A shocking crime that occurred nearly 30 years ago has finally seen some closure, as two relatives of an 81-year-old widow have been arrested and charged with her murder. Gerthie Carolina was brutally attacked and left to die in her home in Sasakwa, Oklahoma in August 1997, all over a $40,000 inheritance.
The case remained unsolved until 2023 when investigators discovered some of Carolina’s blood on a shoe that had been taken as evidence on the day of the crime. This led to the arrest of Dakota Davis, Carolina’s grandniece, and Carolyn Foreman, Carolina’s niece. Both women were charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder, as they had cashed out the $40,000 trust just days after Carolina’s death.
Carolina had named Foreman as the beneficiary of her estate, with the intention that Foreman would distribute the funds among the family. However, it is alleged that Foreman and Davis were too impatient to wait for Carolina to pass away naturally, leading them to commit the heinous crime.
Foreman, who is now 81 and suffering from dementia, was arrested in Midwest City, Oklahoma, while Davis, now 45, was taken into custody in Sacramento, California. Interestingly, Foreman had previously been charged with first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of a 16-year-old in 1999, but the charge was later dismissed. Her son was ultimately convicted of that murder in 2007 and is currently serving a life sentence.
The investigation revealed that Davis had confessed to multiple people over the years about killing Carolina, claiming that she had used either an ax or a machete in the attack. Additionally, Davis’ father disclosed that she had told him she had “chopped up” her great aunt while Foreman encouraged her to continue the assault.
Despite the passage of nearly three decades, authorities were able to bring justice to Carolina’s family. Seminole County District Attorney Erik Johnson commended the investigators for their dedication in solving the cold case, stating that he hoped the arrests would bring some peace to Carolina’s loved ones after all these years.
