ISLAND COUNTY, Wash. (TCN) — Investigators lately recognized a suspect within the demise of a mom of seven that occurred over twenty years in the past, however officers can not prosecute him as a result of he now suffers from superior dementia.
In line with the Island County Sheriff’s Workplace, on Dec. 9, 2003, 39-year-old Tammy Mattson’s physique was present in vegetation at Camano Island State Park. Authorities pursued leads and interviewed acquaintances, however they have been unable to establish a suspect on the time, and the case went chilly.
In 2009, investigators developed DNA profiles utilizing small quantities of human organic matter from a cigarette butt recovered in a parking zone close to the place Mattson’s physique was discovered. Because of this, they found a DNA match with 69-year-old Carl Schlobom. As a result of the DNA on the cigarette butt would have degraded inside just a few days, the sheriff’s workplace mentioned investigators decided Schlobom had been close to Mattson when she was killed. Nevertheless, officers didn’t have another proof to show that he was within the park when Mattson died.
Almost a decade later, in November 2019, investigators interrogated Schlobom, who’s presently serving life in jail in Arizona with out the potential for parole for a 2005 homicide. He reportedly “refused to reply any questions and demanded to be returned to his jail cell.” Detectives found he was in unhealthy well being and used a wheelchair on the time.
In April 2021, Schlobom reportedly wrote a letter to detectives, disclosing that he had details about Mattson’s demise. The sheriff’s workplace mentioned he requested for a “lengthy record of calls for” to supply the small print. Island County Prosecutor Greg Banks mentioned, “Of all his loopy calls for, the one one I thought-about was to permit him to spend the remainder of his life in a Washington jail if he turned out to be the assassin and pleaded responsible.”
When investigators interviewed Schlobom once more in June 2021, he reportedly answered all of their questions. The sheriff’s workplace mentioned Banks and detectives “left the interview assured that they’d discovered” the sufferer’s killer. One of many detectives said, “He knew issues that solely the killer and detectives knew,” and Schlobom “crammed in gaps and defined his motive: He killed her over a dispute a couple of drug deal.”
In line with the sheriff’s workplace, Schlobom agreed to signal a confession if he was transferred to the Washington Division of Corrections. This might have led to expenses of first-degree homicide and first-degree kidnapping. Nevertheless, the deal didn’t undergo.
Authorities mentioned, “Underneath commonplace interstate protocols, a convicted inmate introduced from State A to be prosecuted for expenses in State B must return to State A after the trial and serve the unique sentence in State A earlier than being despatched again to State B.” Schlobom wouldn’t signal the confession with no assure that he may keep in Washington. With the peak of the pandemic, Washington’s jail system was additionally not prone to take Schlobom attributable to his extreme medical points.
Banks continued to attempt to negotiate with Schlobom. In October 2024, one in every of Schlobom’s members of the family contact Banks and mentioned the suspect had suffered “a sequence of debilitating strokes and had superior dementia,” and “she doubted Schlobom may learn or perceive the content material of the letters.” As a result of his psychological situation, Schlobom can’t be prosecuted.
In line with the sheriff’s workplace, Banks and investigators suspect Schlobom acted alone when he killed Mattson. Banks described Schlobom as being “chilly, matter-of-fact, and forthcoming in regards to the crime” throughout their previous interview with him. The prosecutor added, “We’re at all times cautious when speaking with a suspect who’s attempting to get a deal from us, however on this case, every little thing he mentioned was according to what we knew, and was info that no one else may have recognized. His reminiscence was fairly good on the time.”
Though Schlobom gained’t be formally charged within the sufferer’s demise, Banks mentioned he and detectives “have been capable of give some measure of closure to Tammy’s household. They know who’s accountable and that he’ll spend the remainder of his life in jail.”
In line with Island County Sheriff Rick Felici, a “private beef” between Schlobom and Mattson led to the killing. On Jan. 9, the sheriff mentioned the investigation is taken into account full and closed.
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