Illinois Missing Person Cold Case Ends With Homicide Conviction

June 25th, 2010 seemed to be another normal Friday for Bonnie Woodward. The 47 year old, grandma of five, was preparing to end her shift at work. Bonnie was a 27 year veteran of her career at Eunice C. Smith Nursing Home in Alton, Illinois. She loved her job and her co-workers.

Bonnie punched out on the timeclock and headed for her vehicle in the parking lot, a red Chevrolet Avalanche. Noone knew that this would be her last time clocking out.

Prior to Bonnie getting off work, co-workers taking a smoke break noticed an out-of-place man. He is approximately in his 40s, white, and had dark hair that was graying at the temples. The man, appearing as if he was waiting for someone, was seen in a 2000–2005 silver Chevrolet Malibu car, smoking a cigarette.

A hot summer day, Bonnie gets into the driver’s seat of her truck and proceeds to roll both front windows down. The man, leaving his silver Malibu, walked over to the red Avalanche. One co-worker said, from afar, it appeared that the man and Bonnie were having a very heated conversation. In the midst of the conversation, Bonnie exits her truck and joins the man in his car. The two leave the nursing home and the car leaves through the park across the street, Rock Spring Park.

The red Chevrolet Avalanche was left in the parking lot, unlocked and windows rolled down. Bonnie, however, did not leave her purse, phone, or other personal belongings in the truck. Bonnie is never seen again.

Her family and friends are worried sick. Bonnie has two sons, one of which is handicapped. She tends to all of her handicapped son’s needs. She also has a step-daughter, Heather, who has a history of running away and Bonnie adopted after Heather’s father passed.

June 17th, 2010, Heather ran away from home. Later, it was discovered by police that she went to stay with a teacher, Christine M. Scheffel. However, upon searching Scheffel’s residence, Heather was nowhere to be found.

First, Heather’s disappearance and runaway occurred and now Bonnie is missing as well. After her boyfriend doesn’t hear from her and she fails to show up to work, friends and family file a missing persons report on Bonnie.

July 3rd, 2010, after Bonnie had disappeared, Heather miraculously showed up at the East Alton Public Library to turn herself in. It was discovered that Heather had been staying with Monica and Roger Carroll, a married couple in their 40s who were friends with Scheffel and who’s son, Nathan, was dating Heather.

Scheffel was arrested for obstructing justice and lying to the police about her knowledge of Heather’s disappearance and the Carrolls were charged with harbouring a runaway.

Upon further investigation into the details of Heather’s runaway stunt, police discovered that Roger Carroll drove a silver Malibu and appeared remarkably similar to the man seen at the nursing home when Bonnie disappeared.

With stunning circumstantial evidence, police were able to get a search warrant for Carroll’s property, just under fifty acres of country land. Investigators, along with cadaver dogs, searched the property, but did not find Bonnie. However, evidence was reportedly found on Carroll’s property, but police do not release specifics at this time.

Along with the warrant, police were able to process fingerprints discovered on Bonnie’s red Avalanche, where the suspected abductor and she had a heated discussion. The fingerprints matched those of Roger Carroll.

Alton detectives returned to the Carroll’s and Roger was arrested for lying to the police when he told them on July 5th that he had no idea of the whereabouts or disappearance of Bonnie.

Despite the massive search, Bonnie was never found and no charges were made in her disappearance. The case turned cold.

In 2015, the charges for harboring a runaway were dropped against Monica Carroll. Charges remain pending for Roger.

March 2nd, 2018 | going on eight years after Bonnie’s disappearance

Monica Carroll stands at the county courthouse and files a petition for an order of protection against Roger Carroll. Just hours before, Monica states that Roger beat, tased, and pinned her down while alternating between cursing and apologizing at 20758 Creek Road, Jerseyville, Illinois.

The order is granted and Roger is arrested for unlawful restraint and domestic battery charges. While Roger is in custody, his son, Nathan, feels safe enough to speak to authorities without his abusive father hurting him.

Nathan is subpoenaed by a grand jury to testify of his knowledge regarding the events surrounding the disappearance of Bonnie Woodword.

Nathan complies. Nathan discloses, to the grand jury, the following occurred June 25th, 2010 and the days following:

• Heather accompanied the Carroll family on a trip to Goreville, Illinois when she was staying with them as a runaway.
• The family left the trip early, on the morning of June 25th, and on the trip home Roger told Nathan that Bonnie Woodward was a “bad person” and that he was going to kill her.
• Roger and Nathan, alone, made a trip to scope out Bonnie’s home and the nursing home where she worked.
• Roger dropped Nathan off at home, procured a gun, and left.

Later that day, Nathan told the grand jury, he heard a gunshot. After hearing it, he ran outside and saw his father, Roger, standing next to Bonnie Woodward, dead. Roger proceeded to tell Nathan that he used Heather staying with them as bait to get Bonnie into his car.

Roger Carroll got behind the wheel of his tractor and moved Bonnie’s body to a brush pile. Once Bonnie’s remains were placed on the brush, Roger lit the pile on fire and watched it burn. Nathan, instructed by his father, raked over the area to disperse the ashy remain of what was left from the fire.

After Nathan’s testimony to the grand jury, detectives procured another warrant and searched Carroll’s property. This time with a specific place to look.

Bone chips were recovered and DNA testing identified them to belong to Bonnie Woodward.

April 2018, Roger Carroll is charged with two counts of first degree murder and one count of concealing a homicide. The charges would later be amended to add an additional charge of first degree homicide resulting from kidnapping.

Monica and Heather will not be charged for any involvement in the kidnapping and murder.

Nathan, given he was a juvenile at the time, is granted immunity from charges for testifying in front of the grand jury. Prosecution stated, “as a juvenile he was just dragged into the incident.”

Roger Carroll does not go on trial for the crimes against Bonnie Woodward until March, 2020. He is unanimously found guilty on all charges.

Roger Carroll is scheduled for sentencing on April 23rd, 2020.

Article Sources

• https://truecrimediva.com/bonnie-woodward-grandmother-missing-since-2010/
• https://www.thetelegraph.com/news/article/Trial-of-Roger-Carroll-accused-in-2010-15008296.php
• https://www.bnd.com/news/local/article209696309.html
• https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/crime/bonnie-woodward-murder-man-found-guilty/63-ed41dbf6-3425-4247-94d8-d1dbbdc01b11

Originally published at https://www.murderstation.com on March 23, 2020.