Nearly 30 years after the murder of Gerthie Carolina, an 81-year-old woman in Oklahoma, two of her relatives have been arrested in connection with the case.
Carolina was found dead in her home in Sasakwa on August 11, 1997. Deputies discovered her body on the kitchen floor, with signs of violence indicating she had been stabbed multiple times. Although her death was ruled a homicide, the investigation soon went cold.
In November 2023, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) reopened the case and examined blood found on a shoe from the crime scene. DNA testing revealed that the blood belonged to Carolina, and the shoe was identified as belonging to her great-niece, one of the relatives now facing charges.
On March 4, 2023, Carolyn Foreman, 81, and Dakota Davis, 45, were arrested and charged with first-degree murder. Foreman is Carolina’s niece, and Davis is her great-niece. It is not yet clear whether they have entered pleas or secured legal representation.
Authorities allege that both women killed Carolina for her inheritance of $40,000. Just months before her death, Carolina had named Foreman as the beneficiary of a certificate of deposit worth the same amount.
The affidavit mentions that prior to her death, Carolina had entrusted her estate to Foreman, who would be responsible for sharing it with family.
According to investigators, Foreman and Davis initially told police they discovered Carolina’s body when they arrived to take her to a doctor because she was unwell.
Over the years, Davis allegedly confessed her involvement to several individuals. In 2001, she reportedly told her father that she “chopped up” Carolina, and that Foreman had encouraged her during the act.
Additionally, two others who knew Davis claimed she admitted to using a knife or axe in the crime, suggesting Foreman assisted her.
Records indicate that Foreman had been previously charged with first-degree murder in an unrelated 1999 case but that charge was later dismissed. Her son was convicted of that murder in 2007 and is currently serving a life sentence.
