I Have Killed For You

Summary

Podcast Summary: "I Have Killed For You" – 20/20 by ABC News

Episode Information:

• Title: I Have Killed For You
• Release Date: June 7, 2025
• Host/Author: ABC News
• Description: This episode delves into the harrowing true crime case of Bonnie Woodward's disappearance, the subsequent investigation, and the eventual conviction of Roger Carroll. It explores family dynamics, investigative challenges, and courtroom drama, providing an in-depth look into a case that captivated a small Illinois town.

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1. Introduction to the Case

The episode opens with the disappearance of Bonnie Woodward, a 47-year-old nurse’s aide from Dalton, Illinois. Bonnie's sudden vanishing act set off alarm bells in her community, given her consistent work ethic and reliable nature.

Narrator [02:31]: "47 years old, worked at the nursing home for over 25 years, I believe, and just a woman who was reliable."

2. Bonnie Woodward’s Disappearance

Bonnie was last seen on June 25, 2010, after finishing her shift at Unismith Nursing Home around 3 PM. Her red Chevy Avalanche remained parked with windows down, an unusual sight for someone who cherished her vehicle.

Narrator [02:44]: "She went to work, she worked her shift and then would come home to her children every night, as well as Gary Wilmerth, who she was dating at the time."

When Bonnie failed to return home or for work the next morning, her coworkers noticed the abnormal state of her car, prompting Gary Wilmerth, her boyfriend, to report her missing.

3. Initial Investigation and Suspects

Detectives initially focused on Bonnie's immediate circle:

• Gary Wilmerth: Bonnie’s boyfriend of seven years. Despite attempts to contact Bonnie post-disappearance, his calls went unanswered. During a police interview, Gary appeared cooperative, even passing a polygraph test.

Gary Wilmerth [08:23]: "Bonnie was loving my life and she was a good-hearted woman and I mean she put up with me and I mean that wasn't easy."

• Chester McAdams: Bonnie’s ex-boyfriend with a criminal background. Multiple witnesses identified him as a potential suspect due to his tumultuous relationship with Bonnie.

Narrator [14:28]: "Bonnie started to see him and then I showed back up in the picture and ran him off me."

Despite thorough inquiries, Chester alibied himself at work, eliminating him as a primary suspect.

4. Heather Woodward’s Disappearance

Complicating the case was the disappearance of Heather Woodward, Bonnie's 17-year-old stepdaughter, reported missing over a week before Bonnie. Heather had been vocal about an unhappy home life and had recently moved in with her teacher, Christine Scheffel, citing abuse at home.

Heather Woodward [20:17]: "Sometimes I just couldn't do it no more."

5. Reappearance of Heather Woodward

Eight days after Bonnie vanished, Heather unexpectedly returned, prompting renewed scrutiny. Heather was found at a library, exhibiting behavior inconsistent with her age, clutching a teddy bear, and expressing fear.

Heather Woodward [26:45]: "I didn't know Bonnie was going to go missing."

6. The Carroll Family Investigation

The investigation shifted focus to the Carroll family, particularly Roger Carroll and his son Nathan. Multiple police sightings placed Bonnie with a man fitting Roger's profile, raising suspicions.

Investigator [36:18]: "He's in his 40s with the brownish gray hair, 5'10ish. His primary car is a silver 2005 Chevrolet Malibu, which is the suspect vehicle description."

Fingerprints of Roger were found on Bonnie’s abandoned truck, but without direct evidence linking him to the disappearance, the case remained unresolved for years.

7. Grand Jury Testimony and Breakthrough

After eight years, a newly appointed prosecutor, Jennifer Mudge, reopened the cold case. A pivotal moment occurred when Nathan Carroll, Roger’s 16-year-old son at the time, testified against his father.

Nathan Carroll [66:51]: "He loaded Bonnie's body into a bucket loader... and they started a massive fire."

Nathan's detailed and emotionally charged testimony provided the necessary evidence to charge Roger with first-degree murder.

8. Trial Proceedings

The trial was marked by intense courtroom drama. The prosecution relied heavily on Nathan's testimony, forensic evidence, and the presence of Roger’s fingerprints on Bonnie's vehicle. However, the defense targeted inconsistencies in Nathan's story and questioned the validity of the bone fragments found at the Carroll property.

Prosecutor [70:32]: "A man linked in 2010 to the disappearance of Bonnie Woodward today has been charged with her murder."

9. Verdict and Sentencing

After five days of deliberation, the jury found Roger Carroll guilty of first-degree murder. During sentencing, Roger maintained his innocence despite overwhelming evidence.

Roger Carroll [82:23]: "I don't have anything to be sorry for. I won't apologize because I've done nothing wrong."

He was sentenced to 40 years in prison for murder, plus an additional 25 years for the firearm enhancement.

10. Appeals and Ongoing Developments

Roger Carroll appealed his conviction, challenging the sufficiency of the evidence, particularly the inconclusive DNA results from the bone fragments.

Narrator [83:31]: "Bonnie Woodward's killer, Roger Carroll, is appealing his conviction."

The case remains a poignant reminder of the complexities in solving cold cases and the enduring quest for justice by the affected families.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Gary Wilmerth [08:23]: "Bonnie was loving my life and she was a good-hearted woman."

• Heather Woodward [26:45]: "I didn't know Bonnie was going to go missing."

• Nathan Carroll [66:51]: "He loaded Bonnie's body into a bucket loader... and they started a massive fire."

• Roger Carroll [82:23]: "I don't have anything to be sorry for. I won't apologize because I've done nothing wrong."

Conclusion

"I Have Killed For You" offers a comprehensive exploration of Bonnie Woodward's disappearance, the intertwined family dynamics, and the meticulous investigative efforts that ultimately led to Roger Carroll's conviction. Through personal testimonies and forensic evidence, the episode underscores the challenges of resolving long-standing missing persons cases and the relentless pursuit of truth by law enforcement and affected families.

Transcript

[Narrator]

What is dadication? The thing that drives me every day.

[Investigator]

As a dad is Dariona. We call him Dae Dae for short. Every day he's hungry for something, whether it's attention, affection, knowledge.

[Narrator]

And there's this huge responsibility in making sure that when he's no longer under.

[Investigator]

My wing that he's a good person. I want him to be able to.

[Narrator]

Sit back one day and go, we worked together. We did a good job. That's dadication. Find out [e-mail] brought to you by the U.S. department of Health and Human Services and the Ad Council. An all new 2020 starts right now.

[Investigator]

Family secrets are spilling out.

[Narrator]

Bunny My daddy.

[Investigator]

A teenager with a strange demeanor. She's clutching a teddy bear.

[Narrator]

How can she be actually 18 years.

[Investigator]

Of age and an even stranger story about her missing mother.

[Narrator]

I didn't know Bonnie was going to go missing. Something happened to her. She didn't just disappear on her own free will.

[Investigator]

So you knew something was really wrong?

[Narrator]

Pretty much. She ever disappeared before? No. Whoever has my sister, please let her go. Maybe somebody saw her somewhere. At a bus station, at a train station, in a cab at the mall. Nathan, you've agreed to walk us through a few areas. We're running out of time, he said.

[Investigator]

At times I feel like I have.

[Narrator]

The devil living inside me.

[Investigator]

Turns out Bonnie wasn't the only missing person in that household.

[Narrator]

Police at Alta need the public's help finding a missing woman. Bonnie Woodward was last seen Friday afternoon.

[Investigator]

It's a missing persons case that will confound an Illinois community, flooding seasoned investigators with no shortage of witnesses, and then possibly tried to get rid of her. You know, these interviews happening in this room right here, focusing on one person, one mother of four, whose sudden and perplexing disappearance sets off alarm bells. It all started at the end of a day shift one afternoon in June.

[Narrator]

Bonnie Woodward got off around 3pm that day. She was working at what was called Unismith Nursing Home here in Dalton. It was a normal day of work for her.

[Investigator]

47 years old, worked at the nursing home for over 25 years, I believe, and just a woman who was reliable. Being a nurse's aide is. That's a lot of caregiving.

[Narrator]

She had forever.

[Investigator]

She loved what she did.

[Narrator]

She went to work, she worked her shift and then would come home to her children every night, as well as Gary Wilmerth, who she was dating at the time. Gary knew that she had some sort of staff meeting after work from two to three, so he really wasn't expecting her home until you know, 3:34.

[Investigator]

That boyfriend, Gary Wilmerth, says he tries getting a hold of Bonnie around 4:00, but his call goes straight to voicemail. Your call has been forwarded to an automatic voice message system. Everybody was like, she would call if she was following. Five minutes. Oh no, she was.

[Narrator]

Everything she did was on a schedule. Nobody had seen her. This was very abnormal for Bonnie. She was always in communication with her family. After she didn't return home, her family members, they reached out, they tried to call her, they tried to text her, and no response.

[Investigator]

And by the next morning, when Bonnie doesn't show up for work, her co workers are alarmed by something they see in the parking lot.

[Narrator]

Her red Chevy Avalanche was still parked at the nursing home, had not moved from. Windows had been down even during the overnight hours. She loved that truck. She worked really hard to get that truck. She absolutely loved it. So she wouldn't have just left it. At that point it was clear that there was something wrong. And Gary reported her disappearance to our department the morning of the 26th. When we work on the missing person and we're dealing with an adult, you have to keep in mind the possibility if they just want to take a break, they want to get away from family and friends and that's natural. Also, I have to look into what's usual and what's their history.

[Investigator]

Detectives assigned to the case soon learn that 47 year old Bonnie Woodward is a force of nature.

[Narrator]

Bonnie survived breast cancer. She was a fierce mother to four children.

[Investigator]

Bonnie has two grown children from her first marriage, Joseph, who's 28, and Jennifer, 26. Bonnie is also mom to two step kids, Heather and Erin. She adopted them after their father, Bonnie's third husband, passed away.

[Narrator]

Heather was about 17 years old at this time and Erin was special needs and she cared for him every day.

[Investigator]

Bonnie is also a devoted grandmother. She grew up as one of nine siblings, so she has a large extended family. What kind of aunt was she?

[Narrator]

She was the aunt that took a second to actually listen to you if something was going on.

[Investigator]

And she had a big personality.

[Narrator]

Oh yeah. No, huge personality. Very loving. Her house is where a lot of the cousins all congregated. She had this little case in her.

[Investigator]

Living room and she'd have little figurines.

[Narrator]

And random stuff that had dolphins on it. None of it made sense to me. But she loved him.

[Investigator]

So she was the social hub, kind of.

[Narrator]

Yeah. She kind of liked having everybody around.

[Investigator]

So you knew something was really wrong.

[Narrator]

Pretty much. With the clock ticking, the Alton detectives start their Missing person investigation where you'd expect at the last place she was reportedly seen.

[Investigator]

This is where Bonnie worked?

[Narrator]

Yes, this Unismith Nursing Home.

[Investigator]

And she was a very consistent employee.

[Narrator]

Yes. Didn't miss any work at and certainly wouldn't miss without calling in.

[Investigator]

And so where was her car parked?

[Narrator]

It was in the spots here.

[Investigator]

And the windows were rolled down?

[Narrator]

Yeah, windows were rolled down. So you would have to imagine that she expected to come back to the vehicle back here.

[Investigator]

Presumably no surveillance was captured.

[Narrator]

No, at that time there was no surveillance back here that we could rely on. Without any surveillance footage, officers are hopeful that Bonnie's car may actually give them some clues as to may or may not have happened. The vehicle, there's no significant damage to it or anything like that that would cause us any alarm. And upon looking at the inside, there was no evidence of a struggle. So we ended up having this vehicle towed to our police department, secured until we could process it and also dust it for prints. One of the early things was how Bonnie Woodward was really regular with cashing her paycheck. The day she disappeared was payday and she would, every time she was paid on Fridays, she would take that check to the bank.

[Investigator]

That was ritual.

[Narrator]

Ritual? The check never got cash. She never went to the bank.

[Investigator]

Nothing happened with any of her phone, Social media, bank accounts all went dead as of 4pm that day.

[Narrator]

And so then we have to look at what other troubles that she may have in her life. We have to look at prior relationships. We have to look at Gary Wilmer, her current boyfriend.

[Investigator]

And so what did you find when you dug into Gary's background?

[Narrator]

Gary's got a colorful past. He's a convicted felon and they've had some domestic issues. And just for the record, sir, what is your name? Your full name? Jerry J R Y Wilmer. W I L M U R T H Bonnie was loving my life and she was a good hearted woman and I mean she put up with me and I mean that wasn't easy.

[Investigator]

When Gary's talking to police, he tells them that they've been an on and off couple for about 7 years.

[Narrator]

Everything good over the past 10 months between you two ever any arguments or fights or anything less little money problem, you know, cause constructing slow. Right. But we've been working it. I mean, I'm not a good boy. I mean, I've had a record myself in the past. I paid my time and Bonnie knew that. Bonnie still loved me. She didn't care what I did in my past. And these cops sure did have you heard anything from her at all since she, Bonnie's daughter Jennifer alibi him at home, and Gary was waiting for her to get home because she said they were both there the whole day together. And ultimately he did end up doing a polygraph examination and passed it.

[Investigator]

But as investigators start talking to Bonnie's coworkers, they learn she was last seen getting into a strange car with an unknown man. I guess I had never seen the man before. The police wondered, could Bonnie be having an affair or was it something worse?

[Narrator]

Nothing is out of the realm of possibility. How did she know this person? I mean, mom had to have known the person she got into the car with.

[Investigator]

Going into its third day, a baffling mystery is unfolding in Alton, Illinois, a river town outside St. Louis. Nurses aide and mom of four, Bonnie Woodward, vanishes in broad daylight just before her 48th birthday.

[Narrator]

Alton. It's a nice little town. It's situated on the Mississippi river and the Illinois River. It has a vibrant downtown, a lot of history, and it's a great place to live and work.

[Investigator]

So with no sign of Bonnie anywhere, her family goes to the media. Her older brother tearfully pleading with the public.

[Narrator]

I want my sister. Somebody please call us and let us know what's going on. We don't know nothing. Nobody wanted this case solved more than her siblings. Whoever has my sister, please let her go.

[Investigator]

Bonnie's sister Rebecca and her niece Rachel, don't hesitate to join in on the efforts making the 700 mile drive to Alton from their home in Louisiana. Why were you concerned enough to get in the car and start driving?

[Narrator]

Well, because she wouldn't just knock them home. I just remember having a stack of flyers and going around and putting them on every telephone pole that I could. The police naturally talked to the people that had last seen Bonnie. Can I get your last name, boy?

[Investigator]

B A U S I L Y.

[Narrator]

Wanda Bosley was one of the co workers that worked with Bonnie at the Eunice Smith nursing home. We have to find out how Bonnie was during the day. Was she acting appropriate? Was she, you know, upset about anything? Okay. And so you, you went into this meeting, she was in the meeting. You got out around 3 o' clock. And you, what did you. What happened then?

[Investigator]

So, well, at first, like in the meeting, I just want to say Bonnie's. When she talks, she's loud. And she seemed different to me. She was quiet and her voice was.

[Narrator]

More mellow like mine now.

[Investigator]

And I remember thinking, ma' am, Bonnie seems a little different. So after that staff meeting, Wanda says She headed to the back parking lot to get into her car. Out of the corner of her eye, she spots Bonnie. And she's not alone. She was standing like say if this.

[Narrator]

Is the back of her truck.

[Investigator]

The guy was standing here and I was looking and Bonnie had walked up the side of her truck to the driver's door and the guy was just standing there. I didn't see anything strange, but it kind of seemed strange because I guess I had never seen the man before.

[Narrator]

Can you describe the guy for me?

[Investigator]

He was a white male. He looked like he wasn't very tall.

[Narrator]

Maybe five eight, five nine or so.

[Investigator]

He was like a medium sized guy. His hair was a salt and pepper more grayer than black.

[Narrator]

Turns out Wanda is not the only co worker to have witnessed this strange sighting. Multiple people report to police seeing this mystery man sitting in a gray or silver sedan similar to a Chevy Malibu, waiting for Bonnie to get out of her staff meeting. So the gray Chevy Malibu is directly to the right of her vehicle.

[Investigator]

Plenty of people saw him.

[Narrator]

Yeah. After the meeting, people would see her interacting with him outside both vehicles and ultimately got into the car with him. She did get into the car willingly and it did not appear that she was forced or anything like that. Police in Alton need the public's help finding a missing woman. 48 year old Bonnie Woodward. The information regarding the person that people had seen on that parking lot was crucial.

[Investigator]

She reportedly was seen talking to someone.

[Narrator]

Inside a gray or silver Chevy Malibu. So talking to the family and friends. Did anybody like a past relationship match the description? You don't know anybody off the top of your head that would have a silver Malibu. Her ex boyfriend, Chester. Mike Adams. Chester's dad has a 2009 Impala. If you put Impala and the Malibu side by side, there's just a little bit of difference. It'd be hard to tell the difference. That's true. Who does this guy sound like to you? You know what I mean? Chester McAdams. That's the only guy I can figure out that fits the description. That's. It's Chester. I mean, I don't like to pinpoint a guy out, but Chester fits every description. And like the silver Impala, his dad has a silver Apollo. Do you know that for sure? Yeah, because he used to date my mom.

[Investigator]

Chester McAdams peaks the detective. Detective's interest not only because he dated Bonnie for a year, but he also has an extensive criminal record.

[Narrator]

Bonnie started to see him and then I showed back up in the picture and ran him off me And Bonnie's been together probably seven or more years. We parted about a little over two years. And that's when she got with that Chester guy. You and Chester ever have words? Oh, big time. Big time. Hate each other. Oh, fist fights. I run into him at the bar. He was mad because me and Bonnie got back together, so I kind of thought maybe he was upset and might have did something to her. And, sir, for the record, I just need your last name. McAdam. Capital M, small C, capital A, D, A M, S. And your first, sir? Chester. With Chester, it was a very rocky relationship that Bonnie had with him. We'd break up, she'd kick me out, and I'd be gone for a week or so, and then I'd be moved back in. I've been down that road. Okay, so then, you know, that would be two or three months, and then I'd be kicked out again and back and forth. And then about two months before Gary got out, she kicked me out. And then next thing I know, Gary's living there. The family largely was saying, hey, you guys need to look at Chester McAdams. When we found Chester McAdams. He's got a beard. He's got a ponytail.

[Investigator]

Chester clearly doesn't match the description of the man co workers saw days earlier in the parking lot with Bonnie. But what about that tip from Bonnie's daughter Jennifer, who said Chester's father drives a silver Chevy Impala? Detectives want to talk it over with father and son.

[Narrator]

Do you ever drive his truck or Impala or anything like that? Do you ever allow him to borrow it for any reason? No, I would never ask my dad to borrow his vehicle. He'd say no. I'd say no right off the bat. So don't even bother asking. Don't even bother asking. Well, I mean, we're investigating this missing purge. It could be more than missing. I mean, we could have a big problem, and it could be nothing. It could be nothing, right? I hope it's nothing. Chester McAdams was willing and cooperative with us. Ultimately did not have direct access to a vehicle that was like that. And also, we checked in with his employer, and they confirmed that he was at work. So that was a dead end for us. The family of a missing Alton woman is now offering a $5,000 reward to anyone who can find her. You have crime in this area, but you don't have missing adults. Too often we have people that run away, but they're always found. But this one, she just fell off the face of the earth. We need to find my sister. We're running out of time. Everybody knows. The first three days is critical.

[Investigator]

With both Gary and Bonnie's ex cleared, detectives are hitting walls left and right. But they're about to be floored by some information that reveals a disturbing coincidence in the Woodward family. Turns out Bonnie wasn't the only missing person in that household.

[Narrator]

Correct. I mean, my daddy.

[Investigator]

Bonnie Woodward's disappearance is the talk of the small town in Illinois. She called home. Bonnie Woodward has been missing.

[Narrator]

Friends and family were gathering to pray for her return. We need to find mother, sister. We're running out of time.

[Investigator]

Investigators are frustrated and increasingly concerned.

[Narrator]

We were doing missing person flyers, talking to local media. We were trying to push this out there as much as we can. Maybe somebody saw her somewhere at a bus station, at a train station, in a cab, at the mall. We're trying to get any kind of lead that'll take us where we need to go.

[Investigator]

But they're all kind of wild goose chases.

[Narrator]

Right.

[Investigator]

It's as if she's vanished into thin air.

[Narrator]

Right. It wasn't without leads, somebody would say they saw somebody similar in Pontoon Beach, Applebee's in Kansas City. But none of them appeared to have much merit. We had to expand our investigation and look into everything about her life that was going on at that time.

[Investigator]

You discover. Wait, she's not the only missing person in that household.

[Narrator]

Right, Right. It turns out that her stepdaughter, Heather Woodward, had been reported missing to the East Alton police department more than a week before. East Alton police department, which is a separate police department from ours. So we were not aware of that at the time that Bonnie went missing. There was nothing, 100% that told us that the two were linked. So at that point, we're having to do a dual investigation.

[Investigator]

This is a huge coincidence in a small town that a mother and stepdaughter go missing in the same house. Huge.

[Narrator]

Huge.

[Investigator]

Remember, Heather Woodward is Bonnie's 17 year old stepdaughter. Bonnie adopted Heather and her brother Aaron after their dad passed away when Heather was just 8.

[Narrator]

After Bonnie adopted them, it was made very abundantly clear they're in the family. Like those are her kids.

[Investigator]

The house is a busy one with Bonnie's adult daughter Jennifer and her two little girls, plus Heather, Aaron and boyfriend Gary, all living under one roof. And the family tells detectives there was friction between Heather and Bonnie.

[Narrator]

It was an unhappy teenager and it was a stepmom giving her chores to do. And there was a little resistance. At some point, they argue and Heather wants to Move out. And Bonnie initially doesn't resist the idea. Our investigation revealed that around June 10, Heather went with her teacher. That was Christine Scheffel. And Bonnie knew about this.

[Investigator]

That teacher pictured in the high school yearbook along with Heather. Heather moved in with her just two weeks before Bonnie vanished. And now that both Bonnie and Heather are missing, investigators have lots of questions.

[Narrator]

I'm here with the Christine Sheffield. I wanted to get the history of how she became engaged with Heather's life. And then the number one question is, where is she now? She was last with you. Where is she at? I had heather in Alpha 1 class as a freshman for the entire year. She has been very vocal to myself and all the other teachers of the abuse that goes on at home. Things like being slapped or thrown against a wall or woke up at three in the morning to wash every dish in the house. Just plain crazy stuff. And who's the one she's alleging that does all this? Ronnie, we knew that East Alton Police department was aware of these reports and we could not get anything to substantiate these reports.

[Investigator]

Heather painted a picture of your aunt as being abusive. What do you make of those allegations of abuse?

[Narrator]

I can't see it. I can see her being loud with anybody, child or not. Like just being vocal, but not abusive.

[Investigator]

Like there was no way.

[Narrator]

Heather has been telling everyone for over a year that when she turns 18, she will be kicked out. She called and said that I'm getting kicked out and I need you to come get me. The teachers. I believe her heart was in the right place as she's trying to help this 17 year old child. Bonnie called us and wanted Heather back, so. And I did tell her she had to go back home. She cried most of the night. And then whenever you came back on the 17th, she was gone. Right.

[Investigator]

So now according to this teacher, Heather leaves her home on the 17th. That same day, Bonnie reports Heather as a runaway.

[Narrator]

Bonnie went knocking on doors. It was driving Bonnie because she couldn't find her. In obtaining the reports, it was clear that Bonnie wanted to find her stepdaughter and she was not getting the information she wanted from the teacher. And she was adamant that no matter what, she was going to find her.

[Investigator]

And now detectives aren't making much headway in finding Heather either. The teacher who Heather had been living with says she she has no idea where Heather might have gone.

[Narrator]

There was nothing that we could really prove that she knew where Heather was. But clearly I'm stoked, skeptical. Are they telling the whole truth? She never called you Back once to say, hey, I'm okay, or don't worry about me or anything. With her lack of intent on trying to find Heather, and if she was that much of a mentor to her, why wasn't she more concerned about. About Heather's whereabouts if she didn't know?

[Investigator]

To us, it seems odd.

[Narrator]

Are you concerned about her welfare? It's odd that she hasn't called you is what I'm a little concerned with. I believe that she's with somebody. I mean, I don't think that she's off by herself, but I think she just doesn't. She doesn't want to make sure I don't get in trouble or, you know.

[Investigator]

I mean, she's a smart kid. Heather's teacher's interview only raises more questions for investigators. Are these disappearances linked? And if so, how? As investigators, you're fairly convinced that she might have had something to do with the disappearance or at the very least know something.

[Narrator]

We think the two events have to be linked some way. Two missing persons from the same house, one a juvenile and one adult. Like you almost have to believe they're related. Like it's. It's really naive to think. Or not.

[Investigator]

After almost a week and no sign of Bonnie, her family's anguish turns pointed. Lashing out at that mystery man from the parking lot.

[Narrator]

You let my sister go and I'll come and get her. I want my sister. I felt like Heather had the answers that we needed. We believe she was the key to finding Bonnie.

[Investigator]

And that's when police get a game changing phone call from a nearby library.

[Narrator]

I had heard they obviously scanners. It was very strange.

[Investigator]

It seems someone showed up there with a teddy bear and a story to tell.

[Narrator]

Pee, Mr. Bear.

[Investigator]

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[Narrator]

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[Investigator]

And here's my old phone to trade in.

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[Investigator]

Hand sanitizer. It's lavender.

[Narrator]

I'm good. Seriously.

[Investigator]

Let me check this pocket.

[Narrator]

Oh, mints. Really, I'm fine. Oh, I have raisins.

[Investigator]

I'm a mom.

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[Investigator]

I've got cupcakes in the car.

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[Investigator]

Summer is in full swing here in Alton, Illinois. Backyard barbecues, fourth of July fireworks. Bonnie Woodward used to host these kinds of events, but not this year. She's been missing for a week. And in a twist, her teenage stepdaughter is missing too. Until out of the blue, eight days after Bonnie vanished, through these doors walks the missing teenager, Heather Woodworth.

[Narrator]

The East Salton Police Department received the call from the library that there's a person saying that she's Heather Woodward. With all the speculation going around, I wanted to hear what she had to say. They got Heather and took her to the police station. And I thought, man, they're gonna find out something now. And would you state your name, please? Heather Woodward. And your birthday? Heather. Today, physical condition for Heather was not of anything that was of a concern. There was no injury to her. Clearly she had been being taken care of. What do you know about the whole situation with Bonnie and everything? What I read in the paper. Okay, that's it. And I guess you read in the paper that you were also. Yeah. With Citizen Runaway also. And I was planning on coming home on my birthday. That was the. So I didn't have to go back to Bonnie's house. I was taken back. That. How can she be actually 18 years of age? I don't like these big, small, claustrophobic rooms. I need my daddy. I have to pee. Mr. Bear.

[Investigator]

But she's clutching a teddy bear.

[Narrator]

Yes. July 3rd is her 18th birthday, so she's a bona fide adult in the state of Illinois. But she talks more like a. Well, I don't want to be insulting, but like a grade school student or a junior high student. I'm tired. I'm ready for my nap. Need my books. Need my books. Books, books, books, books, books.

[Investigator]

She showed up at a library. What did you think?

[Narrator]

That it was absolute.

[Investigator]

What do you mean by that?

[Narrator]

Like, why are you showing up at a library?

[Investigator]

If you. Who brought you?

[Narrator]

Where did you come from? Where have you been?

[Investigator]

Something doesn't smell right, pretty much.

[Narrator]

What made the decision that you would go to the library? Why not to the police department or something? Because I always go to the library. I walk there all the time, and I wasn't comfortable walking through the police station. Do you think you're in any trouble? I don't know. I'm scared. Yes. You had a lot of people coming, concerned about you. We don't know what happened to you. We don't know what happened to Bonnie. I haven't talked to my mom. Heather's thought of it was it wasn't that big of a deal that Bonnie had disappeared. It didn't come across to me that she had a lot of concern about where Bonnie was at the time. What do you think happened to her? I don't know. I thought that maybe she hid to draw me out, and then she'll come out now that she knows that I'm home. That's what you thought. Why would you think that? Because sometimes that's just the way Bonnie is, and she can be mean and. I don't know, she's just mean. You know, I gave her the safe space to talk to me about situations in the home. And pretty much the extent of it was that she was being made to do chores and clean the house. You know, typical things that I think a lot of teenagers and youths do and should be doing. Because I'm not going back there to be slave labor and a free babysitter. I just couldn't do it no more. From what she told multiple people, she was being physically and verbally mentally abused. You know, it doesn't go beyond the realm of possibility. Maybe she was embellishing more about that relationship between her and Bonnie to pull the heartstrings of people that, you know, were close to her that could be of assistance to her.

[Investigator]

And one of those people, police begin to realize, may have been that teacher Christine Scheffel, who took Heather in.

[Narrator]

Ms. Scheffel's been there for me for four years, and she Was afraid for me to go home because Bonnie can be mean. And sometimes she hits.

[Investigator]

There was an investigation into Bonnie's parenting.

[Narrator]

Yeah, it's dcfs. Department of Children and Family Services. And they had been involved before.

[Investigator]

And what did they find?

[Narrator]

It was unfounded. There's no evidence of significant abuse.

[Investigator]

Do you think Heather was manipulating adults into thinking that her stepmother was evil?

[Narrator]

I don't know if she was intentionally manipulating adults, but that was definitely what happened.

[Investigator]

One thing's clear to investigators. Heather was in someone else's care in the two weeks after she left that teacher's house during that critical time when Bonnie went missing. So now, of course, detectives are curious. Who was she with and why is Heather protecting them?

[Narrator]

And then I went to stay at a friend's house. Okay, and who was that? Just a friend. Don't want to get him in trouble. So just a friend. They helped me, and they knew the situation so.

[Investigator]

Well.

[Narrator]

You know, I have to ask who it is. She was very resistant to talk at all about where she had been or what she's been doing and who with. They're not gonna get in trouble, are they? Well, I don't know about that. They don't know nothing. They don't like Bonnie. I don't. I don't want to know where Bonnie's at.

[Investigator]

And as seasoned investigators, you thought she's hiding something?

[Narrator]

Yes, and we had to push hard enough to get that information. They told me they. They didn't know Bonnie was missing. And I don't want to get him in trouble, and then it'll be all my fault. I damn mean it. It caused no problem. I didn't know Bonnie was going to go missing.

[Investigator]

So now, another layer to this mystery.

[Narrator]

She was painting a pretty ugly picture of her stepmother.

[Investigator]

And might that have motivated somebody to try to protect her?

[Narrator]

Sure.

[Investigator]

Are they just good Samaritans or something else?

[Narrator]

There's maybe more to this than just taking care of Heather.

[Investigator]

The trail will lead detectives down these winding roads into truly uncharted territory. We didn't see that coming from a mile away. Bonnie Woodward disappeared in Alton June 25 at about 3 in the afternoon after getting off work. Her family members haven't seen or heard from her since that day. Bonnie Woodward has been missing for over a week. Her boyfriend of seven years, Gary Wilmerth, says he catches glimpses of her in every passing stranger.

[Narrator]

There was times I could be at a store, pass somebody on the street, could be the color of their hair. I remember talking to her grandbabies. They said, are you gonna bring grandma back? You got a picture of these little bitty girls looking at me? Where's grandma? I just thought in my heart she was gonna come back. And I wasn't taking no for an answer. She was coming back.

[Investigator]

And investigators say they aren't taking no for an answer either. Bonnie's now 18 year old stepdaughter, Heather Woodward, who also strangely went missing a week before Bonnie, has now suddenly reappeared.

[Narrator]

Okay, Heather, we just need to ask a few things here.

[Investigator]

After hours of questioning from detectives, Heather seems finally ready to reveal the identity of the people she says helped her run away.

[Narrator]

They're not gonna get in trouble, are they? I don't know about that, but I want to at least know where you been. I want to make sure that you are safe. I stay with the people from the church. Do they have any kids your age? Nathan. He's my best friend. Okay. So is Nathan Carroll's family. Okay. The police department had learned that she had been at the Carroll house. Heather had told Roger Carroll and Monica Carroll that she had run away from home because Bonnie was mean to her and that she had gone to the Carroll house to hide from Bonnie until she turned 18. Both Monica and Roger were in the medical field and their son Nathan was to 16 year old high school student. There was no criminal history on record for them, no police involvement, no arrests or anything like that. The Carrolls go to the same church in Wood River. So the Carrolls get to know Heather, I think on church related activities.

[Investigator]

And one of those church activities, they went to a graduation party for Heather and other seniors just two weeks before Bonnie went missing.

[Narrator]

We obviously had to explore the avenue of. Are they involved with Bonnie? I think the police were like, well, they had, you know, Heather at the house and what else do they know? We went to their listed address in the Jersey county area. They're living in among 60 acres of property. It's just a lot of wooded open land.

[Investigator]

What jumped up out at you about Roger Carroll?

[Narrator]

He's in his 40s with the brownish gray hair, 5 10ish. His primary car is a silver 2005 Chevrolet Malibu, which is the suspect vehicle description. We tow the vehicle to our police department and ultimately process this vehicle for any evidence related to our case.

[Investigator]

This investigation is now shifting into high gear. Monica and Roger Carroll come in for questioning.

[Narrator]

You are Roger William Carroll Jr. I don't want to answer any more questions until we speak with our attorney. Okay. You decided to invoke your right to counsel, correct? Yes.

[Investigator]

Heather Woodward, Bonnie's stepdaughter is also called in again the very same day and pressed for more information about the day Bonnie went missing.

[Narrator]

What do you know about Bonnie leaving and what happened whenever she left or was the manager came through. I mean, I know that she got in a car with some guy and they drove off. That's all I know. Did they talk about the car? Yeah, it was a silver and gray car. Malibu. Okay. That's all I know. Does that sound like any car that you're familiar with? No. Other sides? Roger's car. Okay. But Roger wouldn't hurt a fly.

[Investigator]

Investigators then confront Heather with a new piece of information. They found out that she and the Carrolls were together at a lake house in the days just before Bonnie went missing.

[Narrator]

They went down to Monica's parents in Goreville, Illinois, on a small trip, just the four of them. And detectives grow even more suspicious when Heather shares that Roger and his son Nathan returned home by themselves on the same day Bonnie disappeared. Roger and Nathan came home on Friday. We came home on Saturday.

[Investigator]

Being.

[Narrator]

Why did they leave on Friday? Monica told me that he just wanted to get home. And he made Nathan go with him. He brought Nathan with him, got up and left at 7 o' clock in the morning on June 25, Friday morning, the day Bonnie disappeared. Now, the question I have here is the guy that meets with Bonnie up at the nursing home, he's in a gray Malibu. Silver, gray Malibu. How do I know that Roger's not the one that met with Bonnie up there that Friday? I don't know Roger. Bonnie's never met Roger, so I don't know why she'd get in the car with him. What if he told her, hey, I know where Heather is. Why don't you come with me and pick her up? Do you think Bonnie would have got in the car with him then? No. She doesn't care about me.

[Investigator]

So you have a lot of circumstantial evidence, but nothing that cracks the case open.

[Narrator]

It is all circumstantial. There wasn't enough to link Roger Carroll or Monica Carroll to Bonnie's disappearance. However, both of them at that time were charged with harboring a runaway. Both Roger and Monica plead not guilty to this charge, but this turns out to be a helpful tool for investigators in getting those charges. We can also get fingerprints. We can get photographs.

[Investigator]

And then you put Roger in a lineup.

[Narrator]

We did. We used this mugshot primarily with the employees at Unismith.

[Investigator]

And that did not come up with a match?

[Narrator]

It did not. That resulted in no positive IDs the.

[Investigator]

Family members must be chomping at the bit at this point.

[Narrator]

They are. But sometimes the cases move when they want to move.

[Investigator]

Did you feel like there had to have been somebody out there that knew more than they were saying?

[Narrator]

I think anybody that is just trying to locate a loved one often feels like somebody's not talking or somebody's lying.

[Investigator]

Summer winds to a close without Bonnie Woodward and without answers. Until news of a body found on the banks of the Mississippi river here in Alton, Illinois, leaves her loved ones holding their breath every time a body comes out.

[Narrator]

We call 51 days exactly she's been.

[Investigator]

Gone and we have not one solid answer. That body, it turns out, is not Bonnie Woodward. But a break in the case is coming. The lab results from Bonnie's abandoned truck are back. And the results are stunning. The crime lab comes back with a very significant hit.

[Narrator]

Yes. You understand what we're trying to tell you right now? There's new physical evidence in this case.

[Investigator]

I said we have to jump now. This is our time.

[Narrator]

I'm thinking I'm gonna die. It's crazy. Absolutely crazy. Hey there, it's Ryan Reynolds.

[Investigator]

And if you're into weird animals and.

[Narrator]

Questionable life choices, well, you're in for a treat. You tell them Green Day. I wanna be all underdog. I've teamed up with Nat Geo to.

[Investigator]

Fast forward right past nature's loreogs and get down in the mud.

[Narrator]

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[Investigator]

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[Narrator]

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[Investigator]

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[Narrator]

Friends because then they'll know you're a liar. Fun is coming to Hulu and hulu on Disney June 13. I asked my husband the other day.

[Investigator]

How to turn on the washing machine. And that's how he realized that he had been doing the laundry all these years.

[Narrator]

Atsuko Okatsuka father Streaming on Hulu and hulu on Disney June 13th. Okay, we are recording.

[Investigator]

I said stop it. Just stop doing this.

[Narrator]

Let me go. Just let me go. I'll do anything you want me to do. Just let me go.

[Investigator]

Tonight, a third woman in danger who broke the bizarre mystery Bonnie Woodward disappeared in Alton of a missing mother.

[Narrator]

It didn't mean it caused no trouble. I didn't know Bonnie was going to go missing.

[Investigator]

Who's been hiding? Daughter Heather. And could Bonnie have ended up in the same place? Family members must be chomping at the bit at this point, it was a.

[Narrator]

Needle in a Haystack. We had 60 acres of property. We didn't know where to look, what to look for. Nathan, you've agreed to walk us through a few areas that are of interest in our investigation. We got a hit on the prints.

[Investigator]

And on a scale of 1 to 10 of your suspicion level, where did it go?

[Narrator]

Yeah, it spiked. Any idea what they were? Little pieces of white things, but I don't know exactly what it was.

[Investigator]

The family's falling apart and we have to jump now.

[Narrator]

This is our time. She now is starting to put everything together and is fearing for her own life at the same time. He said, I have killed for you. I have killed for you.

[Investigator]

That sounds like bingo. Summer has turned to fall in Alton, Illinois. 48 year old mom and nurse's aide Bonnie Woodward hasn't been seen in over three months. That's an eternity in a missing persons case.

[Narrator]

We didn't know technically if she was alive or dead. In the months that followed, none of her family members heard from her.

[Investigator]

But the Illinois State police crime lab has been busy processing evidence, including fingerprints found on Bonnie's truck in September. Prints come in, right?

[Narrator]

I got a phone call from my evidence technician who told me we got a hit on the prints. It's Roger Carroll's. So Roger Carroll's fingerprints are on this driver's door.

[Investigator]

And on a scale of 1 to 10 of your suspicion level, where did it go?

[Narrator]

Yeah, it spiked.

[Investigator]

Roger Carroll is brought in again for questioning while police, now with probable cause, conduct a massive search at the Carroll's sprawling rural residence.

[Narrator]

It was a needle in a Haystack. We had 60 acres of property. We didn't know where to look, what to look for. Neighbors are stunned by the police operation. It's crazy, absolutely crazy. Couldn't believe it, the amount of police.

[Investigator]

That were coming by.

[Narrator]

And we had more than 60 police officers, multiple agencies. We had a lot of people. We had cadavers.

[Investigator]

And an airborne search.

[Narrator]

And an airborne search, yes. There was probably close to 30 firearms at this residence. Multiple crates of ammunition were also seen. Oh, I thought they was going to find a body or something. The cadaver dogs did alert on certain areas of the property, but subsequent digs of those areas revealed no results.

[Investigator]

Meanwhile, this time in the police interrogation room for a second interview, Roger is more chatty.

[Narrator]

My mom, she's like, oh, my God, did you do this? I'm like, mom, no, I didn't do it.

[Investigator]

Roger tells investigators that he invited Bonnie's daughter Heather to stay with him and his family only after becoming concerned about her account of a troubled home life.

[Narrator]

So then Heather calls you guys. Yes. I could hear her crying. She was just frantic, you know. Oh, my God. Bonnie called and said that she's gonna come get me tomorrow, that I have to pack my stuff up, and I don't know what I'm gonna do and. All right. So she kind of played on your soft hearts and said, can I come stay there? She never said, can I come stay. Just to be honest about it, I'm the one who said, hey, you know, this is a bunch of crap. Why don't we just go? Cool. You know, she can stay with us. Okay.

[Investigator]

Okay.

[Narrator]

I'm the one that said that. As far as Bonnie, you've. You've never had a conversation with that woman, and you've never been face to face with that woman. You. You know where she lives, but you've never. Other than you've driven by there, like two times, right? Yes, that's correct. And you've never been in her vehicle, and you've never had occasion to handle her vehicle or touch her vehicle. That's correct.

[Investigator]

But there's one little detail investigators have been deliberately coy about when talking to Roger Carroll.

[Narrator]

So finally, I was at the end of the interview, I was like, how do we explain it that your fingerprints are all over her driver's door? He stumbled just a bit and says, then I've been framed. I mean, no, there's no way that my finger prints are on that car door. My DNA is on that car door. There just is no one. He's asking, like, my prints aren't on that door. I'm like, well, yes, they are. I don't see. There's no way my fingerprints are all over the door of that car. They are. So he denied it still, and the interview terminated pretty quick after that.

[Investigator]

Not only were his fingerprints found on her car, but he denied ever having met her or ever been there and ever been in that parking lot. So what do you make of that? That he's lying.

[Narrator]

There's a third interview with Heather. Heather stays firm during this interview that she didn't have anything to do with it. Bonnie went missing around 2 to 3 o' clock in the afternoon, and his prints are on Bonnie's truck. What do you think? I don't know. Cause I would never want nothing to happen to Bonnie. I mean, sometimes I, you know, she's mean, but I wouldn't do that to her. I didn't tell him to touch Bonnie. She was the only thing I knew. I wouldn't hurt her. The police process Roger's gray sedan, but here's the thing. They don't find any fibers or DNA belonging to Bonnie or even her fingerprints. And they don't come up with much of the Carroll house either. After the search in September, there was really no evidence found at the residence that 100% put Bonnie there at the Carroll property. When you take somebody to trial for first degree murder, you better be right and you better be ready, because you only get one shot. We still didn't have Bonnie's remains. We didn't know if Bonnie was alive or dead at that time. And what we did know is that Roger Carroll was lying. Roger Carroll, based on the lies that he told, was charged with the offense of obstruction. Family members and friends felt that he needed to be charged with murder. But based on it only being a circumstantial case at this point, that would have been quite a stretch for us.

[Investigator]

So the case goes cold. Your aunt is still missing. What was that like for your family?

[Narrator]

I know that it was very hard emotionally. For many family members.

[Investigator]

It would take eight years. And one newly installed prosecutor combing through a pile of Madison county cold cases. And the first one you stumbled on was Bonnie Woodward? First one, Bonnie Woodward. To breathe life back into Bonnie Woodward's investigation, Jennifer Mudge decides to try to open a cold case. But even before you can relaunch anything, you get a startling phone call.

[Narrator]

I got a call from Roger Carroll's neighbor, and he's asking me. He's like, do you know what's going on at the Carroll's house?

[Investigator]

I said, God, Roger, stop it.

[Narrator]

Just stop doing this. Let me go. Just let me go. I'll do anything you want me to do. Just let me go.

[Investigator]

I'm fighting. I'm fighting with everything that's within me.

[Narrator]

What are you thinking at the time?

[Investigator]

What am I thinking?

[Narrator]

I'm thinking I'm gonna die.

[Investigator]

Roger Carroll had been charged with obstruction of justice in the disappearance of Bonnie Woodward. But now, eight years later, he's being accused of something else altogether by, of all people, his wife of over 30.

[Narrator]

Years, Monica March of 2018. We received information from the Jersey County Sheriff's Department that there was a domestic situation in which Roger had caused injury to Monica. I didn't know his connection, right. I didn't know this was the Bonnie Woodward suspect. So I went the next day, met her several hours from here, where she was kind of hyped down. Okay, we are recording. He told Me, I was fat. Disgusting.

[Investigator]

So fat and disgusting that nobody would.

[Narrator]

Want to have anything to do with me.

[Investigator]

The first thing you notice on the dash cam is A, the injuries to her face and B, beyond the injuries, just the fear.

[Narrator]

She said for the most part, it was a good marriage until there was some infidelity like a few years prior. She had recently figured out more infidelity and then had filed for divorce. He was really withdrawn after serving with the divorce papers.

[Investigator]

I thought he would be happy because just a couple weeks before he said.

[Narrator]

I want a divorce.

[Investigator]

They had separate bedrooms, but while she slept in her bedroom, she not only locked the door, but she put a dresser up against the door because she was scared. Monica tells Detective Nick Manns about the alleged attack in which, as she's getting ready for work, she says Roger corners her in the laundry room. Roger is looking out the garage door, like making sure Nathan has left. And he turned and he acted like.

[Narrator]

He was going to have normal conversation. And he reached over to the back of my head, grabbed my hair and jerked it me. And then dragging me around by my hair with his right hand. He was hitting me in the head with the taser gun. And how do you know it was a taser gun? What was it doing?

[Investigator]

Because it shocked me.

[Narrator]

So he drags it up your neck? He drags it up my neck.

[Investigator]

He looked shocked. And I was screaming, roger, don't do this. Roger, don't do this. I started screaming, nathan, Nathan.

[Narrator]

Screaming for Nathan as hard as I could, screaming for help.

[Investigator]

Nathan unfortunately had already left early for work.

[Narrator]

So then I knew all my help was gone.

[Investigator]

And I remember when he hit me.

[Narrator]

Up here, he hit me and drug and the shocked look on his face. I said, God, Roger, stop it. Just stop doing this. Let me go. Just let me go. I'll do anything you want me to do. Just let me go. And he had this shocked look on his face. It's like he was surprised that I was still talking.

[Investigator]

Monica says she somehow manages to get a hold of the taser and throws it into the next room.

[Narrator]

You still have some abrasion and some little swelling there.

[Investigator]

I had blood. Pretty much every place that these things are, I had blood smear.

[Narrator]

All these red marks are from.

[Investigator]

These are from him.

[Narrator]

During this time, Monica does what so many victims unfortunately, unfortunately have to do. But it's a survival. Thing is, how am I going to get out of the situation? And she starts to de escalate it slowly, verbally de escalate the situation.

[Investigator]

I was just thinking, don't get him agitated, talk him down.

[Narrator]

And I said, roger, you've been a good dad.

[Investigator]

You were a good husband, but you're.

[Narrator]

Not the man that I married 30 years ago.

[Investigator]

And he'd said it before. He said, I know I'm not that same person.

[Narrator]

He said, I am a monster. He said, I have so much anger.

[Investigator]

And hate in me, and I can't.

[Narrator]

Control it no more.

[Investigator]

He said, at times, I feel like.

[Narrator]

I have the devil living inside me. Eventually that got to the point where he allowed her to get up and get ready for work and go.

[Investigator]

As soon as I got in my car, I hit the lock button, put it in reverse, and took out.

[Narrator]

Then she provided us information that she knew him to possess firearms and she believed him to be suicidal at the time. He says, I've been thinking about just.

[Investigator]

Going out into the woods and never coming back. Detective Mann says he went to search for Roger the morning of the alleged attack.

[Narrator]

We believe he's a danger, obviously to her and to our community, but also to himself. So I'm driving down this road, which is Creek Road, which is where he lives. And this is actually. That would be his house. At the time, he and Monica lived there. That was their home. I keep going up this hill. You can see it's pretty rugged terrain. I don't even realize at that time that this is his property. So I go up here and I go left and I drive across this field and I get out of my car, and when I get along his trail, I see something down there and I keep moving closer, and it's. It's him. Roger was lethargic. I felt in his jacket pocket, which turned out to be a bag of needles, of syringes. Then I found the vial of what I knew to be insulin. I asked him if he was diabetic, and he said no, that he had hurt his wife and that he was trying to kill himself. I called my dispatch and said, send an ambulance this way. Let the ambulance. No, this guy's not diabetic. He took insulin.

[Investigator]

Attention Brighton Rescue Creek Road for 52 year old male took an overdose of insulin as well. Suicide attempt. But what Detective Mann soon learns is that his fellow investigator, Scott Golickey has been looking at Roger Carroll as Bonnie Woodward's possible killer. Immediately, Scott and I said, the family's falling apart and we have to jump. Now. This is our time, because at that point, you double down on every member of the Carroll family, right?

[Narrator]

We need a talker.

[Investigator]

They need a talker. And they're about to get one, and investigators get a story they had not prepared for. Newly installed prosecutor Jennifer Mudge is working hard with police to try to solve Bonnie Woodward's cold case. They believe they can break it if a Carroll family member talks. As detectives are talking to Roger Carroll's wife, Monica, they get intriguing new info. She remembers her husband taking a peculiar interest in Bonnie Woodward's daily life before she disappeared.

[Narrator]

Monica talked about conversations that she thought was odd about where specifically Bonnie worked, what type of work schedule she had. I don't remember what shift she worked or, you know, the days, but I remember those were in conversation.

[Investigator]

I just remember thinking that it was very odd that he's asking all these details.

[Narrator]

She now is starting to put everything together and is fearing for her own life at the same time. Looking back on it now, I've been scared for a long time, but I just. I wasn't to the point to admit.

[Investigator]

It yet, but the really chilling words about Roger, that was still to come.

[Narrator]

He said, I have killed for you. I have hurt a lot of people, but I killed for you.

[Investigator]

And I think that's Bonnie. Meanwhile, Roger is released from the hospital after his insulin overdose and is brought directly into police custody, where Detective Gallachi greets him again after eight long years.

[Narrator]

Roger, how we doing? What's going on? Remember me? He's got gallicky.

[Investigator]

So after all that, you sit down with Roger years later from the last interrogation?

[Narrator]

Yes.

[Investigator]

Is he a different man?

[Narrator]

Yes. We both aged a lot, and probably me more than him. After the domestic, he was clearly suicidal. And so when I see him, it's not his best day. You know, I had to say a word. But if you want to hear me out, I think it might be worth your while. But it's your prerogative. You're driving this bus I had started it with. Hey, Roger, you don't have to say anything if you don't want, but we've opened this case. This train's coming down the road. I think what's going to happen now is that this is a homicide investigation and it's moving in that direction. I was basically telling him charges on this case are now imminent. But some of the intimate details and the specific details only you know. It's the right thing to do for Bonnie, yourself, also the right thing for you. There's no way you're enjoying living with that.

[Investigator]

But if Detective Golickey is counting on a crisis of conscience from Roger Carroll, he's about to be disappointed.

[Narrator]

We've opened this case. This train's coming down the road, Like, I'm giving you an opportunity to try to mitigate the circumstances. Are you comfortable with the whole situation? I mean, is. Well, no. I mean, I'm not gonna talk to you. Call. Call my attorney, please. Like, I interviewed him for an hour and some change, and really for 55 minutes, he just didn't speak.

[Investigator]

Since Roger completely clams up, they bring his wife Monica in again. And turns out she does have more to share.

[Narrator]

So you had a feeling that something, something went right. Something, Something happened. Otherwise you, I think you would have questioned it. Her internal feelings said that something wasn't right, that things weren't right. When he said that he's killed people for me, to protect me and Nathan, I know that's not right. I know it's not right that he should kill someone, feel that he has a right to kill someone to protect me. And you're not aware of anything else in your history with Roger or, you know, with Nathan that he would be talking about other than Bonnie Woodward? Right. The only person that come to my mind would be Bonnie.

[Investigator]

Monica says Roger issues her a stark warning about Bonnie's family.

[Narrator]

He made it sound like it'd be my fault if something happened, happen to our family if I ever talked. So I didn't want to be the one to be the cause of our family being torn apart. I didn't want to hear it. So as I recall, I told him I didn't want to hear. We knew that Monica was not there at that time. And we were also pretty confident that she didn't show up until a day later.

[Investigator]

That's when Monica describes approaching their son Nathan with her suspicions.

[Narrator]

I told Nathan that Roger told me, I have killed for you. And he was like, don't ever repeat that. That Mom.

[Investigator]

Don't ever repeat it. But what might it take for Nathan to start talking.

[Narrator]

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[Investigator]

Investigators are drilling down on the Carroll family and the story of what they think might have happened to Bonnie Woodward is beginning to take shape.

[Narrator]

Monica, she's not present. She's not a co defendant on the incident. I understand. I honestly do believe that he did away with Bonnie Whitburn. I don't know how. I don't know how. We doubled down on a theory that Nathan was likely with Roger at the time that Bonnie disappeared.

[Investigator]

Nathan was 16 years old at the time this crime was committed. Nathan is now with 24. You're talking about a kid versus an adult, so I think maybe you focus on him.

[Narrator]

We made several attempts to talk to Nathan and he refused to talk to law enforcement.

[Investigator]

We served him with a subpoena to come testify in front of the grand jury. I made a decision to grant him immunity at the time if he would tell us the full truth. And then fate sort of took over from there. What did he say that tipped his hand to you? That he was about to spill the whole truth? He held up the immunity paper and said, this is good no matter what I tell you. And I said yes. He put his hands on the rail and boy, that testimony was gripping.

[Narrator]

He broke the and he started crying and he said he was going to tell us everything. That's kind of a thing maybe you see on TV with people breaking down in the courtroom and spilling the beans in the courtroom. But it really never happens. But it did. Sitting in the room was 12 grand jurors, myself and Jennifer and Nathan's attorney. It was absolute silence.

[Investigator]

You could hear the clock ticket. It's like watching the weight of the world being lifted off this young man's shoulders.

[Narrator]

He told the entire story about what happened that day.

[Investigator]

He says that he's on vacation with his whole family. They have Heather there.

[Narrator]

And his dad said to him the.

[Investigator]

Night before you and I are leaving early tomorrow. They drove to Eunice Smith nursing home, and his dad said, good, she's at work.

[Narrator]

Then after they get home, Roger changed clothes, clipped his fingernails. He shaved and retrieved his Stoeger 9 millimeter from the house and left. And left Nathan there by himself.

[Investigator]

He told Nathan he was going to get Bonnie. Nathan set up a tent and in the backyard.

[Narrator]

The tent in the backyard was essentially a death trap to lure Bonnie to the backyard and not into the residence.

[Investigator]

He's eating lunch. Next thing he hears is eight or nine gunshots. And they're close. They're in his driveway. He walks outside, and that's when he sees feet with tennis shoes on and tan scrubs. There are a few things that stay with me. Like, he remembers that he was eating leftover deli meat sandwiches from Heather's graduation party. If you're making a story up, you don't go that detailed into what kind of lunch you're having.

[Narrator]

But the next detail may be the most disturbing of all.

[Investigator]

Nathan tells the grand jury that his.

[Narrator]

Dad had him light a fire in the backyard and testifies he watched as his father loaded Bonnie's body into a bucket loader, attract her with a scoop.

[Investigator]

On the front of it, and bring her to that burn pit, and they start a massive fire. It had to be stoked all day, all night, every couple of hours. And Roger had Nathan help him do that. When you heard the scope of what he confessed to, what went through your mind?

[Narrator]

I don't think we thought fire or burned on a brush pile.

[Investigator]

Talk about being haunted, right?

[Narrator]

Like, not only is Roger creating a horrible thing to him for him to live with, it seems like he created a horrible thing for his son to live with.

[Investigator]

After his grand jury testimony, Nathan brings investigators back to the house. What you're about to see is the actual video police captured as Nathan brings them back to where he says the crime took place. A spot first identified eight years earlier by cadaver dogs.

[Narrator]

During our search In September of 2010, we had 60 acres that we had to worry about. Now we have a few hundred feet. Nathan, you've agreed to just walk us through a few areas that are of interest in our investigation involving your father and the investigation of missing person Bonnie Woodworth. Nathan points out the back corner of the residence where he found Bonnie's body and saw her where the shot had come from. This is where she laid. I never saw the full body. I was standing over there. Okay. And I saw feet. It was in that site that we did find a 9 millimeter cartridge, which was significant because Nathan had identified that Roger had used a 9 millimeter handgun. Ultimately, that day in shooting Bonnie, the second site that Nathan took law enforcement to was what we refer to as the burn pit.

[Investigator]

Followed by the creek where Nathan says he saw his dad dump Bonnie's ashes.

[Narrator]

So we had a site number three for where this was dumped into the creek bed. Was that tractor with the bucket end on it? Correct. Little pieces of white things, but I don't know exactly what it was. You don't know? Any idea what they were? Maybe. I guess it'd be bone, but I don't know. Law enforcement were able to find 27 pieces of what they believed to be bone fragment that were collected and sent off to the lab to see if any DNA or any connection could be made to Bonnie. All right, gentlemen, thank you. Based on the version of events that Nathan gave, we felt comfortable charging Roger Carroll with first degree murder of Bonnie Woodward. A man linked in 2010 to the disappearance of Bonnie Woodward today has been charged with her murder. I thought, wow, I mean, they're actually charging somebody for murder.

[Investigator]

But not so fast. Some critical evidence will be unveiled in court which could upend the case. The DNA on those bone fragments, it's not what police expected. Roger Carroll pleads not guilty to the murder of Bonnie Woodward. But he's facing some tall odds. He may just not understand how tall. One of the key pieces of evidence turned out to be a sassafras tree.

[Narrator]

Yes.

[Investigator]

Tell me how you decided that you were gonna try to bring that into the courtroom.

[Narrator]

I'll be honest.

[Investigator]

We didn't decide it.

[Narrator]

It was kind of thrust upon us.

[Investigator]

By an investigator in Jersey county, and.

[Narrator]

All of us were kind of like, yeah, go ahead.

[Investigator]

It isn't every day a tree becomes a star witness in a murder trial. But this was never your ordinary, everyday case, so how would it factor in? Well, that and over a hundred other key pieces of evidence are finally being presented in court. Nearly a decade after Bonnie Woodward went.

[Narrator]

Missing, I thought, everybody give up. I mean, I didn't know what else to do. And him being charged with Bonnie's murder gave me life again. And I thought, let's do it. The why question is very difficult in this case because there's not a clear cut motive.

[Investigator]

Given what you were up against. The fact that you didn't have a body, you didn't really have a motive, you didn't have a weapon. How confident were you that you could get a guilty verdict? My partner and I said, this is Just never going to get any better. We have everything we're ever going to get, so we thought we'd swing the bat.

[Narrator]

In my years as a prosecutor, I did five cases where the victim's body wasn't found. And it's a gamble, so sometimes what you'll do in lieu of that is you have the person declared dead. It can, depending on the case, really help the jury. We took note that now it had been eight years that Bonnie had not been seen. So one of the first steps we had to take was to have Bonnie officially declared deceased and were able to obtain a death certificate based on the circumstantial evidence that she had not been seen.

[Investigator]

My name is Jennifer Schock, and I was juror number two. What had you heard about the case? I hadn't.

[Narrator]

I truly came in there not knowing anything prior.

[Investigator]

And when you realized how big a case you were deliberating on, what was your reaction? A little nervous to have that much pressure put on me to basically decide somebody's future.

[Narrator]

In opening statements, the prosecution detailed what they say happened during Bonnie's kidnapping, including the fact that Roger Carroll's fingerprints were found on her car. They also brought in Roger Carroll's suicide attempt.

[Investigator]

The jury must decide if Roger is guilty of first degree murder. The earlier charges against him and Monica for harboring a runaway Heather would be dismissed. The defense opened up by vowing to poke holes in the state's case, particularly taking aim at the son, Nathan Carroll, telling the jury his story changed only after being granted immediately, or what they called a golden ticket.

[Narrator]

Nathan was on the stand for a.

[Investigator]

Good two to three hours, maybe more. I mean, just like in the grand jury, you could hear a pin drop in that courtroom while he's testifying, because family secrets are spilling out in this courtroom. I mean, he's telling a cold, hard, disgusting story that clearly there was no doubt that was truthful. Nathan. Tess testifies that he heard gunshots and told the jury in gruesome detail how he helped his father burn Bonnie's body.

[Narrator]

I think Nathan realizes dad tried to kill his mom, and that's just crossing a line. If you think about Nathan, he is a young child and he's being controlled by dad, and he witnesses something horrific.

[Investigator]

The son, Nathan testifies, and I'm told that it was a very stirring, powerful testimony. What do you remember of it? I remember that after Nathan testified, it was completely silent. It was just a silence through the whole entire courtroom afterwards.

[Narrator]

Nathan's testimony doesn't really make sense. Nathan keeps saying he's reluctant. He did it anyway. Why would Nathan help his father do? What's in it for him? It's a big mystery.

[Investigator]

Nathan can be hard to read. He was ashamed. He knew what he had done was wrong. He knew what his father had done was wrong, and he knew that helping clean up was wrong. He was very remorseful.

[Narrator]

A lot of the trial was built around corroborating what he was telling us was the truth. We didn't want the jury to just have to take Nathan's word for it. We wanted to show that it fit and matched all the forensic evidence in this case.

[Investigator]

But the defense just keeps chipping away at that evidence, including those 27 bone fragments that were found on the property. In fact, there's a rather big bombshell in store for the jury.

[Narrator]

Bones were found, but they're not the bones of the deceased. We were never actually able to find DNA of one. On these bone fragments. We were able to say that these were bone fragments believed to be of human origin, but we could not definitively say that they were Bonnie Woodwards. In fact, it's not clear if they're human bones or animal bones or whether they're bones that were from an Indian burial many years ago.

[Investigator]

Prosecutors argued that the bones were degraded by the fire, which Nathan described that burned Bonnie's body. And to prove that there actually was a fire on the property, the prosecution used an unexpected method and witnessed.

[Narrator]

Nathan identified the burn spot on this ridge behind the house. And where the burn spot was is a sassafras tree. The sassafras tree has a scarred spot on the bark several feet up the tree. So we go over there and cut down the tree, cut slices out of the tree. We sent them off to a botanist. He examined the tree, its age, its growth rings, and said that tree was damaged in the early growing season of 2010. Spring or summer?

[Investigator]

That tree damage, according to the testimony of a botanist from the University of Wisconsin, was reminiscent of a fire and appears to have happened at the same time Nathan claimed Bonnie's body had been burned. As a prosecutor, why is that critical? That fire, others have testified, had to be quite large to burn a body like that. Down to the fragments that we found.

[Narrator]

There's a question.

[Investigator]

Was there actually evidence of a fire.

[Narrator]

Or is it a fire around the time of 2010, or is it not a fire? That's questionable. Heather Woodward, Bonnie's stepdaughter, takes the stand.

[Investigator]

And tells jurors that she told Roger.

[Narrator]

About Bonnie's whereabouts and her work schedule.

[Investigator]

How did Heather do on the stand. What was her testimony like?

[Narrator]

It was pretty short.

[Investigator]

And I think the way that Heather was in the police interviews is the.

[Narrator]

Way she was on the stand. I never want nothing to happen to Bonnie. I mean, sometimes, you know, she's mean, but I wouldn't do that to her. Her testimony, it pretty much tracked with that. But it was clear to those involved that she, she had not participated in her mother's death.

[Investigator]

What made her cry on the stand, do you remember? Every time she cried, it was because she said, I never wanted this to happen to Bonnie. I never meant for this to happen to Bonnie. Bonnie's boyfriend Gary took to the stand too and told the jury about what was lost when Bonnie's life was cut short.

[Narrator]

He wouldn't look back at me for nothing. I kept looking across where he was and he wouldn't look at me. So I started talking to the jury to my right and I said, he took away a good woman, mother. I let him know what kind of person Bonnie was. I have an old supervisor before I started my very first no body case, which I'll never forget. He said, always remember the jury can see the soul of your victim reflected in the eyes of those who love them.

[Investigator]

When it was their turn, the defense team laid out a case that pointed the finger at Nathan as Bonnie's killer and argued that without him and the so called golden ticket, the state's case was just circumstantial. Nathan didn't have a choice. If Nathan didn't help his father dispose.

[Narrator]

Of this crime, Nathan's a dead man.

[Investigator]

And let's not forget he was a.

[Narrator]

Barely 16 year old boy. Roger did not testify at trial. It's his choice whether or not to testify and he decided not to. He was advised not to testify. Many attorneys advised their clients not to testify because they were on the. They think it will shift the burden. They think the jury's going to look at whether they believe the defendant and suddenly defendant has to prove his innocence, which he normally doesn't have to do.

[Investigator]

After five days, the case is now in the hands of the jury. It was back and forth all the way.

[Narrator]

Those moments are always very tense.

[Investigator]

We would get close and then somebody would say something else and then it.

[Narrator]

Would throw everything off.

[Investigator]

What was the hang up then? The cases have been presented and now the verdict is in the hands of the jury. It was back and forth all the.

[Narrator]

Way, truly till the end.

[Investigator]

We were back and forth and we thought we would get close and then somebody would say something else and then it Would.

[Narrator]

Would throw everything off.

[Investigator]

What was the hang up then?

[Narrator]

We all agreed that he definitely had.

[Investigator]

A hand in this. The hang up was basically, did he do it, or was he covering for someone else that did it? When you finally reached a decision, what was the feeling in the room?

[Narrator]

Relief.

[Investigator]

We truly did our due diligence on deliberating correctly.

[Narrator]

We were notified that the jury had a verdict, so we all went back to the courtroom, and those moments are always very tense. Roger Carroll was found guilty of first degree murder.

[Investigator]

And so when the verdict was read, how did the courtroom respond? Crying from both sides. Happy on Bonnie's side, sad on Roger's side. And again, Roger never. He never made any emotion. He just sat there. He didn't even react.

[Narrator]

Mm. Mm.

[Investigator]

What went through your mind when you heard the verdict? Bonnie.

[Narrator]

That finally she could be at rest.

[Investigator]

I don't believe in the word closure. It doesn't exist in my mind.

[Narrator]

But that Bonnie can now rest peacefully.

[Investigator]

By the time of sentencing, the charges against Roger for domestic violence and obstruction were dropped.

[Narrator]

At the sentencing hearing, Roger was given the opportunity to make a statement to the court, and he chose to use that time to be defiant.

[Investigator]

He said, I don't have anything to be sorry for. I won't apologize because I've done nothing wrong. And that says a lot about his mindset. Sure does.

[Narrator]

When I heard the jury found him guilty, that was just a blessing to my ears to hear. Wish he could have got more time than he did.

[Investigator]

He was charged with first degree murder while using a firearm. He received 40 years in the Department of corrections for the murder, plus 25 years for the gun enhancement.

[Narrator]

At least they did lock him up. I give him that. Police finally making him pay for what he did. Roger Carroll robbed her kids, her grandkids, friends, family. But we won't never forget her, and we won't forget him.

[Investigator]

People describe her as somebody who had a really loving heart.

[Narrator]

I know she definitely did. Like, even especially with family, like, didn't matter what you did, she would figure.

[Investigator]

Out a way to just make it better. You really loved her?

[Narrator]

Oh, yeah. Like, she was great. Sometimes I'll look up the sky and.

[Investigator]

And.

[Narrator]

Tell her, I don't know if I'll be there, but hope someday I will see you again. So many of Bonnie's loved ones wishing they could see her again. Bonnie Woodward's killer, Roger Carroll, is appealing his conviction.

[Investigator]

He was granted permission for that appeal by the Illinois Supreme Court, and his case case will likely be argued this fall. That's our program for tonight. Thanks for watching. I'm Deborah Roberts.

[Narrator]

And I'm David Muir. From all of us here at 2020 and ABC News, good. Hey, I'm Brad Milke. I'm the host of the Crime Scene Weekly, a new show from ABC Audio about the latest headlines in true crime. This week we're talking about the massive prison break that shocked Louisiana in recent weeks. How did these inmates escape? And was it an inside job? Listen now on Apple, Spotify, Amazon or wherever you get your podcasts.