Naman Shrestha
The authorities received a frantic call from his wife, Carol, who informed them that a stranger had broken into their house and shot his husband, Roy McCaleb, to death. The gruesome murder sent shockwaves throughout the entire community while the investigators looked for the perpetrator/s responsible for the crime. With exclusive interviews with Roy’s loved ones and officials linked to the case included in ‘Evil Stepmothers: As Bad as it Gets,’ the episode explores the horrifying and decades-long case in detail.
Roy McCaleb’s Manner of Death Was Initially a Mystery
The beloved son of Roxie Joe and Harvey Cameron McCaleb, Roy Joe McCaleb, was welcomed into the world on September 3, 1934. Aside from the unconditional love of his parents, he also received the support and adoration of his loving siblings — brother James Cameron AKA Mac and Linda — while growing up in Baytown, Harris County, Texas. A graduate of Robert Lee High School, Roy was a level-headed and determined individual who went on to serve in the Army. Besides that, the Korean War veteran held the position of Master Mason at Goose Creek Masonic Lodge 1192 and was a member of Channelview Order of Eastern Star 954.
Sometime in the 1950s, Roy married Charlene, and together, they built a wholesome family complete with their three kids — Brigette Renee McCaleb Trammell, Alton W “Bubba” McCaleb, and Pamela Nally. As per Pam, Roy was a loving father and husband and worked really hard to ensure his family had everything they needed. After serving in the force, he turned towards the construction industry and moved from strength to strength, ultimately securing the position of construction foreman of oil rigs. Unfortunately, Roy and Charlene’s relationship couldn’t stand the test of time and they amicably ended their over two-decade-long marriage in 1978.
A few years later, in January 1981, their 23-year-old daughter, Brigette, passed away due to complications from a neurological disease called Friedreich’s Ataxia. Her brother, Alton, had the same condition, so he used a wheelchair and resided with his father. (Alton passed away in 1988). In the early 80s, Roy’s paths crossed with a woman named Carolyn, AKA Carol, while working at Brown & Root in Texas. Within a few weeks of dating, Carol moved in with Roy and Alton at his residence. In January 1984, the pair tied the knot in the presence of friends and family.
On the night of September 22, 1985, the echoes from 12933 Emporia Street filled the air in the Northshore neighborhood in East Houston, Harris County. As per Carol, Roy McCaleb was shot in the head by an intruder with Carol’s .38 caliber revolver he found in the house. Roy was immediately rushed to Sun Belt Regional Hospital in Channelview, but the 51-year-old soon succumbed to his gunshot wound, leaving behind his loved ones who miss him to this day. Soon after, the authorities began investigating the case extensively to nab the perpetrator.
The Killer Was Charged After More Than Two Decades
While Roy McCaleb was taking his final breaths, the investigators began the interrogation process, interviewing his family members and friends. They soon learned that right after the marriage, Carol began showcasing her true nature to her husband. A few months later, she started being sexual with her stepson, Alton, in secret and used to make him feel bad about the fact that he was a person with a disability. It had gotten so worse for him that he decided to move out of his father’s house in the autumn of 1984 and move in with his biological mother, Charlene. This caught Roy by surprise, and he wondered what might have caused his son to make such a rash decision.
Another turning point in Roy’s life occurred when he met with an accident on the job that almost made him sink. In July 1985, he was working on a barge when a crane swung around and knocked him straight into the bayou, causing severe harm to his back in the process. He even went in for surgery, after which he was on heavy medication almost all the time. In September 1985, one of Roy’s friends paid a visit to meet him and his wife. After a few drinks together, Carol suggested that they do a bit of target shooting at bottles. After a long day of fun, Roy went to bed around 9 pm. A few hours later, his daughter Pam received a call from an aunt who informed her that somebody had broken into her father’s house, raped Carol, and shot Roy in the head.
When Carol was brought in for questioning regarding her husband’s murder on the same night, she alleged that just a week or so prior to the fateful day, a stranger broke into her car while she was driving and sexually assaulted her. As per her claims, the same man appeared on the night of September 22 and raped her again. The alleged killer also grabbed the gun from her room and went on to shoot Roy, according to Carol. As she heard the gunshot, she left her bedroom and went running toward the source of it and ended up bumping into the attacker, who dropped the gun and ran. She said that she picked up the gun and shot at him a couple of times as he ran out of the door.
Apart from the fact that she refused to do a polygraph test, what made the authorities more suspicious of her was when they found traces of Roy’s blood on the nightgown she wore on the night of his killing. As the investigators delved deeper into Carol’s past, they came across a disturbing discovery — Roy was her sixth husband. and she was still married to another man when she married Roy. Thus, in February 1986, she was charged with felony bigamy. However, without any significant development in the case of Roy McCaleb, it turned into a cold case. After a couple of decades, in 2oo8, the cold case was reopened, and the detectives managed to gather enough evidence against Carol to charge her and take her into custody. On July 8, 2008, she was arrested and held in custody on a $50,000 bond.
Carolyn Sue Krizan Has Seemingly Completed Her Probation Period
More than five years after she was charged with her husband’s murder, 75-year-old Carolyn Sue Krizan stood on trial on October 23, 2013, and took a plea deal, admitting to shooting Roy McCaleb about three decades ago. In exchange for the guilty plea, she was sentenced to just six months in prison, followed by a decade of probation period. At the time, she reportedly had been diagnosed with the early stages of dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease.
When it came to Roy’s loved ones, especially his family members, they were not elated to learn about his killer’s short sentence, but they felt some amount of gratification that Carol had finally acknowledged her wrongdoings. Having pleaded guilty as part of a deferred adjudication, she was released from prison in 2014, after which she continued her life in Texas. As of now, it appears that Carol has successfully gone through her probation without causing any trouble and continues living her life of freedom.
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