had raped her and attempted to buy her silence for $10,000.
[17] In 1977, police excavated Carr's backyard and garage in an unsuccessful attempt to locate the remains of the two women.
[9][13]
According to Carr's then-neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Campbell, on the evening of January 25, 1967, they witnessed him leaving the service station with Lois. He returned two hours later, telling them that Lois had gone to a bar and wouldn't come out. The following morning, Carr's father ran to the neighbors and said that someone had robbed and beaten Melvin. He was in a daze, soaking wet, and covered with sand. After guiding Carr to his bedroom, the neighbors wanted to call the police, but Carr protested. Upon visiting the service station—the supposed site of the robbery—the door was found to be still locked from overnight, and nothing was moved besides Carr's vehicle, which had been washed thoroughly.
[5]
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So if Melvin Carr got away with the Williams mother/daughter crime, even though the mother wrote a letter claiming she was raped by Carr and offered hush money and other incriminating circumstances, it would be a stretch to suspect anyone else.
To suspect someone else, you’d almost have to think the letter writer forged Lois Williams letter or forced Williams to write it) - or that Ms. Williams and daughter were unlucky to be the victim of two different killers in the area - and one knew about the other one. I’m wondering if LE suspected Ms. Williams skipped town with her daughter (but never again got in touch with her father who the Carr-incriminating letter was sent to.) Too hard to believe.
Strange and puzzling case. Again, thanks!
