The Shocking Murder of Carmen Sanders | The Christmas Killings hosted by Nancy Grace | Forensic Files

[holiday music] Mississippi, 2010. For a student named Carmen Sanders, the coming Christmas holiday seemed
like a wonderful time of year. LACY BATES: Carmen was especially happy during the holidays.
And Christmas, she loved to spend time with her loved ones. NANCY GRACE: But soon, holiday cheer quickly
turns into holiday fear. [ominous holiday music] I tell people this all the time--
don't leave your doors unlocked, especially during the Christmas time. NANCY GRACE: A senseless murder by a deranged killer.
And there is a large butcher's knife sticking through the comforter. She was still warm, and her eyes were wide open.
Those eyes, the last thing they saw was the person who killed her. What kind of monster would attack
this beautiful young woman? She was screaming, he killed my daughter. I know he killed my baby.
He was a cold-blooded killer. LACY BATES: It really takes a special kind of evil
to be able to do something like that. [theme music] ["WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS" PLAYING]
Hello, I'm Nancy Grace. This is "The Christmas Killings." For many, the first week of the new year
is a peaceful time to relax. Christmas is finally over. Santa has come and gone.
The turkey served, presents handed out, in-laws heading home. But for those who work during the holiday,
Christmas can arrive a little later. On January 8, 2010, 22-year-old Carmen Sanders of Ridgeland,
Mississippi, is on her way to celebrate a late Christmas with a friend. LACY BATES: Carmen was especially happy
during the holidays. And Christmas, she loved to spend time with her loved ones.
And on the way to meet her friend for dinner, she stopped by her apartment because she wanted
to get her friend's Christmas present that was still under the Christmas tree. She wanted to just run in and grab it real quick.
[tense music] But her friend would never get that gift. [ominous music] NANCY GRACE: Three hours after Carmen races back
to her apartment to grab her friend's Christmas gift, a 911 call is placed. [line ringing]
[sirens wailing] ["o christmas tree" playing] BRYAN BUCKLEY: It was approximately 11:15 to 11:30
PM on the night of January 8. I went out to the scene there, just because this was very unusual, especially for Ridgeland.
As I'm driving there, Christmas decorations are still up on the roads as you're driving by.
And it's just an unusual time to be driving out to know the scene of a murder. LACY BATES: When the police department arrived
to the apartment complex, they noticed a man standing outside, flagging them down.
The man pointed to apartment 242. He was a Black male by the name of Terry. According to Terry, someone has broken into his apartment
and killed his girlfriend. [ominous music] Once the officers received the information,
they go on high alert. They draw up their duty weapon, enter the apartment. They don't know if there's a killer still inside.
So they continue in the apartment. And they notice that the Christmas tree was still up inside.
FRANK DILLARD: The apartment seemed very messy. They noticed that clothes strewn all around.
They noticed that dishes were everywhere, that the drawers were pulled out. As the officers entered the bedroom,
they saw something that was very grisly. They saw a lady wrapped on a blanket with a knife impaled through the blanket to her chest.
[eerie music] The only thing that stopped the knife from going completely through the floor
was the concrete floor itself. So whoever stabbed this person did it with a lot of force.
[dramatic music] She had multiple stab wounds through her. FRANK DILLARD: Being stabbed is one of the worst ways to die.
Person's up close and personal to you. The officers happened to locate another knife, a steak
knife with the tip broken off. The officer checked her vitals, and she was dead.
But she was still warm to the touch. That told me that she had not been dead too long.
BRYAN BUCKLEY: She was a young African-American girl. The first thing I noticed was her eyes were open.
It occurred to me that those eyes, the last thing they saw was the person who killed her.
The victim's clothes were slightly loose. That tells me that someone tried to sexually assault her.
NANCY GRACE: The officer noticed that the killer uses dishwashing liquid to literally
try and clean away evidence. BRYAN BUCKLEY: Some criminals know that dishwashing detergent,
things of that nature, it'll make sure that it's almost impossible to get fingerprints off of anything.
It can affect the DNA on it as well. FRANK DILLARD: This tells me that this person has either
been arrested before and don't want their prints lifted, and that they're probably a seasoned criminal.
BRYAN BUCKLEY: The responding officer backed out, secured the scene, waited for the crime scene unit to arrive.
[faint sirens wailing] CSU, they arrived, processed the scene. [faint chatter] NANCY GRACE: The victim ID'd as Carmen Sanders,
a bright and beautiful young woman who's been working hard for a future that now will never come.
LACY BATES: Carmen was 22 years old, and she was a very outgoing and ambitious and friendly
individual. She always had a big smile on her face. She was studying to be a lab technician at Mississippi State
University. She was working two jobs part-time to pay for her school and her rent.
And she was trying to do it all by herself. NANCY GRACE: Carmen's been living with her boyfriend,
Terry, who makes that 911 call after he gets home from work 11:00 PM. LACY BATES: Terry was working two jobs.
He was working as a substitute teacher at the Jackson Public Schools. And in the evening, he would work
at a restaurant as a line cook. In the beginning of Carmen and Terry's relationship, you know,
he was charming. She really wanted to be with him. The officers realized that Carmen's car
is in the parking lot. They noticed that her purse was on the passenger seat with her cell phone inside.
And so that told them that she wasn't planning on being in the apartment very long.
NANCY GRACE: Terry's mother arrives at the apartment complex. Officers accompany both of them to the Ridgeland Police
Department. Carmen Sanders' parents arrive at the police station as well. CASSANDRA DOTSON: I went to talk to Carmen's mom.
I let her know that, yes, she had passed. And she screamed out in, uh, the most awful scream,
and she fell to the floor. And her father-- of Carmen-- he started grabbing his chest.
And so I asked our dispatcher to call for medical assistance. This is very hard to see a mother
and father in this position. FRANK DILLARD: I can still, to this day, hear the halls filling up with this lady
screaming about her baby. It's a terrible and heart wrenching moment for a family when they realize they've lost their child
forever, that they will never have another Christmas, New Year's, or Thanksgiving
with their daughter ever again. This is the darkest Christmas imaginable for Carmen's family.
NANCY GRACE: Carmen's mother immediately tells police who she thinks is responsible.
She was crying, and she was screaming that Terry did this, Terry did this. CASSANDRA DOTSON: She went on to tell me that Carmen
and Terry were having issues. He's having people at the house that are drinking and smoking.
She felt that she was being disrespected. LACY BATES: Carmen was very frustrated
that Terry was constantly having people over and playing games and drinking and being loud.
And so she would just go to another room so she could focus on her studies. NANCY GRACE: Carmen's mother tells investigators
her daughter's been on the verge of making major changes in her life. She was about to leave the apartment she
shares with boyfriend Terry. They were in the process of trying to get her another place.
FRANK DILLARD: Carmen's mom told Carmen not to tell Terry that she was moving out.
He might get upset and do something to her, maybe even hurt her. NANCY GRACE: Over the holidays, Carmen
reconnects with an old boyfriend named Brad, who she met at Mississippi State. LACY BATES: Once he left Mississippi State,
they kind of lost contact with one another. Then one day, he got a call from her out of the blue.
And that's when she began explaining to him the relationship with Terry had become very toxic.
FRANK DILLARD: Once Terry found out that Carmen was contacting Brad, he became really enraged.
Terry was really jealous, so jealous that he hacked into her email account. It was a bad Christmas for Carmen because she wasn't happy.
During the interview, emotionally, it got me. But it made me stronger to work harder to try
and find out what happened. Who did this to Carmen? Terry was a prime suspect at this point.
As the community was learning details through the news and the newspaper, the pressure was on for the detectives
because of the depravity of the crime to solve it. Tomorrow, Ridgeland police could
have a better idea of who stabbed a 22-year-old woman to death. Carmen Sanders was found dead in her apartment Friday night.
It was this apartment complex on Pine Knoll Drive in Ridgeland where the police investigation started.
22-year-old Carmen Sanders lived here with her boyfriend. Around 11 o'clock Friday night, he
called police after finding Sanders stabbed to death in their apartment. Police always look at those closest to murder victims
for possible suspects. Boyfriend Terry is no exception. Carmen's mother has already pointed her finger at him,
and what he says on the 911 call raises suspicion. Not good. He basically says, my PlayStation 3 is missing--
and oh, yeah, my girlfriend is dead. To me, that sounded just extremely weird. With a knife that's impaled into your girlfriend,
wouldn't you just mention that horrible fact first? BRYAN BUCKLEY: Terry has a lot of red flags.
You have the 911 call. You have the information from Carmen's mom about their volatile relationship,
about Carmen's plans to move out. CASSANDRA DOTSON: We had strong feelings that he may have been involved or knew who
may have committed this crime. It's not looking good for him. [light music] NANCY GRACE: Ridgeland, Mississippi 2010,
22-year-old Carmen Sanders hoping for a happy new year. She's breaking up with her current boyfriend
and looking for a new apartment. She's also reconnecting with an ex-boyfriend, all
while she studies to be a lab tech. One week into the new year, she's murdered by an unknown killer.
Now, Ridgeland Police Detective Frank Dillard is about to interview her boyfriend.
FRANK DILLARD: When I went into the interview room, initially, Terry's mom was writing the statement.
And I'm wondering, is she putting it into her words for her son? That's not gonna happen.
I need his words and his words only. So I asked her if she would leave while I spoke with him.
He asked me if he needed an attorney. And before I could reply back, he said, don't worry about it.
I'm highly surprised Terry is not asking for an attorney. FRANK DILLARD: I asked Terry to recount
his activities of the day. And he told me that he went to work at a job as a substitute teacher.
And after that, he went to his part-time job as a fry cook at a restaurant. He returned home around 10:30 ish, and that's when
he found Carmen dead. NANCY GRACE: Terry is showing all the emotion you'd expect from a shocked and grieving boyfriend.
FRANK DILLARD: He said when he saw the look on her face, he knew that she was dead.
He realized that the PlayStation was missing, and at that point, he called 911. I asked him about the 911 call.
Most people, it's going to be, hey, my girlfriend has been killed. Get over here.
But not this guy. Terry tells us that my PlayStation is gone. My girlfriend is dead.
This doesn't match up. This sounds and looks very suspicious. I guess he cared a lot about his PlayStation.
FRANK DILLARD: I asked Terry about the problems and the issues that he and Carmen
had been having, and he mentioned that gaming was an issue for her. He just did too much of it.
NANCY GRACE: Terry also invites other gamers to the apartment, which adds to the tension
between Carmen and him. Detective Dillard then asks what Terry knows about the emails Carmen's been
getting from an ex-boyfriend. He said that he was jealous because he did, in fact, love her.
BRYAN BUCKLEY: So Detective Dillard kept pressing Terry. He started pressing him about snooping into the emails,
about the physical confrontations, about the fights, about the turmoil. Terry admitted to all of that.
He said, yeah, you're absolutely right. But I didn't kill her. FRANK DILLARD: About two hours into talking
to Terry and I realized that internally, he's hurting. [crying] Terry, on the video, was very upset, very distraught
about Carmen being murdered. FRANK DILLARD: More and more, it's looking like Terry's not our guy.
BRYAN BUCKLEY: At the conclusion of the interview, Terry willingly gives Detective Dillard DNA, fingerprints,
whatever he wants. But he's not off the suspect list, not until he's cleared by Frank.
FRANK DILLARD: We got to wait for the DNA test to return to rule him out completely.
When the detectives received the autopsy report, it confirms Carmen suffers a violent death.
BRYAN BUCKLEY: The cause of and manner of death was a homicide by knife and puncture wounds.
She had a total of 15 stab wounds. The bulk of those came from a small knife, a steak knife,
and the tip had broken off inside of her ribs. And then the butcher knife, there was a few stabs at those.
To me, the chilling part is after he stabbed her a dozen times and the knife breaks off,
he's still so angry that he goes into the other room, gets a butcher knife, comes back, and keeps stabbing her.
LACY BATES: It really takes a special kind of evil to be able to do something like that, to stab somebody repeatedly, just
inches from their face. NANCY GRACE: The up close and personal manner of Carmen's murder tells police the killer
is someone Carmen knew. Detectives have not closed the book on current boyfriend Terry,
but they also want to talk to ex-boyfriend Brad. CASSANDRA DOTSON: He spoke to Carmen the day before she
was found stabbed to death. LACY BATES: As one of the last people to talk to her,
could he be involved? Was Brad crazy enough about Carmen to kill her? ["DANCE OF THE SUGAR PLUM FAIRY" PLAYING]
NANCY GRACE: January 2010, Ridgeland, Mississippi, police trying to find out who savagely murdered beautiful
22-year-old Carmen Sanders. The 15 stab wounds she suffers make the murder seem very personal.
Police rule out current boyfriend Terry. He has an alibi. Now, Detective Cassandra Dotson turns her attention to Carmen's
ex-college boyfriend, Brad. FRANK DILLARD: Detective Dotson is a very seasoned, very astute detective.
She was the first Black detective for Ridgeland, and I was the first Black detective.
That always just kind of formed a little bond between us. LACY BATES: So when Brad arrives for the interview,
he seems visibly upset about Carmen's death. But police know that he could just be a good actor.
[ominous music] He was a very neat, groomed young man. Appeared to be educated, well-spoken, articulate.
He was from Gulfport, 2 and 1/2 to three hours away from the Jackson area. He spoke to Carmen the day before she
was found stabbed to death. They were planning to see each other, so they were doing more than just emailing each other.
CASSANDRA DOTSON: They had spoken about she needed some money. And he sent her a MoneyGram to Walmart
so that she can get some gas and do whatever she had to do to her car. And after she picked it up, she never called him.
He kept calling and texting, and she never called back. And he said, mm, she's got my money.
She used me. He became kind of upset. Did Brad get upset and decided to come down and find
out what happened to his money? CASSANDRA DOTSON: He could have been angry with her.
He could have come over there, and he could have killed her. BRYAN BUCKLEY: So Detective Dotson's interviewing Brad,
but she's a good detective. So she's interviewing him and looking at his body language, what he has to say.
CASSANDRA DOTSON: He had a lot of size, quiet at certain moments, not wanting to believe
that this has happened. Then, he did say, if I had only just talked to her and told her to just go on and leave right then,
maybe she would not be dead. He was very emotional. I didn't get a feeling that he was involved in any of it,
except giving Carmen aid for his money to try to help her out with the issues that she would have in that day.
So at this point, it doesn't seem like Brad is their guy. But they still need to verify his alibi
and check his phone records, which could take a day or two. Now we're back at square one.
BRYAN BUCKLEY: Obviously, the priority is to catch this person. He's very dangerous.
You don't know what's going to happen again. There was a sense of urgency. NANCY GRACE: Police start over now that both boyfriends
are seemingly in the clear. They still can't shake the idea that the murder is personal.
They wonder who else Carmen knows. That's when they ask Terry the names of the gamers
who came to the apartment. FRANK DILLARD: And he gave us two names-- a guy named Tyrone and a guy named Robert Harvey,
both of whom he works with. CASSANDRA DOTSON: My information that I was given about Terry's friends that hung out at his apartment,
there were two males. They constantly game, drink, and smoke and party there. Frank checks out Tyrone.
Tyrone has an alibi. FRANK DILLARD: As far as Robert Harvey is concerned, that name, Robert Harvey, rang a bell with me.
[faint sirens wailing] I went to another detective, and he confirmed that we had dealt with him before.
I was, in fact, in the car with him to help him effect a warrant on Robert Harvey for sexual assault.
It was about a year and a half, maybe two years prior. We tried a number of times to try to arrest
him or serve a warrant. We later found that he had fled and gone to Florida. BRYAN BUCKLEY: The allegation was that Robert Harvey had lured
a woman over to his apartment. Very nice, very charming. And as soon as she got inside, he shut the door,
and he turned into a whole other person. He locked the doors, ripped her clothing off,
sexually assaulted her. The lady really thought that she was going to die. BRYAN BUCKLEY: Frank did a little more digging
into Robert Harvey's past, and he talked to a local confidential informant he knew who was a prostitute in the area.
And she told Frank that all the girls knew who Robert Harvey was. FRANK DILLARD: She told me that if, in fact, if you get in a car
or in a room or whatever with him, you better give him exactly what he wants. And if you don't, he's subject to hurt you real bad.
BRYAN BUCKLEY: So he went to Florida. And by the time they were able to get him back,
the woman had got scared and had changed her mind about cooperating and testifying
against Robert Harvey. LACY BATES: So it appears that Harvey got away with it and escaped justice.
NANCY GRACE: Detectives take a close look at Robert Harvey's rap sheet. CASSANDRA DOTSON: He was no stranger to crime,
and he had been in and out of jail numerous times. [dramatic music] With pretty lengthy robberies, assaults.
But there was one that really stood out-- He has actually killed a woman in the past.
--murder. This is a massive "oh, wow" moment. You don't get a bigger red flag than that.
[suspenseful music] NANCY GRACE: 2010, Ridgeland, Mississippi, only a few days into the new year, police are searching for a violent ex-con,
his name, Robert Harvey. He's now the prime suspect in the vicious murder of a beautiful young student, Carmen Sanders.
The 22-year-old has been viciously stabbed over 15 times. Robert Harvey knows the victim.
He's often been at her apartment playing video games with her boyfriend. When detectives look at his rap sheet,
they find out he's killed before. BRYAN BUCKLEY: The prior homicide was his ex-girlfriend.
He wrapped a telephone cord around her neck and strangled her to death. Her kids were home.
It was just terribly brutal. LACY BATES: To say this guy was dangerous was an understatement.
So he's convicted of manslaughter, and he's sentenced to 20 years behind bars. But he only serves five years.
BRYAN BUCKLEY: It was in another jurisdiction. And the Mississippi Department of Corrections
released him due to overcrowding. LACY BATES: Talk about a travesty of justice. The fact that he was released early,
it looked like it could have potentially led to Carmen's murder. [dramatic music]
NANCY GRACE: Detectives immediately see both murders have something in common. The killing of his girlfriend and the murder of Carmen
were both extremely violent. They were violent overkill. So those two things, it's always a red flag.
I'm thinking if he's killed before, then maybe he's killed again. NANCY GRACE: In another odd coincidence,
the name Robert Harvey rings a bell with Detective Cassandra Dotson. CASSANDRA DOTSON: I said, I know that name, that name, that name.
And then I said, oh, that's right. I went to school with his mom. We had the same birthday, and, uh, we
just called each other sisters. The next morning, Detective Dotson reaches out to Robert Harvey's mother.
CASSANDRA DOTSON: I told her we were investigating a murder case of a young lady, and the name
Robert Harvey came up. And she said, oh, yeah. Robert, my son, he talked to me about that.
He told me that one of his friend's girlfriends had been murdered and that she was stabbed numerous times,
about 20 some times. And she was wrapped in a blanket, and PlayStation was gone.
Detective Cassandra Dotson strikes gold with their conversation. None of what Harvey's mom told her is public information, not
the fact the victim is stabbed multiple times or that the PlayStation is stolen.
BRYAN BUCKLEY: Robert told his mom that a girl had been murdered down the street
and told her details that were not released to the public. CASSANDRA DOTSON: So I asked Carolyn,
would she come and talk with me and give me an interview? And she said, yeah. NANCY GRACE: Getting Robert Harvey's mom
officially on the record becomes a must for Ridgeland detectives. [suspenseful music]
BRYAN BUCKLEY: The mother is giving Cassandra vital information that only the killer would know
through her son, Robert Harvey. And, you know, Mama's always going to love their baby.
And I don't think she knew that she was putting a nail in the coffin of Robert. CASSANDRA DOTSON: So after the interview with Carolyn,
I didn't want to just alert her and make her give him something that would make him try to flee.
So I didn't say anything else to her. I did not give in to her that we were suspecting her son.
And we started moving in on the information we received. NANCY GRACE: Detectives are now ready to bring Robert
Harvey in for questioning. FRANK DILLARD: As luck would have it, Robert had traffic warrants on him.
Once we knew that, we had a beat officer to pull him over. Then he was able to be arrested and brought to our jail.
FRANK DILLARD: I walked into the interview room and noticed that Robert was really short, probably about 5' 5, 5' 4,
maybe 150 pounds, if that. And I'm wondering now, is this guy really a killer? FRANK DILLARD: I'm thinking now, this is probably our guy.
But we're only going to get one, maybe two, shots of talking to him at most. FRANK DILLARD: He seemed really relaxed, very open.
A lot of manners-- yes, sir. No, sir. And I'm thinking, OK, hey, this guy seems to be OK.
But I'm also thinking that it could be a ruse. You know, he could still be that monster I'm hearing about.
Detective Dillard asks Robert Harvey if he was in the vicinity of Carmen's apartment the night
she's killed. Robert Harvey claims he's visiting a friend named Michelle, who coincidentally lives in an apartment
complex near Carmen's. Detective Frank Dillard decides to call his bluff. Robert gave us the name of a person that he was
with the night of the murder. I went back. I made contact with that person. She said she hadn't seen Robert in weeks, if not months.
LACY BATES: Harvey has just been caught in a big, fat lie. What happens next? Harvey wises up and pulls the plug.
FRANK DILLARD: So at that point, he asked for an attorney. We couldn't talk to him anymore.
Let you make your phone call. This is the worst scenario that could be. [indistinct]
[light music] NANCY GRACE: Ridgeland, Mississippi, police are closing in on the killer of Carmen Sanders.
They're holding a prime suspect named Robert Harvey overnight in jail. They need, however, to obtain more evidence from him,
or they'll be forced to release him. BRYAN BUCKLEY: The next day, as luck would have it,
he requested to speak with Detective Dillard again. BRYAN BUCKLEY: So what happens, he now knows
he's been caught in a lie. And he goes and he sits in a jail cell all night. And he starts thinking, how can I get out of this?
And his bright idea was to call Frank in and say, look, I wasn't exactly truthful.
NANCY GRACE: Robert Harvey thinks police may have his DNA, so he changes his story.
What he says next is a bombshell. [dramatic music] Robert drops a bombshell. He puts himself at the scene knowing Carmen.
And now, all of a sudden, Frank's got a prime suspect who admits to knowing Carmen, and he's talking
about having sex with her. NANCY GRACE: Now Detective Dillard turns up the heat.
He tells Robert Harvey that he knows Harvey was inside Carmen's apartment the night
she's murdered. He told me that he and Carmen were scheduled to have sex that day at her apartment.
Robert claimed that when he got to Carmen's apartment, he walked in and saw her wrapped in a blanket
with a knife in her. At that point, he ran out. I asked Robert, why didn't he call 911?
He said he panicked. At this point, I'm happy that Robert has put himself in the crime scene.
LACY BATES: The fact that Harvey puts himself inside Carmen's apartment the night of the murder
is a game changer. FRANK DILLARD: I decided to call Robert's bluff. I asked Robert about his DNA being on the knife.
Why is his DNA on the knife? FRANK DILLARD: After I said that to Robert, I could see the wheels turning in his head, the blank stare
in his face, him trying to think of another answer. There was a big pause. And Robert says, OK, well, I went over to see if she was OK,
and I may have touched the knife. So at this point, come on. When you're in a hole, put the shovel down.
But Robert Harvey does not put the shovel down. He keeps digging a massive hole.
FRANK DILLARD: According to Robert, he and his brother drove up to Carmen's apartment, went inside.
While he and Carmen were having sex, the brother was in the other room, stealing.
Carmen came out, witnessing him stealing some items, and said, I'm going to call the police.
At that point, the brother's got a knife. And then murdered. I'm not buying it. It shows that he'll do whatever it takes to do to get away.
He has no loyalty to anyone. He'll throw anybody under the bus just to get free.
LACY BATES: At this point, Harvey asked for an attorney. But it's too late because he has already incriminated himself.
BRYAN BUCKLEY: We've got a suspect that says he knows the murder victim, says he went to the apartment
that night and admits to touching the knife that killed Carmen Sanders. That's all you need.
So at that point, he's charged with capital murder. In Mississippi, that's a death penalty case.
NANCY GRACE: Detective Cassandra Dotson delivers the news to Carmen's parents. I was excited, but hurt to be able to tell Carmen's mom
that we did arrest the suspect. She cried. She cried. My main focus then was to try to sympathize with her
and let her know that I felt her pain. And she thanked me. And she said, I felt like in my heart that you would do it.
NANCY GRACE: Police tracked down the PlayStation Robert Harvey stole the night of the murder.
CASSANDRA DOTSON: When we interviewed Harvey's brother, he did say that Harvey did have a PlayStation that he was trying
to sell, and he knew that Harvard did not have his own PlayStation 3. So his assumption was Harvey stole
the PlayStation from Terry's apartment the day that Carmen was murdered. BRYAN BUCKLEY: The Richmond Police Department had put
together a really good case. And this was a very dangerous man, that if you looked at him
and saw this small little guy going around, you wouldn't realize how dangerous he was.
But thanks to the police department and the detectives, we were able to get him off the street
and get him ready for trial. NANCY GRACE: In the end, there is no trial. BRYAN BUCKLEY: His defense lawyer came to us
and wanted to cut a plea deal. Ultimately, what happened was if we took death off of the table,
he would plead to that murder and do life without the possibility of parole. NANCY GRACE: Assistant District Attorney Brian
Buckley signs off on the deal. A cold-blooded killer is locked up for the rest of his life.
FRANK DILLARD: I would say this is probably one of the most dangerous individuals
that I've ever met. We knew that a serial killer was off the street. People seem to forget he had killed before.
BRYAN BUCKLEY: Robert Harvey is a cold-blooded killer, and he's a coward. He's out there attacking women with weapons.
He is not a man. Carmen had a pretty bright future ahead of her. And just because her boyfriend at the time
happens to work with a psychopath, you know, her life is just taken from her. NANCY GRACE: Police believe Robert Harvey murdered Carmen
Sanders after she caught him inside their apartment stealing the PlayStation. LACY BATES: On the night of Carmen's murder,
she had made plans to have dinner with a friend. On the way to dinner, she told her friend
that she was just going to stop in to her apartment real quick and grab her Christmas present for her that she still
had under the Christmas tree. If she hadn't have gone home to get that Christmas gift,
she could still be alive today. FRANK DILLARD: I tell people this all the time--
don't leave your doors unlocked, especially during the Christmas time. People are looking to steal, break in.
And this guy was not only a burglar, a thief-- he was a murderer. He had the resume.
[whimsical holiday music] NANCY GRACE: Every Christmas since her murder, detectives
at the Ridgeland Police Department think about a beautiful, innocent young victim named
Carmen. Yeah. I have daughters. This case comes to my mind quite a bit, especially the holidays.
The officers of the Ridgeland Police Department prioritized this case, and they left no stones unturned.
And I'm grateful to be able to be a part of that. We give some closure to Carmen's family.
So many times, we simply ask, why? Why is an innocent and beautiful young person
murdered, taken from us just as her life is really beginning? Why are some people so evil and so cold
that they will willingly take that life? It's the eternal question of good versus evil, a question
that seems even more tragic when it happens during the most joyous days of the year.
I'm Nancy Grace. Thank you for joining us here on "The Christmas Killings." [theme music]

When Carmen Sanders is found stabbed to death in a brutal manner, appalled detectives are determined to catch the killer. They soon discover the killer is nothing less than a psychopath who’s done this before.

Hosted by Nancy Grace, The Christmas Killings is a true crime docuseries that blends merry with mystery as it delves into holiday-season homicide investigations.

Brief Summary

Carmen Sanders was murdered in 2010; Robert Harvey was arrested after being linked to the crime.

Key points

The Christmas Killings. Carmen Sanders, a bright young woman, is found murdered just after the holidays.
Carmen's Final Moments. Carmen returns home to grab a Christmas gift but never makes it back out.
A Mother's Grief. Carmen's mother screams in anguish upon learning of her daughter's death.
The Investigation Begins. Detectives start to unravel the complex relationships surrounding Carmen's life and death.
The 911 Call. Terry calls 911 after discovering Carmen's body, but his words raise suspicion.
The Murder of Carmen Sanders. Carmen Sanders, a young student, is brutally murdered, leading to a tense investigation.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

He was a cold-blooded killer.

1:04WatchMay 1, 2025

Tension

75/ 100High tension

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