In August 1997, 81-year-old widow Gerthie Carolina was brutally attacked and murdered in her home near Sasakwa, Oklahoma. The case went cold for years until new evidence emerged in 2023, leading to the arrest of her niece, Carolyn Foreman, and great-niece, Dakota Davis. They were charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder, with the motive believed to be obtaining an inheritance from Carolina.
Carolina had completed a living trust and transferred a $40,000 certificate of deposit to it just months before her death. She left her estate to Foreman, who was tasked with dividing it among the family. Foreman and Davis claimed to have found Carolina dead in her home, but over the years, Davis allegedly admitted to the killing using either a machete or an axe.
The break in the case came when a bloodstain from the victim was found on a shoe belonging to Davis that had been taken as evidence in 1997. This discovery led to the arrests of Foreman and Davis, who are currently facing charges related to Carolina’s murder.
Foreman had previously been charged with first-degree murder in another cold case, but the charge was dismissed. Her son, Billy Earl Parker, was found guilty of first-degree murder in that case and is now serving a life sentence.
The arrests in Carolina’s case highlight the dedication of investigators and the pursuit of justice, even decades after a crime is committed. The hope is that the arrests bring some measure of peace to Carolina’s family after years of uncertainty.
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