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The double murders of Kathleen Schroll and her husband, Carl Schroll, in 2008 led to a confounding investigation in the following years. Kathleen was found with a gunshot to the back of her head while Carl was shot twice in the chest.
Kathleen had called her mother moments before the tragedy to mention that Olin “Pete” Coones had entered their home to kill them, which turned him into the suspect in the case.
The Dateline NBC episode 42 of season 29, titled The Phone Call, showcases the horrific murder of Kathleen Schroll as it airs on August 28, 2024, at 8 pm EST on Oxygen. The official synopsis reads:
"When Kathleen Schroll makes a phone call that names her killer right before her death, it leads to the arrest of a father for murder, but after two trials and 12 years, authorities begin to wonder if he was the victim."
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What happened to Kathleen Schroll? Details explored
Kathleen and Carl Schroll were found shot to death in their Kansas City, Kansas, home on April 7, 2008. The 45-year-old had been the caretaker for the alleged perpetrator, Olin “Pete” Coones' father. The incident occurred late at night and their bodies were discovered by police officers at around 2:30 am local time.
The Schroll's house showed no signs of struggle or forced entry, which led the investigators to believe that someone the couple knew personally committed the crime. The police arrived at the house to find the front door ajar and the lights left on.
According to court documents, the authorities found a cordless phone close to Kathleen's right foot and a silver revolver lying next to the bodies. Their personal phones were left on a table close to the front door. Additionally, the authorities also found Kathleen's purse left open on the couch.
Kathleen was reportedly shot in the back of her head while Carl was found with two separate gunshot wounds to the torso. Carl was found on his bed and he had a large laceration on his head. As the investigations began, Kathleen's daughter, Blair Hadley, mentioned seeing the gun in her mother's purse.
The investigators were unable to ascertain if the bullets had been fired from the weapon found at the crime scene owing to their degree of damage.
The Kansas City police initially suspected a murder-suicide scenario but were led to suspect Olin “Pete” Coones as the murderer. Before the incident occurred, Kathleen reportedly called her mother, Elizabeth Horton, at around 2:28 am local time, telling her about an intrusion in their home.
The National Registry of Exonerations mentioned that Kathleen told her mother during her final moments:
“Pete is here in the house and he said he stole the lawnmower out of the garage. He said he is going to kill Carl and he is going to kill me and he said he has got his tracks covered where no one will find out.”
The authorities dug into Pete's background and discovered an ongoing legal battle between him and Kathleen. Additionally, Blair told the officers about the time that Pete had threatened her mother at a gas station two days before the double murders. The officers did not spot a lawnmower, and they found Kathleen Schroll's DNA on the gun.
Catch all the details of Kathleen Schroll's murder as the Dateline episode airs on Oxygen on Wednesday.
