Denise Michelle Caraway, a 48-year-old female, was tragically killed in her Lawrence County, Indiana, home on October 7, 2009. She was a dedicated teacher at Hoosier Uplands Head Start for sixteen years and a beloved mother to two adult sons. Her life was cut short in a violent act of domestic violence at the hands of her husband of nearly twenty-six years, Larry Michael Caraway.
On the day of the murder, Larry had been drinking heavily, consuming a significant amount of beer and Jägermeister, in addition to taking Valium. An argument erupted between the couple over an unpaid utility bill. The dispute escalated, leading Larry to shoot his wife seven times with a. 22-caliber revolver. Denise suffered multiple gunshot wounds to her head, chest, and abdomen, which resulted in her death at the scene. In an attempt to cover up his crime, Larry placed the gun in his wife's hand to stage the scene as a suicide.
Police had been called to the Caraway residence for domestic disputes in the past. Following the shooting, Larry Michael Caraway was arrested and initially charged with voluntary manslaughter. This charge was later upgraded to murder and altering the scene of a death. He initially told police that his wife had shot herself, but he later confessed to fabricating the story. In February 2011, Larry Caraway pleaded guilty to the charge of murder. The charge of altering the scene of a death was dismissed as part of a plea agreement. Despite his expressions of remorse, the court sentenced him to the maximum of sixty-five years in the Department of Correction. His subsequent appeals to have his sentence reduced were unsuccessful.
