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In June 2010, Bonnie Woodward, 47, left her nursing-home shift in Alton and was never seen again. Her red Chevy Avalanche sat in the staff lot with the windows down and an uncashed paycheck on the seat, but Bonnie was gone.
For nearly 8 years, the case stagnated, sustained only by a single fingerprint that placed acquaintance Roger Carroll at the driver's door frame.
On Friday, June 6, ABC will revisit every twist in a two-hour 20/20 episode titled I Have Killed For You, airing at 9 pm ET and streaming on Hulu the next day. The broadcast promises new context on how one sentence, “I have killed for you,” and a son’s reluctant testimony helped break the case.
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Early clues fell short, and the case of Bonnie Woodward went cold
Witnesses told police they saw a salt-and-pepper-haired man in a silver Chevy Malibu speaking with Bonnie beside her truck on June 25, 2010. Fingerprints on the Avalanche soon matched Roger Carroll, who was sheltering Bonnie’s 17-year-old step-daughter Heather after the teen ran away. As per an ABC News report dated June 6, 2025, Carroll dismissed the print evidence, telling detectives:
“Then I've been framed,.... There's no way that my fingerprints are on that car door.”
Prosecutors agreed that they lacked enough evidence to charge. Bonnie’s family searched for months, posting flyers and pressing the media. However, no body, phone, or bank activity surfaced. Later, niece Rachel Lee told ABC News:
“She loved that truck. She worked really hard to get that truck. She absolutely wouldn't have just left it,”
A domestic-violence call and Nathan Carroll’s map reopened the file
The breakthrough came in March 2018. Monica Carroll fled the family’s rural Jerseyville home after an alleged assault and informed officers that her husband had told her:
“I have killed for you.”
Investigators found Roger in nearby woods after a suicide attempt and booked him on domestic battery and murder charges. Nathan Carroll, son of Monica and Roger, then 24, was subpoenaed and granted full immunity.
Under oath, he recounted hearing eight or nine gunshots, seeing legs clad in tan scrubs, and helping keep a brush fire burning. He remembered his father demanding the fire be kept blazing without pause, day and overnight.
Nathan then guided detectives to three farm sites: a shooting zone behind the garage, a burn pile soaked in gasoline, and a creek where ashes were dumped. Forensic teams recovered 27 charred bone fragments; tests were inconclusive, but the physical trail matched Nathan’s timeline.
Trial, verdict, and an appeal are still in play
A Jersey County jury heard the evidence in March 2020. Prosecutors argued that Roger stalked Bonnie Woodward’s routine and used Heather as bait, citing phone restrictions and witness statements.
As per The Telegraph report dated Oct 1, 2020, Circuit Judge Eric Pistorius called the crime:
“A meticulously planned, senseless death”
After 4 hours of deliberation, jurors convicted Roger Carroll of first-degree murder. The judge imposed 40 years, plus a 25-year firearm enhancement, totalling 65 years. At sentencing, vowing to appeal, Carroll said:
“I didn’t get a fair trial.”
In May 2025, the Illinois Supreme Court allowed that appeal, setting the stage for arguments later this year, as per The Telegraph report dated June 6, 2025.
What 20/20 will explore tonight
20/20 will retrace the stalled investigation, the pivotal confession, and Nathan Carroll’s decision to testify against his own father. The program also analyzes the unanswered questions, taking a deeper look into why Bonnie Woodward’s truck showed no signs of forced entry.
Viewers may also find answers to whether additional forensic testing could finally link the bone shards to Bonnie Woodward. Finally, whether Roger Carroll’s appeal could reshape the case.
For Bonnie Woodward’s family, the stakes remain personal. As per an ABC News report dated June 6, 2025, special prosecutor Jennifer Mudge said after the verdict:
“I don't believe in the word closure. It doesn't exist in my mind. But Bonnie can now rest peacefully.”
Tonight’s 20/20 episode aims to clarify how investigators pieced together a body-less case, why it took nearly a decade to reach court, and what may happen next.
Viewers looking for a concise, evidence-based account of what happened to Bonnie Woodward will find it in ABC’s primetime spotlight.
Stay tuned for more updates.
