"You'd think that if she left with someone forcibly or not and she was okay, she would have come back for her car." — Britt
"Dude was a little notorious for going to prison, getting out on parole, and then committing more crimes while out on parole." — Britt
"The defense claims the consensual sex Carolyn and Dennis allegedly had could have been the reason for her blood to be on the watch and in the trucks since it was such a small amount." — Britt
The episode details the baffling disappearance of Carolyn Killaby in November 1995, beginning with her husband Daniel reporting her missing after she failed to return home. Initial investigations focused on her last known location, Omar's Steakhouse and Lounge, where she was last seen visibly distressed and drinking heavily. A key figure, Dennis Smith, emerged as a person of interest after recounting a story involving a mysterious man abducting Carolyn. However, Smith's inconsistent statements and suspicious behavior, including visible blood smears and a subsequent, drastically altered state of his truck, raised significant alarms for law enforcement.
As the investigation progressed, crucial information about Dennis Smith's past emerged: he was a convicted murderer who had repeatedly violated parole. The discovery of hydrocarbons in the burnt foam from his truck seat, indicating an intentionally set fire, and trace amounts of Carolyn's blood found on his watch and in his truck, provided critical forensic evidence. This, coupled with testimony from a former inmate detailing Smith's methods for disposing of bodies and evidence, led to his arrest and subsequent conviction for aggravated first-degree murder, kidnapping, and rape.
Despite the conviction, the case remains unresolved in the sense that Carolyn Killaby's remains have never been found. The narrative highlights the systemic failures that allowed Dennis Smith to repeatedly re-enter society despite his violent history and parole violations, leading to Carolyn's death. The episode concludes by underscoring the lasting grief for Carolyn's family and the ongoing pursuit of closure, even as Smith died by suicide in prison before revealing the location of her body.