Snapped season 32 episode 17 - Doris Carlson’s detailed case overview

Snapped returns to a 1996 Peoria, Arizona stabbing that began inside an assisted living apartment and ended with four arrests and a murder case built on money and access. The episode follows how a household’s finances, two young renters, and a key to a locked room converged into a plan that left Mary Lynne “Lynne” Carlson gravely wounded.

A re-air of the Snapped Doris Carlson episode is scheduled for Friday, September 5, at 6 pm ET on Oxygen. The episode originally aired on August 20, 2023, and centers on the investigation and the subsequent court outcomes.

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Snapped case overview: Doris Carlson

Oxygen’s Snapped cover art (Image via Oxygen)

Police were called just after dawn on October 25, 1996, when a nurse unlocked Lynne Carlson’s door and found her bleeding but alive. The 53-year-old, who had multiple sclerosis, told staff she had tried to fight “them” off. That statement pointed detectives toward more than one attacker. According to Oxygen, the room showed signs of a staged disturbance in the living area while the attack occurred in the bedroom.

Investigators learned Lynne’s finances supported her son, David, and his wife, Doris Carlson, who lived in a home bought with Lynne’s funds. After trustees moved Lynne into a care facility in July 1996, household bills shifted and debt climbed. Interviews and records revealed pressure surrounding trusts and annuities. Money troubles formed the backdrop for what came next, as reported by Oxygen.

Entry to Lynne’s apartment puzzled officers at first. There was no damage to the door or windows, and the door had been locked when the nurse arrived. Accounts later described a key supplied in advance. Planning steps included gloves, knives brought by the assailants, and a late-night drop near the facility, per Oxygen’s case file.

Investigators determined the attackers entered with a key provided in advance. (Image via Pixels)

Three days after the attack, a man who knew the household contacted the police. He said one tenant had boasted about a coming payoff. The other tenant confirmed the plan in a recorded meet-up and described how the pair would split the promised money.

Statements outlined a drive to the site, entry with a key, the staging of a fake burglary, and the stabbing that followed. These details helped lead to arrests within less than a month.

Lynne survived for months after surgery but died on April 21, 1997. Charges were then upgraded to murder. One teen tenant pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in exchange for cooperation and served a limited term. The adult tenant received life without parole. According to the Arizona Supreme Court, David Carlson was sentenced to 25 years to life and was later released after serving 25 years.

David Carlson was sentenced to 25 years to life. (Image via Pixels)

Jurors found Doris Carlson guilty of first-degree murder, conspiracy, and burglary. A death sentence followed at trial, based on findings that the killing was arranged for pay and linked to the expectation of financial gain.

On direct review, the Arizona Supreme Court reduced the sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole while affirming the convictions, citing its analysis of aggravating and mitigating factors in the record.

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Where to watch Snapped season 32 episode 17

Oxygen lists the re-air of Snapped Doris Carlson for Friday, September 5, at 6 pm ET. Robert Ivkovic directs the episode and features on-camera participants Hope Hiester, Seth Loven, and Ann Moss.

Episodes of Snapped stream on Peacock Premium, Peacock Premium Plus, fuboTV, NBC, Oxygen, YouTube TV, and Hulu. Episodes can also be digitally purchased on Amazon Video, Apple TV, and Fandango.

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