In the summer of 1990, a shadow fell over the vibrant community of Bellevue, Washington, with the brutal slaying of Carol Marie Beethe. A 35-year-old Caucasian woman, Carol was a hardworking and vivacious divorced mother, diligently supporting her two young daughters. She was known for her sweet yet tough demeanor, making a life for her family in their rambler home on 166th Avenue Northeast.
The morning of August 9, 1990, began with an unsettling silence from Carol's bedroom.
Her 13-year-old daughter, Kelly, grew alarmed when her mother's door remained locked and her calls went unanswered. The girl's concern led her to alert her father, Paul Beethe, who lived elsewhere. Gaining entry to the house, he made a horrific discovery in the bedroom: Carol's unclothed body. She had been bludgeoned to death in her bed as her two daughters, aged 8 and 13, slept in another room. The King County Medical Examiner's Office would later confirm that she died from head injuries.
Investigators found no signs of forced entry, leading them to believe the killer may have used a sliding window to gain access to the home. The initial investigation left police with no immediate suspects, plunging the community into a state of fear. A week before her murder, Carol had received roses at her workplace, the Cucina Cucina Italian Cafe, for three consecutive days with no card, an enigmatic detail in the days leading up to her death.
The breakthrough in the case came with the identification of a suspect, George Waterfield Russell. He was eventually charged with the aggravated first-degree murder of Carol Beethe, as well as the murders of two other women in the area, Mary Ann Pohlreich and Andrea "Randi" Levine, in what prosecutors described as a "grisly murder spree." Evidence linking Russell to Carol's murder included his attempt to sell a distinctive engagement-style ring he had stolen from her. During his trial, which was the first "serial killer" trial in King County, his daughter Kelly, then 14, bravely testified about the morning she found her mother. Ultimately, a King County Superior Court jury convicted Russell of the murders of Carol Beethe, Mary Anne Pohlreich, and Andrea Levine.
