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The heart-wrenching Karl Karlsen case is all set to be revisited and explored on NBC's Dateline Weekend Mystery episode on July 2 at 9/8c exclusively on NBC. The episode is titled, The House on the Hill.
The official synopsis for the episode states:
"Karl Karlsen’s wife dies in a house fire. Then his prized horses die in a fire. And his son dies in an apparent accident. How can one man be so unlucky? "
Since NBC dropped the episode preview, viewers have been eagerly waiting to witness how the tragic true-crime story will unfold. So, without further ado, let's jump in and learn some interesting and intriguing quick facts about the tragic Karl Karlsen case.
Learn 5 quick facts about the tragic Karl Karlsen case
How was the relationship between Karl and his wife, Christina?
Reportedly, the early 1980s saw the beginning of a promising romance between Karl and Christina. Christina was already married when she first met Karl. At the time, Karl used to work as a cadet in the North Dakota Air Force. There was an instant attraction between the two, and soon the couple married each other.
The married couple first settled in New York, where they had 3 children. Later, in the late 1980s, they re-located to Murphys, California, when Art Alexander, Christina's father, gave Karl a working position in his business.
Karl and Christina initially looked like the perfect married couple, but everything changed when troubles started to begin between the two. As reported by Christina's sister Colette Bousson, Karl used to control his wife and physically abuse her.
What happened on 1991 New Year's Eve?
Reportedly, in 1991, on New Year's Eve, Karl Karlsen's wife Christina tragically passed away after a terrifying fire broke out inside their house while she was trapped in the bathroom.
The children were reportedly sleeping when the incident took place. One of their children, Erin, was awakened by the spine-chilling sound of their mother's scream and found the house to be on fire.
Their father, Karl Karlsen, reportedly rescued the three of them from the house, but their mother was still caught inside. Soon after, she died due to smoke inhalation while trapped in the deadly blaze.
Eventually, Christina's demise was ruled a fatal accident, and later on, her husband reportedly received $215,000 as insurance money for Christina's death.
What happened to their son Levi?
Later, another heartbreaking incident took place in the family. Reportedly, in 2008, Karl's son Levi tragically died after a farm truck accident destroyed his chest.
Reportedly, he was asked by his father to work on one of the farm truck brakes as he and his second wife Cindy were at a funeral. Later that day, Cindy placed a distressing 911 call, reporting the horrifying incident. Reportedly, Karl received another huge amount of insurance money for Levi's death.
What happened after Levi's unfortunate demise?
Reportedly, a significant investigation took place after one of Cindy's relatives asked the police to look into Levi's death again as Cindy feared that her husband had something to do with it.
Later on, Karl was reportedly brought in for further investigation. He allegedly did not admit anything at first but disclosed that he was inside the truck while the vehicle was on the jack, leading it to fall on Levi, crushing his chest.
He reportedly said:
"I mean it was an accident and it’s, I blame myself every day just like you said."
What happened to Karl Karlsen?
Reportedly, Karl Karlsen was arrested for the second-degree murder of his son Levi. In November 2013, Karl pleaded guilty to his son's tragic demise and was sentenced to fifteen years to a lifetime in prison.
Later on, in 2020, he was found guilty of first-degree murder by arson in the heart-wrenching death case of his first wife, Christina. For that, he received a sentence of life without parole.
Don't forget to watch the Dateline episode, The House on the Hill, exploring the hair-raising Karl Karlsen case on NBC.
