Murder in the Heartland is investigating the savage murder of Darole Carpenter, who was killed at his home in Emmett, Idaho in 2013, by Douglas Anderson. The murder appears to have been motivated purely by greed.
On July 8, 2013, US Navy veteran Carpenter was beaten and stabbed to death in the garage of his home. The 78-year-old cowboy and horse saddler had been killed with items from around his garage, including a two-by-four board and a crowbar. An autopsy determined that he had been bashed in the head up to 12 times.
The killer was Douglas Anderson, and he had resorted to extreme violence in an attempt to silence Carpenter because the veteran had recently learned he’d been swindled out of $30,000. Carpenter had given Anderson the money as part of an investment in cattle and hay, but the ******* had kept the money all for himself.
When Anderson realized his crime was about to be uncovered, he went to Carpenter’s home, murdered him, and stole his truck. He then sold the vehicle and pocketed the money himself.
DNA evidence helped convict Douglas Anderson for murder
Thankfully, the cops were able to build a solid case against Anderson. They obtained video footage that proved his car had been at Carpenter’s home at the time of the murder. And a search of the vehicle uncovered a spot of Carpenter’s blood, which was later verified by DNA testing.
The cops further learned that Anderson had also conned another couple from Salmon, ID, out of their life savings of $256,000. He had also promised them that he would invest their money in hay and cattle.
In 2014, Anderson pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and theft by false promise and was sentenced to 30 years for the murder and 14 for the theft. The sentences were set to run concurrently.
Watch the Latest on our YouTube ChannelAt his sentencing, Anderson apologized to Carpenter’s family and claimed: “I used to read the Bible, but I didn’t live it. I got caught up in money and greed, and I was selfish.”
More from Murder in the Heartland
Follow the links to read about more murders in America’s heartland.
In 2016, Tromain Mackall left a party that straddled the borders of Ohio and Daviess Counties in Kentucky and was never seen alive again. The cops concluded that he had been kidnapped and strangled by William Howard, who was aided and abetted by Melanie Howard and Christopher Hill.
The marriage of Stacy and Dene Shoemaker was in serious trouble. And on one faithful morning, Dene shot his wife twice in the head and then tried to make the crime scene look like a home invasion.
Murder in the Heartland airs at 8/7c on Investigation Discovery.