324. The Morehouse Student Murder - The Murder of Carlnell Walker

Summary

Murder With My Husband – Episode 324: The Morehouse Student Murder – The Murder of Carlnell Walker
June 8, 2026 | Hosts: Peyton & Garrett Moreland

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Episode Overview

In this haunting episode, Peyton and Garrett Moreland explore the shocking murder of 23-year-old Morehouse College student Carnell Walker. The episode weaves together Walker’s inspiring ambitions, his hard-fought path to college, and the tragic betrayal that led to his death at the hands of those he considered friends. The couple’s signature dynamic—Peyton’s fascination for true crime paired with Garrett’s skepticism and outrage—drives a sensitive yet inquisitive retelling of the case, from Carnell’s early life in California to the aftermath of his senseless murder in Atlanta.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

Carnell Walker: A Bright Future Cut Short

[05:29-11:53]

• Background: Carnell Walker, born January 13, 1983, was considered a "miracle child" by his mother, Peggy, after being told she couldn't have children.
• Upbringing: Raised in Richmond, CA, Carnell was known for his positivity, determination, and charisma. As a junior, he became Contra Costa County’s top tennis player despite only joining that year.
• Struggles and Triumphs: Carnell was expelled for drug possession, sent to juvenile detention, and then a youth rehab facility. He turned his life around, graduating high school with honors (2001), and after exploring different colleges, transferred to Morehouse on a tennis scholarship.
• Ambitions at Morehouse: Majored in business, started his own record label, “Triple Gold Mine Records,” and was reconnecting with his faith through a local church.

The Days Leading to Carnell’s Death

[11:53–15:48]

• Car Accident & Insurance Settlement: In March 2006, Walker survived a significant car crash. The anticipated insurance payout ($3,000–$50,000) became widely known among his circle.
• Homecoming and Spirits: In May 2006, Carnell returned to California in good spirits, discussing the pending payout with family.

Discovery of the Crime Scene

[15:48–19:31]

• Welfare Check: On July 8, 2006—Peggy’s birthday—a neighbor, worried after not seeing Carnell, calls Peggy. Police conduct a welfare check and enter Carnell's home, finding disturbing evidence: blood trails, signs of struggle, and dreadlocks cut off with scissors.
• Body Found: Carnell is discovered in the trunk of his Oldsmobile in the garage, bound, beaten, stabbed, and showing signs of torture. Decomposition indicated he had been dead for days or weeks.

"As the officer steps inside, she sees there's actually quite a bit of blood in the kitchen that's leading toward the living room... there had been some sort of struggle."
– Peyton [16:12]

Initial Investigation & Suspects

[22:36–30:07]

• Evidence Collected: Bloody shoe prints and a claw hammer with blood were found. No neighbors reported anything unusual.
• First Suspect: Landlord Terry Alexander, who had a contentious relationship with Carnell and left notes about overdue rent. The timing of his entry into Carnell’s house was suspicious but, after testing, his shoe size didn’t match, and he was ruled out.
• Cell Phone Trail: Carnell’s last known call: June 16, 2am, to friend Vincenstra Dillard. She last saw him June 18.

The Clue: Money Motive and Betrayals

[30:07–34:37]

• Possible Motive Revealed: Friend Vincenstra confesses to police about Ari Baumgarth, who accused Carnell of theft and made threats, including “I’m gonna kill him. I want him dead. I’m going to cut off his dreads.” [32:07]
• **Ari is investigated but cleared due to unmatched fingerprints and shoe prints.

The Break in the Case: Student Witness Steps Forward

[34:37–43:03]

• Insurance Letter & Settlement: Detectives realize Carnell’s insurance payout was a topic among his acquaintances, possibly making him a target.
• Witness Emerges: Cafeteria worker links police to Braylon Garland, a Morehouse student who says he witnessed the murder.
• Braylon’s Account: On the night of the murder, Braylon was called by Miles Allen to Carnell’s house to smoke marijuana, along with Keith Roberts and "Raheem". When Carnell arrived, he was ambushed, tied up, and tortured for information on the nonexistent settlement money.

“As Carnell was basically begging for his life, they turn his house upside down... They keep up this torture. And as the sun started to rise, they bound and gagged Carnell, doused him in flammable liquid, and stuffed him into the trunk of his car.”
– Peyton [41:45]

• Aftermath: After 8 hours of torture, Carnell is left in the trunk, alive but unable to escape. The group finds only $20 in the house.

Arrests and Trials

[43:08–46:53]

• Arrests: Braylon, Miles Allen, and Keith Roberts are arrested soon after. Raheem Muhammad (aka Theodore Holloman) is located in Chicago a month later.
• Trials and Sentencing:
  • Braylon Garland: Acquitted by jury for cooperating and offering the key confession.

    "Apparently... if he hadn't originally confessed and told the truth... the case might have never been solved... the jury was like, in comparison... Braylon is the least guilty."
    – Peyton [45:31]

  • Miles Allen and Raheem Muhammad: Both convicted and sentenced to life in prison.
  • Keith Roberts: Identified as the ringleader by all confessions; also received life in prison.

Reflections and Reactions

[46:53–end]

• Motivation: The pursuit of Carnell's supposed settlement money—a rumor—drove the horrific crime; the perpetrators netted only $20.
• Betrayal: All perpetrators were fellow Morehouse students, some Carnell considered friends.

“The most heartbreaking part of all of this, though, is these were guys that Carnell thought were his friends, fellow college students from campus who he hung out with.”
– Peyton [43:25]

• Garrett’s Outrage:
  “Why are you torturing someone? Like, who—like, hello… they knew they had taken it too far.” [47:09]

• Peyton’s Reflection:
  “Carnell would have eventually, after eight hours of torture, if that money was there, he would have told… By the time they left him alive in that trunk, they knew he didn’t have the money. They just… knew they had taken it too far.” [47:24]

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• On How Quickly Society Can Turn Hostile
  "Like when people start fighting for their... for their lives or their families or their loved ones, I just think it turns hostile so quick, which is unfortunate, but I've..."
  – Garrett [04:06]

• On Carnell’s Character:
  "He had, as some people like to call it, the sauce. That charisma and appeal. Plus he was extremely determined."
  – Peyton [06:09]

• On the Crime Scene:
  "Tables turned over, couch cushions on the floor, drawers were pulled out... The panel leading to the attic was out of place... bloody handprints on the wall..."
  – Peyton [16:47]

• On the Motive:
  “At the end of it all, they had only found $20 in Carnell’s home.”
  – Peyton [43:08]

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Important Timestamps

• 05:29: Start of Carnell Walker’s background
• 15:47: Welfare check and discovery of the crime scene
• 19:04: Carnell’s body is found in the trunk
• 22:36: On-site investigation details
• 30:07: Interview with friend Vincenstra revealing motive
• 34:37: Police connect the murder to Carnell’s rumored insurance settlement
• 39:48: Witness Braylon Garland describes the murder in detail—ambush, torture, and abandonment
• 43:08: Emotional reflection on betrayal and senselessness
• 44:59: Arrests and outcomes for each perpetrator
• 46:53: Reflections on justice, motivation, and Carnell’s legacy

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Episode Tone and Style

Peyton is empathetic, methodical, and sensitive in her narration, honoring Carnell’s perseverance and loss. Garrett adds incredulity, empathy, and a raw, frustrated perspective, often punctuating with emotional outbursts or rhetorical questions on the senselessness of violence.

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Summary

This episode exposes how ambition and hope can be shattered by jealousy and greed, even among peers. The case underscores both the fragility of trust—even among friends—and the ripple effects of crime on families and communities. Peyton and Garrett’s compassionate yet probing discussion provides insight for listeners, prompting reflection on both systemic issues and personal responsibility.

"Let's take today and think about Carnell's family... especially with so many people involved. The years it took to get justice. And on top of that, we have... another crime that just does not seem to even have a motive."
—Peyton [47:56]

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

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[C]

Or. You're listening to an Ono Media podcast. Hey, everybody. Welcome back to the podcast. This is Murder with my husband. I'm Peyton Moreland.

[D]

And I'm Garrett Moreland.

[C]

And he's the husband.

[D]

And I'm the husband. How is everybody doing? Any fun plans? Anything good going on? How's work for everybody? How's life? What's everyone up to? Thanks to any of everybody who says hi to me at the shop. Appreciate it. What else do you guys got going on? I want to hear something cool. Give me some. Give me some good news. Anything crazy going on? Anything good going on? Yeah, I don't know what you guys are up to, so leave it in the comments on social media. And that's what I got. Peyton's got a pretty cool sweatshirt on.

[C]

Yeah, if you're watching on video, you can obviously see my shirt, but if not, I'll explain it to you. I have our newest merch on. It's kind of like a university line. Kind of like a. What's that called? What? What's the cut?

[D]

Varsity.

[C]

Varsity. Varsity, not university.

[D]

I got you, baby. It's okay.

[C]

That's what I meant.

[D]

I know what you meant.

[C]

It's like similar.

[D]

There's a lot going on. It's okay.

[C]

Okay. Varsity. It's like a varsity cut. So it's. We really haven't done anything like this. So cute. Cute colors, a higher neck. Like it's like a crew neck, but even higher. It's super cute, but yeah. This is our latest drop. If you want to go check it

[D]

out, we'll put links everywhere. So if you want to go check out the merch, go check it out. And what else?

[C]

Nothing. I think we're ready to get in your 10 seconds.

[D]

Peyton and I were talking about this the other day, and it's something I've. How do I say this? Not that I've been into, but I think about, like, I love zombie apocalypse movies. I love end of the world movies. I don't know, I just. I love those type of movies. I don't know why. Maybe I'm crazy. But let's say we had an EMP go off. All the electricity went off everywhere. Just our. The electrical system in the US is just shot. Like our electrical grids down. Like, how long before people stop using cash to pay for things and we start bartering? Like, how long does cash and digital payments or cash. How long is it still looked as a commodity, like something we want? You know what I'm saying? So Peyton and I talked about this the other day for a second because I was like, I think like a week or so. And people are just over it. And like, you go to like cigarettes, alcohol, drugs, medicine, like guns, like all that stuff starts becoming the commodities instead of like, I think pretty quickly people stop using cash. Because I've read a couple books on this and it's surprising. I mean, it's not surprising to me, but maybe it's surprising to you guys how fast a society would become hostile. And maybe not, but there's a lot of people that would. Like when people start fighting for their. For their lives or their families or their loved ones, I just think it turns hostile so quick, which is unfortunate, but I've.

[C]

Yeah, I've like had this sudden realization lately that modern day, like currently we live in a very different world than majority of history has lived in. It would just revert back to history. Like we. We would almost just rewind. Right to earlier times.

[D]

Yeah, I mean, I guess depending where you're. Where you are at in the world. Yes, I would say we are a more civilized.

[C]

I'm. Yeah, I'm obviously talking about like our current civilization, but I also think depending

[D]

where you're at, I would say we are the most civilized we've ever been. And I think it continues to get better to an extent each year. There's lots of. There's lots of different things you can say about that. But yes, I agree And I think pretty quickly if, like things were to go south and go wrong, we would like or just your natural human tendencies take over. And I think it would get, I just think it'd get crazy so fast. We're kind of rambling. But that's my 10 seconds.

[C]

That was a very deep 10 seconds. This has been a thought that has been plaguing me lately. And then you just came out and were like, yeah.

[D]

So if you guys have any thoughts on it, feel free to leave it in the comments. Yeah, that's all I got. Anyways, on that note, on that deep thought of EMPs and society collapsing, let's hop into this week's episode.

[C]

Our sources for this episode are eastbaytimes.com sfgate.com legacy.com oxygen.com caselaw. Finelaw.com wistv.com upi.com blackcollegewire.com theeduledger.com bet.com mylifeofcrime.com henryherald.com law.justea.com Atlanta Magazine and the Real Murders of Atlanta on Peacock There are a lot of people in this world who work really hard to break the cycle of the past. Whether that's getting out of a tough neighborhood, escaping age old stereotypes, breaking generational trauma. It's not an easy thing to do. But everyone deserves a bright future, regardless of where they came from or what has happened before. And moving forward means trusting the path you are on and trusting those around you to help support you along the way. And that was Carnell Walker. He was a focused, driven 23 year old college student determined to succeed in life. He created his own opportunities. He saw positivity, even in the negative. But not everyone around Carnell was rooting for his future. Some were actually planning to rob him of it, even if that meant taking his life along the way. So today we are headed to Atlanta, Georgia to meet 23 year old Carnell Walker, a miracle child, as his mother Peggy described him. And honestly, in more ways than one. Peggy said doctors originally told her she couldn't have children. And then along came Carnell. He was born on January 13, 1983. He had actually grown up in Richmond, California. This was a tougher neighborhood, about a half hour drive right over the bay from San Francisco. Now growing up, Carnell was always energetic. According to his cousin. He was the kind of person who could turn any dull situation into a good time type person you always wanted around when you were feeling down. And he also had that quality where you just knew he was going to be successful at whatever he set his mind to. He had, as some people like to call it, the sauce. That charisma and appeal. Plus he was extremely determined. For example, when Carnell was a junior in high school, he told his mom out of the blue that he wanted to join the tennis team. Now, usually high school sports are something you work your way up to after years of practice, but Carnell didn't even need that. He joined the team that year and was a natural at it, becoming the top tennis player in Contra Costa County. But junior year also had its downsides for Carnell too. He was kicked out of high school for drug possession, and he later spent some time in juvenile detention. And when he violated his parole, a judge actually sent him to Byron Boy's ranch. This was a youth rehab facility, and he was sent there for six months in high school. But Carnell knew he wanted to turn things around. He worked hard. He completed the program early and went on to graduate high school with honors in 2001. He then took the year after graduation off to focus on himself and really figure out what he wanted to do with adulthood. And which he eventually realized was music and songwriting. By the following summer, Carnell told his family he was ready for college. He tried out two different schools, one in Tennessee and one in North Carolina, before he set the bar even higher for himself. He decided he wanted to transfer to Morehouse College in Atlanta. And he got accepted there on a tennis scholarship. Now, finally, in the fall of 2004, now 21 year old Carnell arrived in Georgia, ready to attend the prestigious historically all male black college. Now, I say that because Morehouse is nicknamed the Black Harvard. It's known for shaping important icons like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Director Spike Lee and actor Samuel L. Jackson. It's actually been around for nearly 160 years now. So becoming what's called a Morehouse man was something Carnell and a lot of other young men dreamed of. And with its great reputation for academics, it set Cornell up for a bright future and plenty of opportunities. But Morehouse also sat within its own little bubble in the middle of downtown Atlanta, which back in the mid-2000s was a city on the rise. A lot of students were flocking to the area because there were so many other historically black colleges and universities there. But Atlanta itself was still dealing with a notably higher crime rate compared to the rest of the country. This didn't deter Cornell though. And while he lived alone in an off campus house, he felt confident that he could handle this new journey at this college. So Carnell kept his sights set on his studies, majoring in business administration. But ultimately he did want to produce music, rap and hip hop to be specific. He even set up his own record label called Triple Gold Mine Records. And he went by the nickname Seamoney and posted on MySpace about how he was looking for.

[D]

MySpace, let's go.

[C]

That's a throwback about how he was looking for fresh new talent to basically produce.

[D]

MySpace was awesome.

[C]

I never had it. I was a little too young.

[D]

I had it for a little bit and I thought it was cool, but I mean, it's also been so long, so I don't know.

[C]

But Carnell was also incredibly focused on keeping his life on track since he had had those slip ups in high school. And to do that, he made sure that he stayed connected with his religion and a local church in Atlanta. Now, his mom, Peggy actually claims that she found this surprising at first. Carnell didn't go to church much back when he lived home in California, but she was excited to hear that he had found this community near school. Peggy said she could hear the excitement in his voice after he had joined this church. She and how he just spoke about it with such passion and high regard. It seemed like it was really bringing Carnell peace, especially when he had an unexpected accident in March of 2006. Now, I wasn't able to find too many details on this, but I know Carnell was in a pretty significant car crash just outside of Atlanta. He was okay, I believe there was no terrible injuries from what I found. And Carnell was told that because the other driver was at fault, he might be getting anywhere from a few,000 to $50,000 in insurance payouts for the damage from this crash.

[D]

Okay.

[C]

It was something that he actually began banking on when he made his trip back home to visit his family. And in May of that year, 2006, he told them all about how he was waiting for the money to arrive. And though it was looking closer to just a few thousand dollars, it was still a lot for a young college student. Yeah, maybe because of that, Carnell was really in good spirits during that trip home.

[D]

Remember in college I'd save a box of pizza for like the whole week. I know, like this is my food.

[C]

I know. Anyways, so on this trip home, he gets to spend Mother's Day with Peggy. He went to a cousin's wedding, and then he returned back to his off campus housing in Atlanta around the first week of June. And around mid month, he called his grandmother for a long overdue chat. And during this phone call, she said Carnell seemed like his same old usual self. They talked about his upcoming semester at Morehouse, where he'd be going into his junior year, according to most sources. And he also mentioned how he'd be sending her some money soon to pass on to his 10 year old cousin. And then after this phone call with his grandma, two weeks go by. Okay. July rolls around and on the 8th, Peggy gets a call from one of Carnell's neighbors saying she hadn't heard from him in a few days. So she was now reaching out to his mom to see if he's okay. And Peggy tells the neighbor, well, I haven't spoken to him recently either. They weren't necessarily a family that chats every day, so it wasn't unusual for her to go a week or so without hearing from her son. But this specific day when the neighbor calls also happens to be Peggy's birthday. And so she does find it alarming that she hasn't heard from her son Carnell yet. So this is when Peggy decides to call the Clayton County Police Department and ask, hey, can you stop by my son's home in Atlanta for a welfare check? So after this, an officer goes to his rented home where Carnell, remember, lives by himself, and they find that the front door is locked. So they go around the back and the back door to his house is wide open.

[D]

Okay.

[C]

Now, as the officer steps inside, she sees there's actually quite a bit of blood in the kitchen that's leading towards the living room. And I imagine if you're a cop doing a welfare check and the first thing you see when you open the door is blood leading into a different room, you're immediately like, okay, yeah, this welfare check was warranted. We've got something going on here.

[D]

It's just a crazy, it's some of, some of these professions out there just I think you get. And maybe not. I'm not in these professions, but I would assume after a while of doing something over and over, like being a. Oh my gosh, what's it called? Someone who inspects people when they're dead. What's that called?

[C]

A mortician.

[D]

A mor. Yeah, mortician. A mortician. Like, I guess you get used to it after a while.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

Of just seeing that many dead bodies. But to someone new, I'm sure it's just like, whoa.

[C]

Well, also, I, I would hope that most welfare checks don't end up leading with blood and you know what I mean? And so I'm sure it's so alarming yeah, like just happens, the cop also notices that there is stuff everywhere, as if someone has rummaged through this place. We are talking tables turned over, couch cushions on the floor, drawers were pulled out. The panel leading to the attic was out of place. It was clear immediately that there had been some sort of struggle that had happened here. The blood, number one. But there were also bloody handprints on the wall and as well as drag marks around the house that implied someone or something had been pulled. And then there's a bunch of items in the middle of the living room floor piled together next to an empty bottle of lamp oil. Almost like someone had like made this pile and then was planning to set it on fire using the oil. And among them were these pieces of hair. Like there was hair in this pile. Dreadlocks, to be specific. Now, interesting. Obviously you've probably put two and two together, but Carnell had dreadlocks and they. Also nearby is a pair of scissors that had seemingly been used to cut the dreadlocks.

[D]

I don't like this. This, this already sounds like some, like he had been tortured, right?

[C]

This like, it's just.

[D]

I already just know.

[C]

Yeah. But the thing that is most concerning is there is a terrible smell of decay lingering around the house. And that's when the cops know, okay, it is time to call for backup. And as soon as the other officers arrive, they kind of follow the smell into the garage. And inside of the garage there's Carnell's Oldsmobile. And the trunk is cracked open ever so slightly. I'm sure the officers are like, please, please don't. Like, this is the last thing they want to see. But inside his own trunk is 23 year old Carnell.

[D]

Gosh.

[C]

He has been tied up and gagged with a computer cord, TV cables and electrical tape. Again, his hair has been cut in sections. He has been beaten and stabbed. They notice he's missing some of his teeth.

[D]

Oh my gosh.

[C]

And from the level of decomposition, detectives actually believe he's been dead for several days, if not weeks by this point.

[D]

Why? Like what? Yeah, so no, just why, like what's going on?

[C]

So it's around 1pm Peggy's time when she finally gets a call back from the police in Atlanta. And you can imagine, like she's called, said, hey, can you just do this welfare check? It's my bir birthday. He hasn't called me. What she's gonna hear on the other end of this call when they finally call her back to report in about that welfare check. Like, I, I can't even imagine the devastation.

[D]

I. Yeah, I just, I can't imagine being a parent or a loved one and having to just go through that trauma and just awful situation. Like, truly, I can't imagine it.

[C]

Obviously, the news they deliver to Peggy on her 50th birthday is something no one ever deserves to hear. Her son, her miracle child, has been found dead during that welfare check, and it looks like it was the result of a heartbreaking and gruesome homicide. All right, you guys, I don't know about you, but organizing finances is incredibly overwhelming for me. I hate it. I usually just try to leave it up to Garrett, but I do try to do my best to stay informed and involved. And that is where Rocket Money steps in, because Rocket Money has made it easy for me to follow our finances, organize them, and then even also, like, be involved and help. Not to mention they cancel unwanted subscriptions, which is just the best aspect of it. There's also automatic transaction categorization across accounts, plus customizable categories and tags to reveal, like, spending patterns. And then, like I said, it is a financial app, so it helps you set budgets and goals. You can get personalized insights and regular reports. So it's way more than just canceling those unwanted subscriptions. Rocket Money is a personal finance app that helps find and cancel unwanted subscriptions, monitors your spending, and helps lower your bills so you can grow your savings. Let Rocket Money help you reach your financial goals faster. [e-mail] husband that's RocketMoney.com husband RocketMoney.com husband all right you guys, we are getting into an ad and it is no secret that I believe Skims constantly revolutionizes the intimates industry. Every new release surpasses the last. From their incredibly stretchy underwear to the perfect push up bra, they continue to innovate. Most recently, they have introduced a new cotton fabric that honestly has completely transformed my daily wardrobe. I have taken every single one of my favorites and ordered it in their new cotton fabric. I even ordered Garrett some new underwear for his birthday in the cotton fabric. Honestly, it's my favorite. I was actually at PT the other day and the therapist was like, ooh, these pants are so soft. Where'd you get them? I was like, yeah, that's the Skims. Everyday Cotton.

[D]

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[C]

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[D]

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Love them. Shop Everyday Cotton and all of my favorite bras and [e-mail] and after you place your order, be sure to let them know that we sent you select podcast in the survey. Be sure to select our show in the drop down menu that follows. Again, you guys, this is after you've paid. Please just take that extra step of selecting podcasts and Murder with My Husband. It just lets them know that you visited their site from hearing it from us. Now, knowing they obviously have a murder scene on their hands, police cordon off the area and begin searching for more clues. Inside Carnell's home. And all throughout the house, they find bloody shoe prints. When they compare them to all of the shoes found inside Cornell's place, there isn't a match. So immediately, police are like, hey, this must belong to the killer. Now, in the laundry room, they also discover one of the weapons used on Carnell. It was a claw hammer with blood on the handle and the head. But the blood patterns in the house suggests there might have actually been more than one person committing this crime. So police collect a lot of DNA samples and fingerprints. They photograph the bloody shoe prints. Basically, they collect anything with blood on it. Honestly, it's a gold mine for potential evidence since so many of Carnell's things have been moved around and gone through. But testing this much evidence is going to take time. So if they want answers right now, they're going to have to try to turn to eyewitnesses. And unfortunately, those are a little harder to come by. After canvassing the area, none of Carnell's neighbors reported seeing anything of note. And remember, they don't even know the exact day, maybe even week that this happened. Carnell lived alone and in a cul de sac. So there weren't many, like, random people passing by. When they speak with Peggy, she's like, listen. Carnell was not involved with drugs or gangs. The only time he had been in trouble with the law was that one event back in high school. He hadn't done anything like it since. So next, detectives speak with one of Carnell's mentors, a Morehouse alumnus named Myron Johnson, who said he actually had been a bit worried about Carnell lately, ever since he'd befriended and started, quote, hanging around with the wrong crowd. So this is what his mentor tells police.

[D]

Okay.

[C]

And this made sense to the police because it did seem like Carnell may have known his attackers. There didn't appear to be evidence of forced entry, and whoever was in there was looking for something specific. So they had to have known something about Cornell's life. Now, when the medical examiner does Carnell's autopsy, he determines that Carnell has been dead for two to three weeks before being discovered.

[D]

That's a long time.

[C]

He found extensive stab wounds on Cornell's hands and thighs.

[D]

Also, it's going to make it even harder to find out who did this.

[C]

He showed multiple signs of blunt force trauma, likely from a hammer. But none of those injuries actually resulted in his cause of death. That was from hyperthermia, AKA heat stroke. So that means Carnell was definitely beaten, stabbed, but alive.

[D]

Oh, gosh.

[C]

When they placed him inside his trunk. Okay, but because it was such a hot summer day and the humidity was so high, not to mention the position of his body was probably made it difficult for him to breathe and get more oxygen. But just that discovery alone is heartbreaking. At least investigators feel like they have a lot of leads to work off of in this homicide. And they start with one of the more obvious things they found in Carnell's driveway. It was a black BMW that didn't belong to Carnell, but instead belonged to his landlord, a guy named Terry Alexander. Now, Terry, his landlord, was someone that Carnell was known to not get along with, which means Mr. Alexander is one of the first people of interest in this case. And when police first speak to Terry, he tells them that he lives on the property across the street from the one he had rented to Carnell. And he sometimes parks his car in Carnell's driveway since there's space. And when they tell him, okay, well, we found Carnell dead inside the garage, and he's been there for a while, Terry seems more, like, annoyed than upset that there's a dead body on his property he's gonna have to deal with. Police are like, okay, lack of empathy. Like, this is a red flag. But Terry also told the detectives he didn't have a lot of interaction with Carnell. They mostly communicated through notes, which he does admit were often contentious because Terry said Carnell wasn't exactly the best tenant. Apparently, Carnell had some issues with respecting the property. He had done some damage to the unit. He'd gotten at least one threat for eviction. So, knowing about the tension between the two, detectives bring Terry in for more formal questioning, and they ask him when the last time he saw Cornell was. And he claimed it was back on June 19th. This was 19 days before Carnell's body was found. And sometime between June 19th and July 8th, Terry went over to Carnell's to give him another letter saying, hey, you're overdue on rent. He's annoyed, and Terry says Carnell Wasn't home at the time, so he let himself in and put the letter on the couch. Now, I need to be clear. It's possible that by this point Carnell was already dead and in the trunk of his car. So the house would have been in complete disarray when the landlord like let himself in to leave the note.

[D]

Okay.

[C]

Though detectives can't be certain if it was before or after Carnell's death, they still don't really have a concrete timeline. If it was after, you would think Terry would have noticed the same things police did when they went inside on July 8th. I mean, he's basically entering a crime scene. So either way, the timing is suspicious. So they end up collecting the landlord's shoes to run them against the bloody ones that were found at the crime scene. And when the tests come back, it ends up ruling Terry out. It seems the shoe prints don't even match his size. So he's kind of let off the hook, which is when the police pivot. And this time they take a look at Carnell's cell phone records prior to his death. And they find that Carnell's last call was actually at 2am on June 16. It was made to a friend named Vinzinstra Dillard. And when police speak with her, she tells them that the last time she saw Carnell was, was two days later. So now June 18th. So now we know he was at least alive until June 18th. But when they're talking to her, she's also hysterical. She tells police there's something she needs to get off her chest because she actually thinks she knows who killed her friend Carnell.

[D]

Which is okay. If you needed to get it off your chest that bad, you would have called the cops earlier. So, so little weird.

[C]

Vincy tells the police this story. She's like, listen, I had known Carnell for about three and a half years. We were pretty close. The type that kind of looked out for each other. So when Carnell got a part time job with a cleaning service, he called her to ask if she would be interested in working for them too. Maybe they could just like do this on the side, have a little fun, make a bit of extra cash. And Vincennestra says she's in. So Carnell introduces her to a guy named Ari Baumgarth. Now, one of their first jobs, at least together, is cleaning Ari's friend's parents house. So they go, they show up to this house for this cleaning job. It is a big three story place. And Carnell and Vincent spend the whole time busting their butts to get this place sparkling clean. But afterwards, something strange happens. Vincent Struck gets a call from Ari, the guy she'd been introduced to, asking if she had heard what happened. And then he tells her, your friend Carnell stole $2,000 worth of stuff from my friend's parents home.

[D]

Okay?

[C]

Now, Vincenstra thinks this is super weird because not only has she known Carnell for years and has never known him to be a thief, she was in the house with him the whole time. And then things get stranger. Ari tells her he spoke to Carnell, and he says he's going to pay it all back. So Vincensto's like, okay, why are you calling me? What's the problem? And Ari says, well, I don't want to get the police involved, but I have to do something to get him back. Like, he can't just steal. And that's when he starts getting angrier and angrier. Ari begins yelling that Carnell messed everything up. And that quote, I'm gonna kill him. I want him dead. In fact, he tells her several times on this phone call that Carnell was a dead man. And he mentions to her, he's going to cut off his dreads.

[D]

There's something else going on, obviously.

[C]

So Vincennestra tells police, I'm so sorry. I regret not coming to you just immediately after this conversation when this man was threatening my friend's life. And she's like, I am so positive that Ari was the one who killed Carnell. So the police think, okay, maybe this is the lead we've been waiting for. They get the address to Ari's business, which also happens to be where he lives. They find him, they bring him in for questioning. But Ari seems completely baffled. He says, I don't know anything about a murder. Detectives aren't buying it.

[D]

I think I know who might have done it.

[C]

They impound his Mustang. Who?

[D]

I think the friend's lying and she's involved, or they're involved somehow.

[C]

Vincenstra.

[D]

Correct.

[C]

Interesting.

[D]

Maybe not, then. Maybe not.

[C]

They impound his Mustang, they get his fingerprints and confiscate his shoes. But the one thing they can't really do in this case is check an alibi because there's still such a vast window of time during which the crime could have been committed. So it takes a little while, but eventually, the CSI techs do come back and say, hey, Ari's not a match for those shoe prints either. He doesn't match the fingerprints that were found on Cornell's car. So is it just a coincidence that Someone else had beef with and spoke about killing Carnell around the same time he was actually murdered.

[D]

No, I think. I think the friend might have been lying.

[C]

So they let Ari walk. But things become a bit clearer a few days later after detectives hold a press conference asking for help from the community. Now, I'm going to back up a second back to the crime scene because there was one big thing the police did take note of I haven't mentioned, and that was a letter. It was not the one from his landlord, Terry, but it was a letter from his car insurance provider about a recent claim. So this is going to come full circle when a few days after calling for help from the public, the police get a phone call. It's from an attorney who apparently had been helping Carnell with his settlement from that really bad car accident. But he says Carnell hadn't received a dime of this settlement yet. He was told he would be getting about three grand back here pretty soon.

[D]

Oh, now I think I know what happened.

[C]

And that's when police start to realize Parnell had brought this up to a few different people. Like he had mentioned to some of his friends around campus, Yeah, I got in this really bad car accident. I'm actually going to get money back. Thousands of dollars. And shortly after zeroing in on the insurance letter, on July 18, detectives receive another call, and this time it was from the Morehouse College campus police. And they say, hey, we have someone with us. It's a cafeteria worker at the school who claims they know someone who apparently witnessed Carnell's murder. So police are like, okay, let's sit down with this person. They sit down with that worker later that day, and they get that witness's name. It was a 20 year old Morehouse student named Braylon Garland. Now, Braylon had started at Morehouse the same year as Carnell. They were both from California originally, though they didn't know each other back home. From what I can tell, Braylon was from Lancaster. This is over 350 miles away from Carnell's hometown in Richmond. Braylon was the son of a police officer and a teacher. He was on the track team. He did well in school. He never had any run ins with the law. But things changed for him once he got to Morehouse. The apparently he goes to college, he tries to reinvent himself. He talks about previously being in a gang. He claims he was actually from Compton, not Lancaster. He starts hanging out with a different crowd than he had in the past. But when he got in front of the police the following day, to be like, hey, we heard, like, you've been opening your mouth and talking about this murder, possibly witnessing it. That tough Persona he's tried to put on at college, it kind of falls away. Braylon's like, no, no, no. I'm afraid for my life. I'm willing to talk just so I can kind of put this behind me. And here's what he tells police. All right, guys, if you're like me, you can be a little overwhelmed with supplements. Just feeling like you're taking a whole bunch, not sure if they're even working. But that is where Ima came in and saved me. Ima is the way to simplify your supplement routine once and for all. Sixteen supplements replaced 90 ingredients across nine major organ systems, all in one drink.

[D]

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[C]

Honestly, that's like, so amazing. And I do love this drink because I know I'm getting so much in one go. And like I said, taking a whole bunch of things can just be incredibly overwhelming. And that is why I love I am eights daily ultimate essentials drink.

[D]

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[C]

There are people you are told to trust. Lawyers, teachers, especially doctors. But what happens when you put your life in someone's hands and they betray you? The hit podcast Dr. Death is back, and this season is unlike any other. Dr. Death the Cowboy is the story of a charming neurosurgeon who rode into western towns and selling a Persona of confidence and care. He wore cowboy boots in the operating room and became sought after by patients. He promised to heal them, and instead he left a trail of broken bodies. This season is about a doctor who was never truly held accountable for the patients whose lives he ruined. A story of greed, betrayal, and a fight for justice that will leave you questioning who to trust. Listen to Dr. Death the Cowboy wherever you get your podcasts or binge the entire series right now only with audible on the night of the murder, he woke up to his phone ringing it was his friend, 21 year old Miles Allen. This is another Morehouse student who said he needed a ride. So now we just have some. Some of the college kids. Now, Miles tells Braylon he had run into Carnell earlier, and they were now going over to his house to smoke marijuana and that he was with two other people as well. 22 year old Morehouse student Keith Roberts, and another he knew only as Raheem. So he's basically getting invited to this little shindig at Carnell's house with a bunch of either current or past students from Morehouse.

[D]

No, I get it. I'm just. So if the friend wasn't involved, like, is it just random people? This is crazy.

[C]

So we have Braylon, his friend Miles, who knows Carnell. So the three of them at Carnell's home with Keith and Raheem. So five guys at the house. Now, Braylon and Miles obviously get together and they go to Carnell's home. They knock on the door. They're there to just, you know, hang out, smoke marijuana. But according to him, there's no answer. So Miles picks Carnell's lock with a credit card, and that's when Braylon said he could just tell something was off. They go inside, they wait for Carnell, who came home a short while later. And according to Braylon, the second Carnell walked through his door, Miles knocked him unconscious. Now, Braylon is like, I had no idea any of this was happening. I thought we were just going with five dudes to smoke marijuana. But then we end up, this guy's home, he comes home, and now my other friend is knocking him unconscious. He says they tied him up, said they were going to interrogate him until he told them where the money was from his settlements. They had heard Carnell talking about this huge payout. It had gone around campus. They figured the money was probably somewhere in his house. Now, of course, according to Raylon, Carnell's insisting at this point, like, no, I haven't been paid yet. Like, I don't even have the money.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

And he's like, yeah. And instead of believing him, we just interrogated him for the next eight.

[D]

Interrogated is a crazy word to use instead of tortured and killed for eight hours. Mind you, that's insane.

[C]

He says we cut off his hair again, like Garrett just said, Torture. Torture. Okay. Yeah, he cut off his hair. They cut off his hair. They beat him with a hammer.

[D]

Oh, my gosh. I can't.

[C]

And as Carnell was basically begging for his life, they turn his house upside down. They keep up this torture. And as the sun started to rise, they bound and gagged Carnell, doused him in flammable liquid, and stuffed him into the trunk of his car. So according to Raylon, as he's talking to police, they knew he was alive when they put him in this car. Braylon said the ringleader of this entire thing was Keith Roberts, one of the other four men. And when Braylon himself tried to push back about locking Carnell inside the trunk after these eight hours of beating and torturing him, he told Braylon, you better do what you're told, or you're going in there, too. So Braylon's like, obviously, I listened. I did what I was told. And he goes, after this, we all just parted ways, went our separate ways, and left without finding the money. But Braylon claimed he actually did go back to Carnell's house later that day to check on him. But when he popped the trunk and touched Carnell's leg, he could tell he was no longer moving. That's when he got scared and left and decided to keep the story to himself, which. That part kind of makes sense, because the trunk was slightly.

[D]

Yeah, no, no. I mean, it could very well be true. Yeah.

[C]

So at the end of it all, they had only found $20 in Carnell's home.

[D]

Bro.

[C]

Eight hours of torture for $20. The most heartbreaking part of all of this, though, is these were guys that Carnell thought was his friends, fellow college students from campus who he hung out with. These were people that Carnell.

[D]

Freaking losers.

[C]

Called his friends. Now, Braylon is arrested that day after the confession, and then later that afternoon, Morehouse Campus tracked down Miles Allen. This is Braylon's connection. And during Miles's confession, he also claims that Keith Roberts was the one who, like, put this all together and was calling all the shots. So Miles is then arrested, and then they arrest Keith Roberts that day. So Braylon and Miles have both confessed after being, you know, brought in for questioning, but he's the ringleader, supposedly was far less eager to cooperate. He told the police he wanted a lawyer as he was thrown into county jail. But we obviously know there's still a fourth suspect at large, former Morehouse student known as Raheem Muhammad. Well, it takes a little longer to track Raheem down, but a month later, on August 22, they actually find him living under the name Theodore Holloman. Okay, in Chicago. So they do track him down. They do find him under his fake name, and they bring him in, and he is also arrested, and brought back to Georgia to face charges. So now all four of the guys involved have been arrested. The four men were charged and tried separately. So all separate trials and they were each facing murder, aggravated assault, kidnapping and burglary. Now, unfortunately, it took three long years before Carnell's family could start to get justice.

[D]

That just sucks.

[C]

Now, shockingly, Braylon Garland, who was the now 24 years old, who was the first one to confess, he was acquitted at his trial.

[D]

And okay, I'm not saying maybe that should have happened, but

[C]

according to him in his story, he had no idea it was happening.

[D]

I'm sure there's some sort of deal. I mean, they probably would not have got as far as they did without him. Not saying you should be acquitted. I'm just saying. Well, there's deals happen. Like stuff happens.

[C]

Apparently this is what the jury said they were like. If it wasn't for him, if he hadn't of originally confessed and told the truth during his first confession, apparently the case might have never been solved. And as well, according to his confession that he had no idea he tried to go back and save him. They're just, I think the jury was like, in comparison to all four men who've been there, Raylon is the least guilty. And to them that meant acquitting him. You don't have to agree with that. That is just what happened. That's their side of the story.

[D]

Okay?

[C]

Now, Miles Allen and Raheem were both convicted and sentenced to life in prison. But then there was Keith Roberts, the supposed ringleader that all of the other boys agree on. And the evidence seems to support it. There were call logs that showed Keith himself had reached out to Miles, Braylon and Raheem. But it didn't seem to be about the money, at least not at first. Keith said he felt disrespected by Carnell. Over what? I'm not sure. But Keith planned to right that wrong by breaking into Carnell's house, stealing the money he had gotten from the settlement. So all the boys story is the same. That like this was Keith's idea. He was the ringleader. He's the one who put. Put the entire scheme together. Now, Keith was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison.

[D]

Good. Okay.

[C]

Now as for Carnell Walker, he spent his life trying to prove that your past does not have to define your future. But in the end, it wasn't even the past that caught up to him. It was the people around him in his new life that took his life away.

[D]

It's. It's horrible. It Sucks. I just wish people wouldn't kill people, man. Why are you torturing someone? Like, who? Like, hello.

[C]

And like, I'm sorry, Like, what? A couple thousand dollars.

[D]

Insane.

[C]

Carnell would have eventually, after eight hours of torture, if that money was there, he would have told.

[D]

Like, they knew that, like, rot in prison. Like, absolutely. Just rot. Throw him in. Like, throw him in a cell that's two by two and just rot in prison.

[C]

Because hear me out. By the time they left him alive in that trunk, they knew he didn't have the money. They just knew they had taken it too far.

[D]

I just. Yeah.

[C]

To, like, just up and walk away and leave him alive.

[D]

Yep.

[C]

Like, that's just the reality. Let's take today and think about Carnell's family as. I just cannot imagine the pain and suffering they had to go through, especially with so many people involved. The years it took to get justice. And on top of that, we have a. Another crime that just does not seem to even have a motive.

[D]

I mean.

[C]

I mean, yes, you have money, but it wasn't even real.

[D]

It just does it.

[C]

They didn't even get it.

[D]

It blows my mind.

[C]

Thank you guys so much for listening to today's episode, and we will see you next time with another one. I love it and I hate it. Goodbye.

[E]

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