NQL Case File

Circumstances

Date of Disappearance

September 11, 1991

Notes

Early in the morning on Septebmer 11, Carolyn and her husband answered a call from a woman (Karen McPherson) who pretended to be a nurse at the hospital. According to the caller, one of their relatives was seriously hurt and had been admitted to the hospital. Carolyn and her husband got into her car (FWD 1991 Ford Explorer) and rushed to the hospital. Outside in the grounds, a masked man (Jerry Bland) attacked and threatened them with a gun. He forced Carolyn to tie up her husband and then get into the car. The gunman drove away with Carolyn inside; she has not been seen since that night. The following morning, Carolyn called her husband and informed him that the kidnapper was demanding a $300,000 ransom or she would be harmed. The ransom was paid and picked up on September 13, but Carolyn was never released to her family. Her vehicle was found several days later abandoned in the woods in Winston County. Police later charged and convicted Karen McPherson and her cousin Jerry Bland with the kidnapping. McPherson admitted to her role in the crime but claimed she was not aware of where Carolyn was buried. According to McPherson, the last time she saw Carolyn was a couple of days after the kidnapping at which point she was still alive. Bland told her that Carolyn had escaped and run into the woods, but police suspect she was buried in an abandoned coal mine somewhere between Tuscaloosa and Jasper. Bland was an experienced manager in the coal mining industry and would have had the knowledge and wherewithal to bury her there. The ransom money was mostly recovered from Bland's home but he committed suicide three weeks after the incident. Police would later also declare Carolyn legally dead although her remains have never been found. There is some questions as to whether a third person was also involved.

Location of the Disappearance or Crime Scene

Hospital, Mine or Pit, Vehicle

Potential Circumstances

Abandoned Vehicle, Armed Perpetrator, Carjacking, Driving, During a Crime, Hostage, Kidnapping for Ransom, Multiple Victims, Murder & Abduction, Prior Communication, Wild Outdoors

Vehicle

FWD 1991 Ford Explorer

License Plate

Photo of Vehicle

Suspect

Multiple Persons

Suspect Description

Karen McPherson and her cousin Jerry Bland were charged with the kidnapping and murder of Carolyn.

Photo of Suspect