20/20 True Crime Vault: "The Sins of the Father"

Podcast: ABC News 20/20
Date: November 25, 2025
Episode Theme:
An in-depth investigation into Carl Carlson—a man whose life is marked by suspicious deaths, insurance payouts, and unimaginable betrayal within his own family. 20/20 revisits the mysterious tragedies affecting his wife and son, chronicling the multi-decade search for justice and the tireless efforts of family and investigators to reveal the deadly "pattern" behind the Carlson family misfortunes.

Episode Overview

This episode delves into Carl Carlson’s decades-long trail of suspicious tragedies: the 1991 house fire that killed his first wife Christina, and the 2008 death of his son Levi in a tragic "accident." Each calamity brought Carl not only loss but substantial insurance payouts, raising questions within his extended family and law enforcement circles. Through emotional interviews, investigative reporting, and a gripping narrative, the episode explores how justice was finally served—first in New York, then in California.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Death of Levi Carlson (2008)

• The Incident:
  Levi, Carl’s adult son, died at 23 under a truck he was repairing on the family farm. The vehicle had been propped up with a single unstable jack.
  • "The truck fell on my stepson. Oh, my God. This is horr..." (00:50)
  • Initial reports treated the death as a tragic accident.
• Family Reaction:
  Levi's sister Erin immediately suspects foul play:
  • "I knew as soon as I heard that Levi was gone that he had done it. I knew every fiber of my being." (Erin Deroche, 09:31)
• Insurance Motive:
  • Carl convinced Levi to take out a $700,000 life insurance policy with himself as beneficiary.
  • The policy was paid out despite Levi dying the day before a required medical exam.
  • "Levi Carlson's medical exam was scheduled for him the day after he died." (14:55)

2. Family History: Prior Suspicious Deaths and Tragedies

• Christina Carlson’s Death (1991):
  • Carl’s first wife Christina died in a house fire in rural California. He received a $200,000 insurance payout.
  • The window in the bathroom—her only escape—had been boarded up days before.
  • The original fire investigation found evidence contradicting Carl's version (the trouble light was not on; kerosene was poured immediately before the fire).
  • "The trouble light didn't ignite this... it had to be a person applying a flame to the kerosene." (Ken Buskey, fire investigator, 77:17)
• Other Odd ‘Coincidences’:
  • 1986: Carl’s new Mustang burns in his driveway; insurance payout follows.
  • 2002: The family barn burns, killing prized horses—again, Carl collects insurance.
  • "Seemed like every couple years something was burning, you know." (Erin Deroche, 41:02)
• Pattern Recognized:
  Multiple incidents involving insurance policies provoked deep suspicion among relatives and investigators.

3. The Family's Struggles and Escape

• Carl was domineering and physically punishing to his children.
• Levi and Erin both recall confiding in each other about suspicions surrounding their mother’s death and their father’s capacity for violence.
• "He lies and he's able to manipulate people very easy. That's who he's always been. ... I saw the monster more than the man." (Erin Deroche, 02:36)
• Cindy, Carl’s second wife, eventually fears for her own life upon discovering a $1.2 million policy on herself.

4. Reopening of Levi’s Case and The Path to Justice

• Catalyst:
  Cindy and a relative contact police, expressing fears and detailing Carl’s pattern.
  • "I would be worth 1.2 million to Carl if I was dead." (Cindy Carlson, 38:20)
• Investigative Breakthrough:
  Cindy agrees to record her conversations with Carl and later to wear a wire for police.
  • "I thought, maybe I can get him to confess. That was my goal." (Cindy Carlson, 41:24)
• Carl’s Statements:
  • On tape, Carl callously refers to Levi’s death as an “opportunity.”
    • "I said I had nothing to do, but I said I took advantage of the situation once it happened." (Carl Carlson, 49:00)
  • Multiple shifting versions of what happened during a marathon police interrogation.
    • "Version two is far more ridiculous than version one." (Investigator/Detective, 54:40)

5. Legal Outcomes

• Arrest and Conviction in NY:
  • Carl pleads guilty to second-degree murder for killing Levi and is sentenced to 15 years to life.
  • During his plea, he admits to jacking the truck up precariously and knowingly leaving Levi alive, trapped beneath.
    • "He left his son Levi alive, crushed under that truck, and walked away." (Co-narrator, 69:56)
  • "It was the loss of my father too." (Katie Reynolds, 70:07)
• Reopening Christina’s Case:
  • Success in NY prompts California authorities, under family and media pressure, to re-examine Christina’s 1991 death.
  • Old evidence—including original fire expert reports and video of the boarded-up window—proves pivotal.
  • Carl is tried and convicted for first-degree murder in Christina’s death as well.
    • "We the jury, find the defendant, Carl Holger Carlson, guilty of murder in the first degree." (79:01)
    • He receives life without parole.

6. A Chilling Final Twist: Life Insurance on Granddaughters

• After Levi’s death, Carl took out insurance policies on his two granddaughters, again planning to be their guardian and beneficiary.
  • "Dad had life insurance policies out on both of my brother's daughters." (Katie Reynolds, 81:43)
• Cindy acts to cash out and close these policies, potentially averting further tragedy.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Pattern of Insurance Payouts:
  "A lot of people have said, when this guy needed money, a family member would die." (01:50)
  "Wherever Carl goes, tragedy takes place." (Investigator/Detective, 19:19)

• On Justice and Family:
  "It was everything I wanted." (Erin Deroche on conviction, 79:17)
  "He walked away on their mother, walked away on their brother, and he just walked away on them again." (Family Member, 79:27)

• Carl’s Chilling Attitude:
  "He smiled like a Cheshire cat and said, 'It's been 22 years. They haven't caught me yet, and they're not going to.'" (Erin Deroche, 67:21 & 58:44)

Key Timestamps

• 00:40–01:56: Initial outline of Levi’s death; first hints of broader tragedy
• 09:31 (Erin Deroche): Instinctive belief that Carl killed Levi
• 14:55–16:13: Details surrounding the insurance policy on Levi
• 22:06–24:17: Christina’s final hours and Carl’s explanation
• 29:09–33:14: Challenges to Carl's fire story and fire investigation findings
• 35:00–41:02: Examples of Carl’s history of suspicious fires and payouts
• 48:00–50:09: Cindy's wire recording and Carl's references to “opportunity”
• 53:53–57:30: Interrogation: multiple versions of Carla’s account
• 69:42–70:07: Carl’s courtroom admission; heartbreak for Levi’s sisters
• 74:52–76:19: Critical testimony in Christina’s murder trial
• 79:01: Guilty verdict in California
• 81:43–82:22: Discovery of insurance policies on the granddaughters and quick action to protect them
• 83:05–83:26: Levi’s and Christina’s graves together; family reflection

Tone & Narrative Style

The episode maintains a somber, suspenseful, and probing tone, blending emotional family interviews with methodical reporting. The candid reflections from Carl’s surviving children and Christina’s sister reveal personal costs, resilience, and a refusal to let these crimes be forgotten. The podcast’s narrative relentlessly returns to the theme of patterns—patterns of tragedy, greed, and ultimately, the determination to break cycles of silence and denial.

Conclusion

“The Sins of the Father” is a haunting exploration of repeated family tragedy, the dangers of unchecked patterns, and the extraordinary persistence required to secure justice when so many systems initially failed. Through remarkable personal courage and investigative persistence, Carl Carlson is exposed not as a victim of misfortune, but as a remorseless architect of family devastation for profit—finally named and imprisoned as the killer he always was.