5 chilling details about Carol Kennedy's murder

Carol Kennedy was a divorced artist from Arizona who was viciously beaten to death by her ex-husband Steven DeMocker in July 2008. Reports state that she was attacked while on a call with her mother, who then alerted authorities. Later, the authorities found her body in a pool of blood at her Prescott home.

Due to a lack of physical or forensic evidence, DeMocker was convicted completely based on circumstantial evidence. The murder weapon - a golf club from his collection - was never found. Authorities also found shoe prints near the victim's house resembling a pair that he owned. He was sentenced to life in prison with an additional ten years without parole.

An upcoming episode of Dateline: Secrets Uncovered on Oxygen will further delve into Carol Kennedy's death. The episode, titled The Mystery on Bridle Path, is scheduled to re-air on the channel at 7 pm ET on Thursday, February 9, 2023.

The synopsis for the episode reads:

"In the town of Prescott, Ariz., Carol Kennedy returns from an evening jog and calls her mother for their nightly chat; the call ends abruptly and so begins the mystery on Bridle Path."

Carol Kennedy's murder: Five quick facts to know about the death of the Prescott artist

1) Carol was viciously struck in the head multiple times at her Prescott home

Carol Kennedy was brutally assaulted on July 2, 2008, while speaking on the phone with her Nashville-based mother. The incident occurred at her Prescott, Arizona, home. Carol's mother allegedly heard her exclaim, "Oh, no!" over the phone before the line got disconnected, after which she alerted the authorities.

When first responders arrived at the scene, they found Carol beaten to death in a pool of blood. According to reports, she was fatally struck in the head at least seven times with an object resembling a golf club.

2) Detectives initially suspected Carol Kennedy's rumored boyfriend

Carol's rumored boyfriend at the time, Jim Knapp, became the first suspect during the initial stages of the investigation. Jim, however, asserted that he was with his son at the time of the murder. But before authorities could rule him out as a suspect, he reportedly killed himself about five to six months later. By then, a new potential suspect had surfaced - the victim's ex-husband, Steven DeMocker.

3) Authorities used circumstantial evidence to incriminate Steven DeMocker

After Jim Knapp, detectives' next target was Carol Kennedy's former husband, Steven DeMocker. The couple had divorced about two months before the incident. Things weren't smooth between them because Steven was expected to pay $6,000 monthly in alimony payments and also had a growing debt. Given the circumstances, Carol's life insurance created the perfect motive for murder.

4) Bike tracks, footprints, and other crucial evidence were found that connected Steven to the crime

Steven DeMocker initially claimed that he was on a bike trail near Carol's house on the evening of the murder. Additionally, phone records showed he was unreachable when the incident occurred. Behind her house, authorities found tire tracks from the bike Steven was riding at the time and shoe prints from a pair of shoes he owned. His body was also covered with scratches.

While conducting a search of the suspect's house, authorities found that a golf club - the alleged murder weapon that was never found - from his collection was missing. Moreover, his previous internet search history was also made public, and one of them was "how to kill someone and make it look like a suicide."

5) Carol Kennedy's ex-husband was eventually convicted

In 2013, following a few major delays, a jury convicted Steven DeMocker on three counts, including first-degree murder, burglary, and tampering with physical evidence, in connection with the death of his ex-wife Carol Kennedy. He was given a long life sentence with an additional ten years without the possibility of parole.

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