In the early morning hours of March 31, 2020, a jogger in Madison, Wisconsin, made a grim discovery in a ditch at the University of Wisconsin Arboretum. The bodies of 52-year-old Dr. Beth Potter and her 57-year-old husband, Robin Carre, were found, launching a double homicide investigation that would unravel a story of betrayal and violence. Carre was pronounced dead at the scene, while Potter, a physician at the Wingra Family Medical Center, was transported to a nearby hospital where she later
died. The couple had died from "homicidal related trauma," later confirmed to be gunshots to the back of the head.
Investigators from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Police Department quickly determined that the killings were not a random act, but that the couple had been targeted. Their investigation led them to two 18-year-old high school students, Khari Sanford and his friend, Ali'jah Larrue. Sanford was in a relationship with the victims' daughter, and both he and the daughter had been living with Potter and Carre. Tensions reportedly arose when the couple asked Sanford and their daughter to move into a rental property over concerns about following social distancing guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic, as Potter had a medical condition that put her at higher risk.
The prosecution presented a narrative that the murders were a "brutal execution" stemming from these disagreements and possibly for financial gain. On the night of the murders, Sanford and Larrue allegedly kidnapped Potter and Carre from their home, drove them to the arboretum, and shot them. Potter was found in her pajamas and socks, and Carre was in his underwear.
Within days of the murders, both Khari Sanford and Ali'jah Larrue were arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree intentional homicide. Larrue eventually pleaded guilty to felony murder and agreed to testify against Sanford. During Sanford's trial, Larrue provided a step-by-step account of the kidnapping and murders, stating that Sanford was the one who shot the couple. In May 2022, a jury found Khari Sanford guilty on both counts of first-degree intentional homicide. He was later sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Ali'jah Larrue was sentenced to eight years in prison followed by ten years of probation.
