Naman Shrestha
In the episode titled ‘Footprints in the Snow’ of Investigation Discovery’s ‘A Time to Kill,’ the focus is on the brutal killings of Carolyn and John Tarwacki in their small-town Michigan residence. Despite the best efforts of the detectives, the investigation was devoid of any concrete evidence. However, thanks to a couple of testimonies, a killer emerged and was finally caught. The episode also features in-depth interviews with the loved ones of the victims, providing their perspectives on the case and investigation.
Carolyn and John Tarwacki Were Found Dead in Their House by John’s Father
Born on December 16, 1970, to Jackie Lee and Sharon Ann McKnight, Carolyn M. Tarwacki was brought up in Niles, where she went to Niles High School to complete her schooling. Besides her parents, she also had the company of her loving sister, Katherine “Katie” West, while growing up. With a deep passion for music from an early age, she began performing music and even learned to play the euphonium. She also got the opportunity to showcase her musical talents in various music organizations, such as The Elkhart (Indiana) Municipal Band, the Saint Joseph (Michigan) Municipal Band, and the Southwestern Michigan Brass Band.
On the other hand, her future husband, John F. Tarwacki Jr., was brought into the world by Dolores Else and John Francis Tarwacki Sr. on April 26, 1967, in South Bend, Indiana. Growing up among his siblings — Sue Michael, Kurt J. Tarwacki, and Danielle Tarwacki — he passed out from John Adams High School before getting a job at the Memorial Hospital in South Bend, Indiana. From 1987 to 1990, he also served as a nuclear-powered submarine engineer for the US Navy. Not only was he a fan of music but also that of sports, especially of the Chicago Bears and the Chicago Cubs.
Before Carolyn and John Tarwacki got married on July 7, 2007, in Hope Community Church, Niles, the latter had fathered four children, including John F. Tarwacki III, Zachary Tarwacki, Tea Koehn, and Janna Tarwacki. Both being compassionate and religious individuals, they were loved by everyone in their lives. At the time, they lived in Niles, Michigan, and worked for Quinlan & Fabish Music Company, formerly known as Blessing Music Company, where they supplied and maintained musical instruments for music educators. With everything going great in their lives, the couple unexpectedly met their demise just a couple of years into their marriage.
On February 5, 2010, John and Carolyn failed to show up at their workplace, which was out of the ordinary. Concerned about their well-being, the former’s father drove down to their house, only to find them dead in their Howard Township, Michigan, residence. He immediately called the police and informed them of the situation. As soon as the police arrived at the crime scene, they learned that John had been stabbed ten times and shot to death while Carolyn had been beaten, stabbed four times, and shot to death as well. During the inspection of the house and the surrounding areas for evidence, the detectives noticed some footprints in the snow right in front of the apartment’s back door. From the footprints, they were able to determine the type of shoe as well as its size, which was 12.
Carolyn and John Tarwacki’s Killer Allegedly Thought the Couple Wasn’t Home and Only Planned to Rob Them
After gathering the physical evidence from the crime scene, the investigators began interviewing Carolyn and John Tarwacki’s neighbors and loved ones. This led them right to Keith Lintz, who had had a few run-ins with the law. When asked about his whereabouts on the morning of the murder, he claimed that he was fast asleep and had gone to work, an alibi which was backed by his mother, Sherry. Right when the investigation was not moving forward, Carolyn’s mother, Sharon, came across a bloody knife in the freezer while cleaning out the couple’s house in April 2010. It turned out to be the murder weapon as the DNA on it belonged to the victims.
Due to the lack of incriminating evidence and leads, the case turned cold for a couple of years until Patricia Wilds testified that Keith Lintz had indirectly confessed to killing the Tarwacki couple. Upon digging deeper into the prime suspect, the police learned that he had lied to them about going to work on the fateful morning. Another layer of suspicion was added to his name when he failed the polygraph test as well. In order to get his confession, the police reached out to Keith’s childhood friend, Shane Zimmerman, an inmate who agreed to wear a wire while he talked to the suspect.
During the conversation, Keith reportedly broke down and admitted to the double homicide. He told Shane that he had gotten into a huge fight with his mother after going home intoxicated, asking for money. When she refused, he allegedly decided to rob someone and went to the Tarwacki house, assuming that it would be empty. However, when he realized that the couple was home, he allegedly killed them instinctively. With enough evidence against him, the police arrested Keith Lintz on October 18, 2012, and charged him with two counts of felony murder.
Keith Lintz is Incarcerated at a Michigan Prison Facility
Nearly a year after his arrest, Keith Lintz stood on trial for being involved in the murder of Carolyn and John Tarwacki. After some back and forth between the prosecution and the defense, the jury reached a verdict after deliberating for a couple of hours. On September 6, 2013, they found the defendant guilty of two counts of first-degree murder and one of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. About a month later, on October 11, 2013, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, in addition to a couple of years for a felony gun conviction in relation to the same case.
Moreover, Keith was also ordered to pay the court fees of the Tarwacki family and give them $21,000 in restitution for the cost of the funeral of the victims. After the sentencing, John’s mother stated, “We’re glad it’s over, praise to God. But it doesn’t bring my boy back.” Meanwhile, Carolyn’s mother also took the stand and addressed the court, saying, “I know a lot of people don’t know what they’re doing when they’re on drugs. So he may not have really realized that – I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt. But the facts are the facts and he told so many people and bragged about what he did.”
Seeing that the convict was still denying his involvement in the crime, even John’s father emphasized how difficult it was for him to forgive his son’s killer. He said, “Since he won’t admit it, maybe it’s harder now. But my belief, my faith tells me it’s important to forgive, no matter what. I want to do it. I really do. But I just don’t feel like I can. Maybe someday.” In March 2015, Keith Lintz appealed that there were several errors made during his trial and that his defense attorney was inefficient. However, the court denied his appeals, claiming that there were “no errors warranting relief” from the conviction. Thus, as of today, he is serving his sentence at Gus Harrison Correctional Facility in Adrian, Michigan.
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