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In June 2015, Shirley Carter, a grandmother and mother-of-three, was gunned down at her rural Iowa home. She was shot twice in the kitchen and was discovered in a pool of blood by her son Jason, who was later charged with murder. His family also filed a wrongful death lawsuit against him based on circumstantial evidence. Jason was found not guilty in connection with Shirley's murder in a 2019 trial.
Shirley Carter's case will soon feature on Dateline: Secrets Uncovered's upcoming episode, scheduled to re-air on Tuesday, February 21, 2023. The episode, titled The Farm, will air at 9.00 pm ET on Oxygen.
The synopsis states:
"Bill and Shirley Carter raise a family on their sprawling farm in America's heartland; as their golden years approach, tragedy strikes and the seeds of a mystery, pitting one family member against another, are planted."
Shirley Carter's murder suspect, her husband's doubts, and more details about the Iowa grandmother's death
1) Shirley died of two gunshot wounds and a third one hit the refrigerator
Shirley Carter was fatally shot in the kitchen of her rural Marion County, Iowa, home on June 19, 2015. According to reports, investigators found that she died from two bullet wounds caused by a medium-caliber rifle.
A subsequent autopsy declared that one bullet hit her chest and the other tore through the right side of her back. The bullets pierced her heart, lungs, sternum, and a few ribs while a third bullet struck the fridge.
2) Her son Jason Carter was the first to discover the grisly crime scene
Shirley Carter's son Jason Carter was the first person to arrive at the crime scene. He claimed that he was at work but decided to get a sandwich from his mother. When he returned home, Jason found that the backdoor was open, which was completely normal for their household. He then found his mother, lifeless, cold, and stiff on the kitchen floor in a pool of blood with her arms folded across her chest.
Upon discovering the scene, Jason first called his sister Jana Lain, informing her of the horrific sight, before calling authorities. He told the 911 dispatcher that he needed "an ambulance fast," and said his mother was "lying in a pool of blood."
3) Detectives initially thought Shirley Carter was shot during a botched burglary
Detectives initially believed that the incident was the outcome of a botched burglary, but they soon realized that nothing had been taken from the home. An envelope on the dresser that supposedly contained $1,700, Shirley's handbag, which had $140 and credit cards, was also left untouched. The only item missing was a medium-caliber rifle from the cabinet in the basement.
4) The victim's husband Bill Carter filed a wrongful death lawsuit against their son Jason
Bill Carter was dissatisfied with the investigation and suspected his son Jason of committing the murder. As per Iowa Cold Cases, he expressed his doubts about the capacity of law enforcement to obtain pertinent evidence, such as Jason's clothing and boots. Bill then hired a private investigator and an attorney to work on the case.
On January 5, 2016, Bill and his two other children, Jana and Billy, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Jason as they accused him of murdering Shirley. The lawsuit made a number of claims, including his financial difficulties and the fact that his family would have refused to offer financial aid if they had known about his affair. Jason maintained his innocence but was eventually charged with murder.
5) Jason Carter was found not guilty although the $10 million lawsuit was upheld
2017 saw the start of the wrongful death civil lawsuit trial. The Marion County jury, which sided with Bill Carter's lawsuit, ruled Knoxville resident Jason Carter to be legally responsible for his mother's death in December 2017 and mandated that he pay $10 million. Soon after, he was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. During a three-week trial in 2019, he was found not guilty of the murder charge.
Dateline: Secrets Uncovered's upcoming episode will shed more light on the case involving Shirley Carter on February 21, 2023.
