When crimes go unsolved, the people left behind are trapped in a kind of limbo, unable to move forward, unable to fully grieve. But when a family believes they know who is responsible, and that person vanishes, the pain becomes something else entirely. That is what happened to the Carter family. David Carter was a fun-loving, ambitious man, a devoted father, a loyal friend, a protective brother. In October of 2018, a nightmare unfolded that no one saw coming. David disappeared. After failing to show up for work, day after day, his family grew alarmed. When they went to his apartment, they found it in disarray. And the woman he had been seeing, someone who had been with him nearly every day, appeared strangely unaffected by his absence. Something was wrong. Very wrong. Just days later, along Interstate 75 in Ohio, the Department of Transportation made a discovery: a sleeping bag, tightly bound, weighed down, its contents unmistakable. That was only the beginning. What followed would forever change the Carter family and ignite a search for justice that continues to this day. This is a story about love, loss, and a suspect who disappeared, reminding us that evil is everywhere and that even the most ordinary lives can be pulled into unimaginable darkness. This is the murder of David Carter.
Sources:
Find a Grave – David Darnell Carter Sr. – Obituary - David Darnell Carter Sr. (1979-2018) - Find a Grave Memorial
Netflix - Unsolved Mysteries – Body in Bags
Daily Crime – Suspected murder of David Carter by Tamera Williams investigated on Crime Junkie – March 4, 2024 – Jerry Brown - Suspected murder of David Carter by Tamera Williams investigated on Crime Junkie
People – Mich. Phlebotomist Allegedly Killed, Dismembered Boyfriend in 2018. She Remains One of the FBI’s Most Wanted – October 25, 2025 – Christine Pelisek - Mich. Phlebotomist Allegedly Killed, Dismembered Boyfriend in 2018. She Remains One of the FBI’s Most Wanted
MSN – Newsworthy Women – “She Cut Him Up and Vanished”: Hunt for Woman Who Dismembered Boyfriend – November 2025 - “She Cut Him Up and Vanished”: Hunt for Woman Who Dismembered Boyfriend
U.S. Marshals – U.S. Department of Justice – U.S. Marshals Elevate Eastern Michigan Woman Suspected of Murder, Dismembering Body to 15 Most Wanted List – September 26, 2023 – Jimmy Allen, Assistant Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal - U.S. Marshals Elevate Eastern Michigan Woman Suspected of Murder, Dismembering Body to 15 Most Wanted List | U.S. Marshals Service
Crime Junkie – WANTED: Justice for David Carter – March 4, 2024
Legal Clarity – Who killed David Carter? The Investigation and the legal case - Who Killed David Carter? The Investigation and Legal Case - LegalClarity
Wikipedia - Melvindale, Michigan - Melvindale, Michigan - Wikipedia
