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Emmet County woman Carol Kopenkoskey was sentenced to prison for the 2012 murder of her husband of nearly 40 years, Lyle Kopenkoskey.
Carol was a person-of-interest in the case from the beginning when investigators reportedly found incriminating evidence at her and Lyle's house. She was charged with first-degree murder and faced the possibility of mandatory life sentences without parole.
However, shortly before the trial, the accused entered a plea deal in exchange for a reduced charge of second-degree murder. Carol entered the plea deal after an unexpected witness appeared and claimed that Carol had attempted to hire a hitman a month before her husband's murder. Kopenkoskey agreed to a sentence of 18 to 35-years in prison as part of this plea bargain.
On Thursday, September 22, 2022, ID's Black Widows: Kiss, Marry, Kill will revisit the murder story fueled by a love triangle, greed, and Carol Kopenkoskey's repeated attempts to get her husband out of the picture.
Here's everything you need to know about the plea deal and the perpetrator's current whereabouts ahead of the episode premiere.
Carol Kopenkoskey confessed to the crime while at the time of the plea deal
In January 2014, Carol Kopenkoskey entered a plea deal and confessed that on October 2, 2012, she shot her husband Lyle Kopenkoskey five times "with the intention of killing him." Carol said that on the morning of the killing, she drove her husband of 40 years to Kiebel Road in Resort Township at 5:30 am on October 2, 2012, before shooting him.
Carol then met John Ernst, the man she was having a long-term affair with, and together they drove north, where she saw Ernst throw the revolver off the Mackinac Bridge. The defendant revealed that she had used an unregistered .38 revolver to kill her husband.
On October 3, 2012, Lyle Kopenkoskey's body was found riddled with bullet holes, by the side of the road right next to his car.
Carol Kopenkoskey apologized for her actions during the trial
During her trial, Carol Kopenkoskey publicly apologized for her actions, stating that she had done an "evil thing." She insisted that she loved her husband and said that she hoped that one day, her family and Lyle's family and friends would be able to forgive her.
Carol reportedly said:
"I still don’t know what came over me, that made me snap and do such an evil thing."
Kopenkoskey also stated that she committed the murder in range as she was a victim of physical and verbal abuse. She claimed that she hoped to assist those who undergo similar situations so they don't feel the need to turn to murder.
Stuart Fenton, the Emmet County prosecutor, disputed Kopenkoskey's assertion that her actions were motivated by her experience as a victim of abuse. Referring to them as "contrived," Fenton said:
"There was not one police report of domestic violence. Everyone said that Lyle was a gentle soul. I don't buy that (claim) for a minute."
Judge Charles W. Johnson criticized Kopenkoskey before passing the judgment. Johnson also rejected Carol's assertion that she "snapped" and noted that she failed to express remorse during the hearing. He said:
"This doesn’t involve her 'snapping.' It was planned and involved her evil desire to get rid of her husband to continue an affair with another man."
Where is Carol Kopenkoskey serving her prison sentence?
During the trial, the court stated that given Carol Kopenkoskey's age, a minimum term of 18 years would not be an appropriate penalty for the offense in the case. The judge claimed that the minimum punishment must not be more than the defendant's realistic life expectancy. This is especially so as first-degree murder is the only crime in Michigan that carries a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole.
In this scenario, Kopenkoskey will be eligible for parole at age 78. The court added that even with a minimum term, Kopenkoskey would not necessarily be freed on parole after serving 18 years.
Carol is currently serving prison time at the Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility in Pittsfield Charter Township, Michigan.
Black Widows: Kiss, Marry, Kill will air on ID on Thursday, September 22, 2022, at 9 pm ET.
