UPDATE: OCTOBER 2020: Roger Carroll sentenced to 45 years for first-degree murder and 25 years for use of a firearm
UPDATE: APRIL 23,2018: Roger Carroll’s son, Nathan, testified at Carroll’s preliminary hearing this morning that he witnessed his father kill Bonnie Woodward on June 25, 2010, and helped Carroll burn her body. Nathan also testified that Carroll used Heather Woodward as bait to lure Bonnie away from Eunice Smith Nursing Home’s parking lot where she was last seen. Authorities gave Nathann full immunity because he was a juvenile at the time of the murder. Moreover, law enforcement officials believe Roger Carroll forced his son into helping him dispose of the body.
UPDATE: APRIL 12, 2018: Bonnie Woodward’s body has been found in a wooded area in Jersey County, Illinois. Roger Carroll was charged in Jersey County on April 12, 2018, with two counts of first-degree murder and concealment of a homicidal death. He was also charged with kidnapping in neighboring Madison County. He will be tried in Jersey County first.
Carroll is accused of luring Woodward to his property, where he allegedly shot her multiple times with a Stoeger Cougar 9 mm Luger on or about the day she disappeared, then placed her body in a fire and burned it (St. LouisPost-Dispatch)
Bonnie Woodward, 47, a grandmother of five, worked her regular shift at Eunice C. Smith Nursing Home in Alton, Illinois, on June 25, 2010. She had worked there for 27 years.
When her shift ended at 3:00 p.m., Bonnie walked out to her red Chevy Avalanche in the nursing home parking lot. She got into her truck and rolled down the windows. Coworkers saw a man in the parking lot about 30 minutes before Bonnie exited the building. They described him as Caucasian, in his 40s, with brown hair gray at the temples. He was driving what appeared to be a silver or gray 2000 to 2005 Chevy Malibu and was smoking a cigarette.
According to one coworker, the unidentified male walked over to Bonnie in her truck and began an intense conversation.
The coworker saw Bonnie Woodward enter the man’s car with him, and they drove off together. One witness reported seeing a silver or gray Malibu entering Rock Spring Park across the nursing home.
Bonnie’s truck was left unlocked and abandoned in the nurse’s parking lot. None of Bonnie’s items, such as a purse or cell phone, were found in the truck. She has not used any of her accounts either.
Bonnie was a mother to two sons, one a special needs child whom she was always in contact with. It was unlike her to go very long without speaking to him. Bonnie also had a 17-year-old stepdaughter, Heather Woodward. Heather’s father passed away in 2000, and Bonnie adopted Heather and her sibling shortly after.
On June 17, 2010, Heather ran away from home and went to stay with teacher Christine M. Scheffel. Bonnie Woodward called the police when Heather did not return home. Police searched Scheffel’s house but were unable to locate the teenager. Scheffel denied knowing the teen’s whereabouts.
On July 3, after Bonnie vanished and on Heather’s 18th birthday, Heather turned herself in to the East Alton Public Library and identified herself. She had been staying with Roger and Monica Carroll of Jersey County, both in their 40s, and friends of Heather and Scheffel.
Scheffel was charged with obstruction of justice and lying to police about Heather’s disappearance. The Carrolls were charged with harboring a runaway.
Police discovered that Roger Carroll, 44, drove a silver Malibu, resembling the man seen with Bonnie in the parking lot.
Carroll was re-arrested for obstructing justice. According to the charge, Carroll gave false information to an Alton detective on July 5 when he claimed not to know about Bonnie’s disappearance.
A search warrant was issued on Carroll’s property, and officers aided by cadaver dogs searched the 40 to 50 acres of land but found no sign of Bonnie. Some evidence was discovered, but no details have been released.
The Illinois State Police Crime Lab determined that latent fingerprints on Bonnie’s truck belonged to Roger Carroll.
26 comments
My good friends are the neighbors who heard the gunshot. You have your timeline wrong. Roger and Monica were at Lake Kincaid the week prior to Bonnie’s disappearance. Roger came back to Alton the day Bonnie went missing and left the others behind. This was on Friday.
On Sunday evening at 10:30 at night they heard a gunshot, which was extremely bizarre. And when this all came about, they were talking to other neighbors and they heard it and even called their uncle to see if he was shooting. Of course, he said no.
Now, 7 years later, Roger had a girlfriend at his place of employment. I guess things went sour and she had to get a restraining order on him. His wife Monica has chosen to stay with him. I’d say this girlfriend is lucky to be alive.
You need to contact Chris Hayes at Fox 2 and let him investigate.
Ok I grew up with heather and Aaron beings Bonnie is my mother. Obviously these kids weren’T beat or dcfs would have removed them from the home. Which they would not remove them. Cuz everyone knows these two was always crying wolf at school. So don’t talk about my mother as a bad person especially if u have never met her. Keep your opinions to yourself because u don’t no the real storey nor my mother.. idc about anyone meaning heather , the teacher , roger, monica, or nathan. I care about what happened to my mother. So until she is found keep your thoughts about how u think my mom was to yourself. All u no is what heather or her group has told you.
This person obviously only knows the specifics of the case. Which is what they are basing their opinions off of. Which is the correct way to do it. I personally know most of these individuals, and I cant say this is comething they would not do. But based on what I know about Heather, Bonnie was not a nice person. The media always paints them as saints. Not saying she deserved what happened to her. But she was not as good a person behind closed doors.
is this coming from heather herself or did you witness this?
Obviously you didn’t no most of these people in the case. U grew up with Heather . So I no what went on in the household so before you voice your opinion on Bonnie maybe you should no all the facts of the case and all the people. Not just your pick of people.
It was supposed to say I grew up with heather
I lived with Heather and Christine and I can promise you, neither of them did shit. But believe what you want. Christine was my stepmom at the time.
Kristine, if that were the case, then why did your “stepmother” cut a deal with the District attorney’s office?
And beside the murder if my sister, it is only in the state of Illinois that a teacher isn’t prosecuted for an inappropriate relationship of a student! And I could come up with a multitude of other charges “your stepmother” should be charged with. It baffles me that the state of Illinois, along with the citizens, have zero issues with a teacher having students (past and present) reside with, party with, and vacation with; teach at ANY institution!
She should not be allowed access to any child, ever! In any other state she would be in prison for just that; let along playing a significant role in the murder of my sister! (I believe).
As far as the Carol’s go … It is my belief, they all played a part in the murder of my sister Bonnie! And Heather set it all in play.
Bonnie’s case is a prime example of the corrupt officials in Illinois. So your ignorance of this case is appalling to me and our entire family!
I was supposed to parole to my aunt bonnie’s. I have known her my whole life. My step dad was molesting me and Bonnie and Linda took me in we not always agreed but she never abused them kids she loved them Heather probably got yelled at and she killed my aunt and they helped her hide what happened. if he was innocent and covering for heather it could explain why he lied about meeting her but that doesn’t matter regardless. If he was at all innocent he would have realized Heather was full of shit and just wanted attention.” cause her brother was getting more than she was” I lived there not long before I moved away completely. I heard it for a while from her bitching about it to me. And nobody asked me Jack shit or cared what I had to say in Alton when our family did that gathering for Bonnie and news I think? Can’t remember. If you find anything more out let me know I have asked but nobody ever calls back and tells me anything since Linda died. I think they are all guilty and should have to be served by the hand of justice not guilt, cause obviously none of them even feel bad enuff to let the family have closure either way.
It really makes me mad how police cannot do anything to these killers or won’t. It is obvious who killed her ..people are so dumb it makes me mad !!!!
And this is just one case …..ridiculous. I’m glad there are people like you who bring it some attention and make the people who are guilty a little nervous.
I have know the Carrolls for years. They are very good well liked people. With today’s technology and all the supposed evidence this case would have been closed. Obviously Mr Carroll is not guilty and something must have been going on in the home for a young girl to stay so well hidden. I think you should leave the investigation to the police and quit slandering people who were just trying to help. It’s amazing how every victim becomes a saint.
Please explain to me, oh wise one, how Roger’s fingerprints were on Bonnie’s truck if he had nothing to do with her disappearance? He also fit the description (car included) of the man speaking with her RIGHT BEFORE she vanished. Coincidence? I don’t believe in them.
So getting rid of Bonnie was helping Heather? Ok gotcha! 😉
You know what is really amazing? People defending liars and killers.
I happen to know Bonnie and her family and if there ever was a saint it was Bonnie. Did you not catch the part that she adopted Heather and her brother after their father died? She didn’t have to do that but she did because they had no place else to go! Heather was a typical teenager and didn’t like having rules so she ran away to get attention and be able to do as she pleased. There have been inconsistencies in both the Carroll’s stories and Heather’s that have been brought to light not all because it’s evidence. Your very good well liked people most likely murdered or helped to cover up the murder of an innocent woman. As for Ms Scheffel she knows everything that happened when she somehow got word they were coming to search her house Heather would go stay at the Carroll’s then after she would go back. Finally they let Ms Scheffel plead to lesser charges so she could keep her teaching credentials she Thank God no longer teaches at the high school, last I heard she was teaching at Lewis & Clark Community College. If you ask me they all should be behind bars. Yesterday there was a body found in Macoupin County, skeletal remains they say have been deceased for 3 years or more. Maybe just maybe the family will finally get some closure and those responsible like the Carroll’s Ms Scheffel and Heather will finally get what’s coming to them.
I had been to their house when her dad was alive and at work . If you did not know them why would you say anything about it at all . When he went to work she would smack her so hard she would fall down just because the little girl would ask for a drink . Then her dad would come home she was nice to daddys little girl she was not of school age yet . It was so bad that my friend and I stopped going over there .
Bonnie was a strict parent..and i would know because i grew up with her around constantly while my mother was overseas, she is no different that my mother, she would only punish when needed, the children were well taken care of and only got punished when they acted up…
Wow. Hmmm I’m her daughter and I believe my brother and myself was there. And I surely don’t recall no Patricia ever coming over.. but hey that’s your storey … spill it how u like ….lol
She was my grandmother and I really want someone to find her…. She doesn’t have to be alive I just want to know if she is dead or not so please oh please help…. Oh and I lived with them heather was surely not abused
I had wondered about this woman and assumed that she had probably turned up and I had missed the article on it. Thank you for a well-written account of the case. Like you, I just can’t imagine why this man has not been brought to trial.
Wow. You should really be a screenwriter in Hollywood, as you clearly live in a fantastical world. I’m not saying that there aren’t a lot of “coincidences” in this case, but aside from one set of fingerprints, NO physical evidence has been found and you clearly do not personally know any of the people involved. We may never know what happened to Bonnie, but I guarantee you the picture you painted of her is not her true self. I respect your right to your opinion, but thankfully “I think” and “what if” are not enough to convict a person in this country.
And as for the police? They have almost nothing to go on. There was no license plate identification for the car and eyewitness testimony is not always reliable (especially when there is a locally-covered, high profile case such as this). Also, I’m sure they’ve investigated further than what they’ve released to the press- it’s Police Investigatons 101. Baseless accusations that the police are attempting to cover up the truth only make you look ignorant. (And yes, they are baseless. Many, many more missing persons cases are filed than solved, and it has nothing to do with police effort. It’s all about lack of evidence and/or a confession.
If it’s made up of facts, it doesn’t make it true.
Aww, I’m flattered, really lol.
My, my, my. Did I hit a nerve? I’m not here to get a conviction. That’s not my job, although I’d love to see the killers rot in hell. What I do here on MY blog is give my opinion. If you don’t like it, please feel free to go elsewhere. It’s obvious that you are connected to one of the three mentioned or a member of the police force. You’re taking it way too personal.
The police theory is just that…a theory that some people believe to be true. It wouldn’t surprise me if it were.
And by the way, fingerprints ARE physical evidence. And those were proven to be Carroll’s.
It doesn’t matter what Bonnie was or wasn’t like as a person. She did not deserve this.
I personally know the neighbor who reported hearing a single gunshot 2 days after Bonnie’s disappearance. You have one fact incorrect. Roger and his family were vacationing at Lake Kincaid prior to Bonnie disappearing. He came back the day of the disappearance but left his family behind. They came back few days later. Roger sold the boat on craigslist for virtually nothing a week later. The new owner of the boat saw the news coverage and called police and told them he bought the boat from Roger and it had a foul odor. The police confiscated the boat. Our theory is he used the boat to get rid of the body in the Mississippi or Illinois river near Alton IL.
Another interesting fact: The Carroll’s were vacationing at Lake Kincaid and Heather was with them. This area is Monica Carroll’s family home. When Monica’s brother heard the news of Heather missing, he called Alton Police department and turned them in.
If you look at Christine’s FB page for 2010, every month there are several posts. Oddly though, starting June 3, 2010 there are zero posts until December 2010.
I feel terrible for the victims family when they know that these people are walking around Scott free, with information that could help the case or just plain committed the crime. The teacher is obviously involved in some way and I hope she is haunted every second for not coming forward with information.
Yeah, she either made them private or deleted the posts altogether. You know she was posting during that time gap.
I hope there is justice one day and like you, I hope all involved are haunted every single second of the day for what they have done.
I’m wondering what the guys explanation was for his fingerprints on the car. I don’t see them killing her for alleged abuse, maybe insurance, or something she wasn’t supposed to know?
That’s what I’m thinking, too. I definitely don’t believe the abuse story.