Drunk Son Realizes He Just Killed His Own Mother | Forensic Files

What's up, dude? You go. Why? I'm telling you, she ain't going to get up. Police are at the home of Normma
Carricker after receiving a frantic call from her son. He was heavily drunk, but
managed to say enough. Someone ran out of the house and he heard his mother's scream. Police department, ma'am. Oh,
Norma was already dead, strangled with a bungee cord. We're need some other units
to clear the house. This looks like a homicide. You mind want to get a canine track started? Somebody ran out the back
door. In the days that followed, detectives would uncover an extensive list of suspects, each with their own
dark motives, jealous exes, hidden family secrets, a lucrative life insurance payout, and even a decades old
family murder. turning this seemingly simple welfare check into one of the most twisted homicide cases the town had
ever seen. Because you're our only loose information deal without you we have enough. She had an escrow in a million
dollars. Mary did choose to my mom, you know, for her money and I even fed her one. You're going to [ __ ] end up
dead. Then kids would blame me because they know I didn't like them. Said it was so good making you want to slap your
mom. I'm going to kill them all. In the early hours of a Wednesday morning at 1:30 a.m., police in Troy,
Illinois, received a confusing call from an intoxicated man. 911. What's the address of your emergency?
Rainbow taken out. Huh? My mom must have went on a date last night. I heard the guy leave out the
back door and I heard [ __ ] And I went up there on the dog and I went upstairs. My mom my mom I
didn't hear my mom walk through the house. My mom responding. Your mom's not responding. Does she need an ambulance?
I didn't even want to go in there cuz they were like bang bang bang. Does she need an ambulance? I don't
know. I have no idea. Okay. So, are you wanting a welfare check done on her then? Please. Okay. What is your name,
sir? My name is Neil in the aisle. The caller struggled to provide clear details, but it was apparent that
someone inside the home was unresponsive. With limited information, two officers
were quickly dispatched to investigate the strange situation, not knowing exactly what they'd find upon their
arrival. What's up? I hear the dog whining from the basement. Mom tells me screws up the
kitchen that she's uh got a date on the way. Okay. And I guess it's that date on
the computer or on the tenders or whatever. I don't know. I'm afraid to go in that room. I
hear a dog whining in that room. So you live here, sir? I live in the basement, man. I had open heart surgery a year and
a half ago. She She turned the country music on real loud so I can't hear. Oh, she did that. My mom does it every day.
Blast it. Some old uh soral country music cuz she misses her husband or whatever, but she's bringing guys into
the house there. So, unfortunately, she can do that. Um, we can certainly check on her though to make sure she's okay if
you live there. Please. Certainly, man. The dog is whining. So, you live in this house
though? I live in the basement. Okay. So, you live here? That's all I needed. Man, I'm not. This
dog is trying to get out. Well, I tell you what. How about this? How about you go see if you can get her to come out
here before we go inside? Clearly intoxicated, Neil struggled to explain himself. It sounded like his mother had
a date over, but he failed to clarify what was wrong. Despite their uncertainty, officers followed Neil
inside, completely unaware of the gruesome murder scene they were walking into. What's up, dude? You go. Why do I have
to get up? I'm telling you, she ain't going to get up. Okay, but you can hear her. You She's not a word. I pushed her
a couple times. She's bleeding out the mouth. She's what? Bleeding out the mouth.
She's bleeding out the mouth. Police department. Police Department. You said she got blood coming out of her
mouth. I [ __ ] you not. Call her name. Ma'am. [Music] Oh [ __ ] Officers stepped inside to find Neil's
mother, Norma McCarrick, lying unconscious on her bed with a cord wrapped around her neck. It was clear
she'd been strangled, but Officer Alex quickly realized something else. She might still be alive.
Where'd that guy go? Right now, let's give him 146. Keep rolling here. She is choking. Somebody an
welcome in. Welcome in. As Neil was detained and removed from the scene, officer Alex immediately began
performing CPR on Norma. She wasn't breathing, but her body was still warm, indicating she had only recently stopped
breathing, and there was still hope she could be saved. What? Hey, LT. Yeah, this come here real quick. She's still
warm to the touch. Somebody Somebody strangled her. This is homicide, man. So, we have not cleared the rest of the
house yet. Okay, I'm going to keep working on her. Uh, he's still the son's intoxicated. He said somebody ran out
the back. No description. We have him detained in the car. He's in the car. We have him detained. Okay. I don't know.
He said he had she had somebody over here, but he said that she was just talking to him a couple minutes ago.
She's warm. No pulse. Not conscious, not breathing. Officer Alex continued performing CPR for over 7
minutes, desperately trying to save Norma's life. Paramedics soon arrived and immediately took over, continuing
life-saving efforts. At the same time, officers scrambled to search the property for the man Neil claimed had
fled the scene. A K9 unit was dispatched to track any trace of the mysterious suspect.
You might want to get a K9 track started. He said uh somebody ran out the back door. He's
intoxicated. It looks like somebody wrapped a bungee cord around her neck. Okay. Where was Dude at when we got
here? He was outside. He We contacted him. How? My first client basement stairs leading into
the basement heading south. [Music] [Music] north back door. Do doors locked. Despite their efforts, the mysterious
date seemed to have vanished without a trace, and the search revealed no tracks or evidence indicating where he'd gone.
Back inside the house, there was nothing the paramedics could do to save Norma. Too much time had passed with her airway
blocked, and she was declared deceased at the scene. What officers didn't yet realize is that Norma was the wife of
the late Charles Carricker, the former mayor of Troy, Illinois. Since then, she's been trying to rebuild her life
with her son, Neil Howard, whose own father had also died tragically years before. These details would become much
more important later on in the investigation. But for now, officers had no immediate
clues to track down Norma's date. So, they brought Neil to the police station, hoping his sober recollection might help
clarify exactly what happened. Initially, investigators believed they had a clear-cut case. Either Neil Howard
was responsible for his mother's murder or the unidentified date she spent the evening with was. But they had no idea
Neil's interview was only the tip of the iceberg. And soon they'd uncover others
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Hey, what am I doing here, man? Do you recall my music? Here's the thing. You are our
only link to any information at this moment, but we have to get the key in the front room. And now I'm going in the
wrong room. We have to get search warrant them before we can do anything. Why am I here? Because you're our only
link to information. Without you, we have nothing. I need you over here. Okay. Yeah. I'll get you a bottle of
water. Just fine. [Music] Everybody's going to be disappointed in me. and killed my at the station. Neil's
severe intoxication prevented detectives from reading him his Miranda rightites or questioning him. They had no choice
but to let him sleep it off overnight, hoping he'd be sober enough later in the day.
By morning, police were back at Norma's home, preparing to speak with family members arriving at the scene. Until
now, investigators only had Neil's unreliable story to guide them. However, this would soon change as officers would
unexpectedly cross paths with their next prime suspect. So, we're going to have we're going to
let the corner come out and talk to you, too. Okay. Okay. Kind of explain a little bit about Is my mom deceased?
Yes, ma'am. Okay. Yes, ma'am. Is my brother in jail? Uh, he's being talked to right now um
about cuz he was he lives here, too. So, we all just woke up and we all just kind
of Neil blew my phone up last night and so I I just kind of had a feeling um something What do you mean he blew your
phone up on Facebook? He told me that uh my mom had some guy over here and that they were I guess having or something
like that. Um and it was gross and you know. So, what time was that? Um 1:30. But I just wanted you guys to
know that there's probably a bunch of people on their way right now to, you know, my sister's coming. Neil's
girlfriend's coming. So, how did you get alerted to this today? What exactly happened? I got a call from my friend
that lives in this neighborhood back here. Mhm. At 5:50 a.m. I guess she was maybe on her way to work and she called
to see if everything was okay. So, there was a bunch of police at my mom's with caution. Okay. Who was that? Who called?
Her name is Lorie. When was when was the last time you talked to Norma? Honestly, I haven't
talked to her. [Music] It has been probably I don't know. It's been It's been several months.
When was the last time you talked to Neil? It was last night before I went to bed. What time was that? Um probably
around 11:00. Between 1 and two, I missed a gazillion calls and I woke up just a bit to go and then I couldn't get
any call and answer and I got and just said we're just going to be here. That's what was going on. So you said he text
you. Yeah, he was freaking out like I can't understand how I do, you know. Do you mind showing me those texts, please?
which is different than what he told our officers said he hadn't made contact with her yet.
Yeah. So, as officers continued speaking with Norma's daughters, Andrea and Jenny, and Neil's girlfriend, Dawn,
something odd quickly stood out. Despite being informed that her mother had just
died, Andrea's demeanor was unusually upbeat. She seemed strangely calm for someone who had just lost a parent in
such a violent way. But while officers were still gathering statements, their attention was suddenly drawn away when a
white pickup truck slowly drove by. Hi, is Norma. All right? [Music] Well, she's a close friend of mine. Is
Norma all right? Well, we'll uh discuss that in a little bit. Okay, sir. Terry De That's Terry Des.
They had a very relationship. This was the first time officers made direct contact with Terry Deeds. Dawn confirmed
he was Norma's boyfriend, quickly adding that their relationship was known to be
turbulent. Yet, when Terry drove by the scene, he referred to Norma simply as a close friend, clearly downplaying their
connection. These details quickly placed Terry Deetsz as a key person of interest
in Norma's murder. And detectives would soon uncover that Terry not only had a complicated relationship with Norma, but
also a tempting financial motive. So to move forward, detectives brought Terry in for questioning later that day.
They needed to understand the nature of this relationship with Norma, confirm his whereabouts on the night she was
killed, and most importantly, find out if he had any hidden motives to want her dead. Tell me, let me write your pencil.
You got to help me with some information. Well, that's kind of what we need you for, too, is we know you
know normal very well. Yes. Um, I know you guys have been dating or in love or something like that. Yeah. Yeah. I I I
never got really close close to normal. So, when is the last time you talked to her? 7:45 p.m. last night. Oh, okay. Um,
she asked me to come out to Lucky Rooster in St. Jacob. So, 7:45 p.m. at Lucky Rooster. Yes. You were out there
and saw her? Yes. Was anybody else there? I'm saying nobody else there or anything of that sort. No, no, that's
the same table. Okay, perfect. Uh, no. No, no, not even at the table. Like, did it look like there was a guy hanging out
at the bar? Like he was trying to hit on her or talk to her or anything that Oh,
I could I didn't have noticed. Okay, that's what I mean by that though. There's nobody else there type of
things. Terry told detectives he'd seen Norma earlier that evening at her workplace, the Lucky Rooster. It wasn't
much, but it was the first solid lead detectives had about Norma's final hours. However, something about Terry's
demeanor caught detectives attention. Terry seemed strangely calm, almost detached, despite learning that Norma
had just died under suspicious circumstances hours ago. This lack of emotion would soon make more sense when
detectives asked Terry about Norma's will. Do you know if she had a will or life insurance policy or anything of
that sort that you would have been a beneficiary? Yes, I am the beneficiary on New York Life. Okay. What uh what is
it? How much? What What is it? You said it's New York Life. Is it a life insurance? It's a It's a life insurance
policy for on Norma. Yes. Okay. This question wasn't asked at random. Detectives had already zeroed in on a
critical piece of information Terry wasn't aware of. After his suspicious interaction with officers earlier in the
morning, detectives took a closer look into his relationship with Norma. They quickly discovered Terry was the sole
beneficiary of one of Norma's life insurance policies and that just hours after learning of her death, he had
already contacted the insurance company, urgently inquiring about collecting the
$14,000 payout. And the timing couldn't have been more suspicious as Terry's call came shortly after he drove past
the crime scene and asked officers about Norma's condition. With this revelation,
Terry Deetsz quickly became one of the prime suspects in Norma's murder alongside Neil Howard, Norma's volatile
son, and her still unidentified date. Conveniently, once Terry started feeling the pressure, he began pointing fingers
elsewhere. I told Norma so many times that he needs to find another place to live.
I told I he's going to in that kill. Why did you say that? He would get I raped. I saw him get I raped. This was
several months ago at normal because she wouldn't give him any money to to go get
boobs. She sat down doing that. I'm not going to give you any more [ __ ] money and blah blah blah. And he was tired.
Terry wasted no time deflecting suspicion onto Neil Howard, characterizing him as an aggressive,
violent alcoholic. Detectives saw through Terry's tactic right away. But this next statement would actually force
detectives to reconsider Neil as a serious threat. Is there anybody else you think of that we should talk to?
Hey, you probably ought to talk to this person or hey, this person. Somebody we wouldn't know or would miss or hey that
would kill normal. Well, that would even know anything about Mormon or that could
relate anything to do with normal. As I sat there this morning, I was thinking about,
you know, going through records and stuff and what them kids would blame me or accuse me of
because they know I didn't like them because of the way they treated their mother. They're they were very mean to
their mom. Well, what do you know about your son now? Well, I know she had a lot of problems
with him. Uh um if I will, let me start with what I know. He killed his dad uh supposedly to go self-defense.
Terry's claim here wasn't just a defensive reaction. It was a troubling fact that would compel detectives to end
his interview and shift their attention. On November 21st, 2005 in Mosquite, Texas, Neil Howard shot and killed his
father, George Howard. According to Neil, the two had been drinking heavily and arguing throughout the day. The
fight escalated when George fired around inside the home. Neil claimed that during the struggle to take the gun
away, it went off, striking his father through the eye and killing him instantly. Neil was 26 at the time. He
called his sister Andrea who urged him to contact the police. When officers arrived, they found him inside the house
severely intoxicated. Neil insisted it was self-defense. He was arrested and charged, but the trial ended in a hung
jury. Eventually, Neil was acquitted and the case was closed. Now, suspicion hung
heavily over both men. Neil's violent past was undeniably troubling, and without corroborating his account and
locating Norma's date, detectives couldn't clear him. Similarly, Terry's quick presence at the crime scene and
his suspiciously swift attempt to claim Norma's life insurance meant detectives needed to thoroughly verify his alibi as
well. Detectives needed to keep a close eye on both men for the moment and focus
their investigation on identifying the mysterious man Norma spent the evening with. Fortunately, Terry had given
detectives a crucial lead when he mentioned that Norma was working at the Lucky Rooster on the evening before her
death. So, to verify this statement, officers visited Norma's workplace to speak with her co-workers and collect
any helpful information. When officers arrived at the Lucky Rooster, they discovered something crucial.
Surveillance cameras that had captured footage from that very night. What detectives saw on those recordings would
open an entirely new set of questions. On the evening of September 12th, 2023, surveillance footage captured Norma
Carraker leaving the Lucky Rooster with an unidentified man. This footage marks the beginning of Norma's last known
movements. Approximately 30 minutes later, Norma and the same man were captured by cameras arriving at the
Timeout Bar and Grill. Footage showed them spending roughly an hour inside, talking, drinking, and appearing
comfortable in each other's company before leaving together. It was the last time Norma was seen alive.
With a bungee cord used to strangle Norma, detectives quickly concluded this murder was personal, possibly a crime of
anger or jealousy. They speculated that this mysterious date could have turned violent for some reason, strangling
Norma and fleeing before police arrived. The absence of forced entry further supported Neil's story. Detectives now
urgently needed Neil's sober recollection to identify and locate Norma's date. After several hours in custody, Neil
Howard was finally sober enough to speak with detectives. They needed his recollection to gain some clarity.
Without it, they had no way to identify Norma's date or determine Neil's own fate in the investigation.
She told me usually expected about 8:30 and she said she going to get company and I heard my
mom's voice and I sit there in the bedroom think listen I heard the bathroom banging off the either the
headboard or or the dresser. Is that where they said? Yes. Okay. And then I heard her saying you ain't got to leave.
You ain't got to go. And it wasn't because of me making noise. I didn't hear that. And I get up and check to
make sure that she the back door is closed. And that's what you did. You went upstairs to make sure I heard the
dog whining in her room. And did you go in there? No, I didn't open it to her door. Her door was closed. I went down
there. I was like, "Wer, come here. Weren, come here." And And you said the door to her room was closed and the dog
was outside. No, the dog was inside, but the door was cracked. My mom went hollering or my mom wouldn't answer. My
mom's a very voiceless person. All right. And the way it went silent was eerie. What made you decide to call?
Because my grandma had an uncle that they tried to say he said with uh his dad's father type thing. Right from the
start, detectives noticed Neil's story wasn't adding up. On the 911 call, Neil implied he had already found his mother
unresponsive. But now in the interview room, he insisted he didn't enter her room until officers arrived. Neil would
continue giving fragmented accounts throughout the interview, struggling to clearly recall important details. But in
between his confused recollections, he suddenly brought up another man. Someone he claimed was actively manipulating his
mother. Norma, she got a guy. I tell you this guy, I threaten this guy. Perry is his name and we and she pays.
She don't need to work three jobs. Tom Carrick took care of all that. She has no bills. This guy every day. He's she
just was on his side to sue my other sister for 30 G's. This guy runs around town. She's supporting this guy. You
just name Terry. Terry. Though the details were disjointed, Neil seemed upset with Terry Deeds, the same
man already under suspicion of Norma's murder, accusing him of taking advantage of his mother, draining her money, and
turning her against the rest of the family. Neil's anger towards Terry further confirmed detectives existing
suspicions, giving them even more reason to closely scrutinize his involvement. But by now, Neil had been at the station
for several hours and was becoming anxious, demanding to leave. Detectives still didn't inform him of his mother's
death, and holding him any longer without explaining why was becoming difficult to justify. It was time to
deliver the tragic news and brace for Neil's reaction. I got to give my sister very long. This is going to ruin
everything. Everybody think I want to let her down slow and I don't want to tell anybody's fault for nothing. Your
mom's deceased, right? No, your mom's deceased. I said she was hurt. Your mom's deceased.
So that's why we're making this into what we need to have you around available for us. Okay.
I'd like to see my sister. Oh, I heard you. Oh, sit down. Okay. No, you're not leaving. You're not leaving. Yeah,
you're not leaving. Oh, was that right? Your mother's deceased. The elder. One of the person we know that saw her last
that we can talk to. I didn't see her last night. You did, too. I seen her last night. You walked in there when the
officers asked you to. You were the last one there with her. So, you're the only
one we have. You're the last person that saw her, correct? I didn't see her last
night until they told me to go in there. Absolutely. We know that. But then you spoke with her at 8:30. I knew it. You
spoke with her at 8:30. Call my sister and let me talk to her. After learning of his mother's death, Neil grew
increasingly agitated throughout the remainder of the interview, eventually requesting a lawyer and forcing
detectives to end their questioning. With Neil shutting down the interview and refusing to cooperate further,
detectives had no choice but to find another way to identify Norma's mysterious date. Hoping for a
breakthrough, investigators sent officers to search for additional surveillance footage from locations
Norma and her date passed by that night. and they quickly hit the jackpot. One security camera clearly captured the
vehicle Norma's date was driving. By running the license plate, detectives identified him as James Carter.
Detectives urgently needed to speak with James, the only other known person at Norma's house that night besides Neil.
When they first approached him, he was uncooperative and outright denied seeing Norma. It wasn't until officers obtained
a warrant for his cell phone data that he and his lawyer agreed to speak. On the condition that James received
immunity and would not be subpoenaed for the trial. Once immunity was secured, he
cooperated, provided a DNA sample, and shared his account of the evening. James explained that he met Norma on the
dating site Plenty of Fish and arranged to meet at her workplace before heading to the bar for a few drinks. After
leaving the bar, Norma invited him back to her house, and they spent an intimate
hour together at Norma's. However, James insisted Norma was alive and unharmed when he left around 11 p.m. Cell phone
data corroborated his story, placing him back in St. Louis, where he lived, well
before the estimated time of Norma's death. With James Carter officially cleared,
the investigation was narrowed to two suspects, Neil Howard and Terry Deetsz. Both men had means and opportunity. Both
shared complicated, deeply rooted relationships with Norma. But without any physical evidence, detectives
couldn't solve this with timelines alone. They needed a clearer understanding of Norma's personal life
to pinpoint which of the two suspects was more capable of killing her. To do this, investigators brought Norma's
daughters in, Andrea and Jenny, as well as Neil's girlfriend, Dawn, hoping their
insights would single out the likely killer. However, these interviews would instead reveal a hidden detail from
Norma's personal life. One that would turn the very people brought in to help into potential suspects themselves.
Sorry. So, I'd greatly appreciate taking time to come to me. time and the patience.
And then just like I said, my my biggest issue is, you know, I I love my mom. Me and my mom
have always been super close, but this Terry guy came in and he has just totally broken her down. So,
do you think Neil could have had enough of an issue to hurt your mom? I don't put it past him,
especially when he's drunk and drugging. And I mean, yeah. Tell me a little bit about what's
been going on with your mom. She was so in love with that man. It's sickening, you know, and and just my
mom's relationship with Terry meant more to her, you know, than the relationship
with her daughter. Well, and I guess what I'm saying is that Terry Terry just uses my mom, you know, for her money and
caused her fat and, you know, she lost just lost a bunch of weight. That being said, she would look for love on a lot
of these dating sites and so when we were living with her, she would Andrea, come here. You know, I mean, she was
talking to multiple different and I'd even said to her one time, I'm like, you're going to end up dead. Like, you
don't even know who you're talking to. I mean, I've been over there several times
since then, and this is what I can tell you. My mom and Neil are both alcoholics.
My mom doesn't handle hers very well. She um becomes very belligerent. Um, and every time she's been
belligerent with Neil, he always tucks his head and goes downstairs. I know my brother better than anybody in this
world. like I am my brother's keeper for real and he wouldn't have he wouldn't have hurt
her. He wouldn't have I've been through this before. I know. Andrea and Jenny's interviews further confirmed that
Norma's relationship with Terry and Neil was strained, troubled, and complicated.
And Andrea's subtle mention that she'd been through this before reinforced the detectives concerns about the family's
violent past. However, when Neil's girlfriend, Dawn, entered the interview room, she would reveal something
detectives never saw coming. A financial motive powerful enough to make everyone
close to Norma a potential suspect. Three things come up. So, I wanted to go over my car, ask you to
6:00 this morning, no one knew what happened and we all just pulled up. Terry shows up. Well, what happened to
Norman? 6:00 in the morning, we all just showed up on site. Terry should not have
known anything of what happened, but yet he shows up in front of the house. So, Norma had a date last night. Um, I don't
know who it was. She goes on these weird dating sites which I warned her about. You don't know who you're talking to,
right? Norma has a habit of telling people that she's got all this money. So that's another thing to look into.
Everything in my body tells me Terry had something to do with it. Nor was extremely depressed all the time. Terry
is a big problem. Um if Terry thought that his income was coming to a close, if she was dating, it would probably
make him very angry. She had an escrow. millions and millions and millions of dollars.
If Terry did the beneficiary and Norma was gone, Terry gets up to $5 million. So, you're saying this year Norma would
have gotten Thomas State? Yes. Like $5 million? Do we know that for certain? Cuz I say
that cuz I don't know that that he was worth that much. Yeah, for certain. According to Dawn, Norma was due to
receive a multi-million dollar payout from the estate of her late husband, Charles Carricker, a former mayor of
Troy, Illinois, and a longtime local businessman. This revelation changed everything. Suddenly, anyone close to
Norma who knew anything about the money had a potential motive. Neil Howard, her
financially dependent son, struggling with alcoholism. Terry Deetsz, her ex-boyfriend known for financial
manipulation, and even her daughters, Andrea and Jenny, who stood to inherit a life-changing sum. With the suspect pool
rapidly expanding, detectives began preparing to closely examine everyone who might benefit from Norma's death.
But before they get to that, they caught a lucky break. Neil Howard suddenly requested to speak
to detectives without a lawyer. He was quickly brought back for a second interview where he would finally provide
detectives with some clarity. Or so they hoped. My mom, she she comes home from one job. She works like three jobs.
She's a sugar mama to more than one guy. She Do you know these guys? I know of one, but somehow she going online
and meeting guys. random random guys coming in and out of the house. That's got to be tough for you. It's her son. I
I usually gone. I usually leave or I'm in bed. I'm sleep. I didn't even see her yesterday. She goes from one job to the
other. And my sister was supposed to come by and take me to her old house which is in Troy to clean it to make
sure it was clean cuz she was showing it. My sister didn't have showing up. I I hear my mom upstairs. She comes in,
changes shirt, changes. She usually gone. She usually um calls me when she's leaving her other job to ask me if she
want anything to eat. She called me later than usual. She called me. We looked at the phone. She called me at
9:30. I believe about4 after 9 and says, you know, about time 9:30. And she said, "I got to have
company." which that means you can't make a noise, you know. Don't make a peep. Don't go upstairs. You're not
there. Basically, I said, "All right, so what? I got to hurry up." She said, "Just take all the clothes off the
kitchen table and throw them in the laundry room." So, I took all the clothes and threw them in there and I
pulled the door as close as I could so nobody will see what was in there. So, I didn't see her drop her car off, but
when I went back downstairs, I heard the car door. I can hear it from the basement.
Can't see nothing cuz the windows are real high. I called my girlfriend one more time and I said, "So, no chance of
you coming." She broke her foot last weekend, so it's hard for her to drive. And I said, "No chance you coming
tonight?" And she said, "I can't, but you got me all day tomorrow." And I started sending her like love songs
and that and then I called my sister again want to know why she didn't show up. What am I supposed to do about
dressing? I'm giving her away on Saturday. I didn't want to wear a tuxedo or am I wearing dress code? No answer.
No answer. So I bugged her for a while. According to Neil, at around 10:30 p.m.,
he heard the sliding door slam shut, indicating Norma's date had left. While this matched James Carter's statement,
it didn't explain why Neil waited almost 3 hours before calling 911, claiming he'd found his mother unresponsive
immediately after someone had just left the house. Those missing hours were critical to solving Norma's murder, and
the detective was about to put Neil's timeline under intense scrutiny to extract any major inconsistencies in his
alibi. Were you drinking last night? I was. What did you have to drink? You'll see.
I got a big um big jug. It was probably sitting right there by my phone. I drink that on
that jug two days. So, I want to go back to I want to understand this a little bit more. Why this particular night did
you decide to go check on her if that's a normal? I went cuz I heard the back door. So, you hear the you can hear the
sliding back door over the country music. So, I could hear her talking to the dog.
Okay. And she was like, "Get in here." And I heard her say to whoever was there, "You ain't what?" hollering out
her door, hollering, "You ain't got to leave so fast." So, when you crack the door to let the dog out of your mom's
bedroom? Yeah. Could you see your mom? I thought she was sleeping. So, then why did you call the police? I called my
sister and I called my girlfriend first. If your mom sleeps face down in between
pillows with a blanket over her, why? What made you decide to call the police? If that's a normal crying at the door.
This was the first major inconsistency in Neil's story. He was now admitting he'd entered his mother's bedroom and
seen her covered with a blanket, completely contradicting his earlier claim that he didn't go in until
instructed by officers. But rather than immediately calling him out on the lie, the detective decided to take a more
subtle approach, carefully empathizing with him and probing the complicated dynamics between Neil and his mother.
The goal was simple, to encourage Neil to reveal why he hadn't been fully truthful about that night. You don't
have a car. And and to me, I guess where I struggle, and I feel bad for you. I I
do. I think that you got dealt a [ __ ] hand cuz you poor guy been through hell and back with health issues. And then
you have to live in this basement, all the sewage, the broth. Yeah. And then on top of that, you're expected to be quiet
every time your mom brings a new man home. And you have to sit there and listen to her sex. And I tell you right
now, I I would be um I would be upset. This is a known fact. You can ask my sisters,
you know, by telling my mom is dangerous. Your mom's dangerous? No. These random guys.
Yeah. But you know what, man? sleeping in a basement putting on earplugs to avoid listening to your mom and have
random guys coming over and listen to country music real loud and Neil's acknowledgement of the tension
between him and his mother was exactly what the detective wanted. A grown man financially dependent stuck at home
while his mother dated other men. Neil openly acknowledged this uncomfortable dynamic, yet remained emotionally
detached, showing none of the rage previously seen during his arrest. As the interview progressed, Neil's
responses began to slip, revealing more contradictions and doubts about his story. But one specific detail stood out
to detectives. Neil never once asked how his mother died. Most people facing such
news would desperately seek answers. Neil's lack of curiosity felt suspiciously intentional, as if he
already knew. With this, detectives wrapped up Neil's final interview with uncertainty still surrounding his alibi
and shifted their focus back to Terry Deetsz, their other primary suspect. After thoroughly examining phone
records, DNA evidence, and multiple witness statements, detectives confirmed Terry was at home nursing a minor injury
the entire night, never leaving his property after 9:00 p.m. Physical evidence from the crime scene further
cleared Terry. Additionally, investigators carefully examined the possibility of Norma's daughters, Andrea
and Jenny, having a financial motive due to their substantial inheritance. However, their phone records and alibis
during the critical time frame were verified, and detectives found no additional evidence suggesting their
involvement in their mother's death. So, with Terry cleared and Norma's daughters
rolled out, detectives were left with just one suspect, Neil Howard. By now, it was clear Neil wasn't going to
confess. But detectives were confident that the contradictions, inconsistencies, and his behavior
following Norma's death provided enough proof to secure a conviction. Ultimately, investigators felt certain
Neil Howard was responsible for his mother's murder, and they formally charged him.
At the trial, prosecutors argue that sometime between 10:30 p.m. and 1:30 a.m., Neil, heavily intoxicated and
increasingly volatile, entered Norma's bedroom. An argument may have broken out, or perhaps the tension had been
simmering all day. At some point, Neil strangled Norma with a bungee cord, then covered her up with a blanket. Instead
of immediately calling for help, Neil repeatedly tried contacting his sister, Andrea, just as he'd done years earlier
after killing his father. Phone records revealed that Neil started calling Andrea at 12:49 a.m. making seven
attempts to reach her. The final call occurring at 1:30 a.m. moments before dialing 911. The jury reviewed Neil's
shifting accounts, the physical evidence, and his documented history of violence. Prosecutors painted a clear
picture. Neil Howard was unstable, violent, and entirely capable of murder. On February 10th, 2025, Neil Howard was
found guilty of first-degree murder. His sentencing is still pending, but he faces up to 60 years behind bars.
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Police are at the home of Norma Caraker after receiving a frantic call from her son. He was heavily drunk, but managed to say enough; someone ran out of the house, and he heard his mother scream…. In the days that followed, detectives would uncover an extensive list of suspects, each with their own dark motives: jealous exes, hidden family secrets, a lucrative life insurance payout, and even a decades-old family murder, turning this seemingly simple welfare check into one of the most twisted homicide cases the town had ever seen…

This video was made for educational purposes only. The video is presented to provide genuine footage of police incidents to promote transparency in government while providing educational, informative and newsworthy content allowing viewers to examine and assess public safety material. This is a fact-checked documentary using authoritative sources. The individuals shown in this video have not been convicted of any crime and are legally presumed innocent unless proven otherwise in a court of law. This material is intended solely for educational and informational purposes and represents personal analysis and commentary. Nothing presented should be interpreted as legal counsel, and the observations provided may not include all circumstances or reflect the final charges in each case. This video features real police-related footage shared to support public awareness and government transparency. The content is designed to inform and educate viewers on public safety matters and is presented as a documentary relying on verified and credible sources. All materials used were lawfully obtained through public records requests and are available to the public. The footage is utilized strictly for journalistic, documentary, and educational purposes under the Fair Use doctrine outlined in Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act.**

Brief Summary

Norma Carricker was murdered, and her son Neil is the prime suspect in a complex investigation involving family dynamics and financial motives.

Key points

A Frantic Call. Police respond to a frantic call about a possible homicide.
Uncovering Dark Motives. Detectives discover a list of suspects with dark motives surrounding Norma's death.
The First Suspect. Terry Deetsz, Norma's boyfriend, becomes a key person of interest in her murder.
Neil's Troubling Past. Detectives uncover Neil's violent history, raising suspicions about his involvement.
Surveillance Footage. Detectives discover crucial surveillance footage from the night of Norma's death.
Norma's Last Known Movements. Surveillance footage captures Norma leaving with an unidentified man, marking her last known movements.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

She's bleeding out the mouth.

A frantic call reveals a shocking scene.

4:25WatchJun 27, 2025

Tension

85/ 100High tension

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