Fifteen years after 19-year-old Carina Saunders's dismembered body was found stuffed inside a duffel bag behind a Bethany grocery store, her killing remains unsolved, and her family is still fighting for answers. A new Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation agent has picked up the case, and an anonymous donor is now offering a $250,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
Saunders was discovered on Oct. 13, 2011, according to news9.com, which reports that her murder remains unsolved to this day. Her remains were located behind the former Homeland grocery store near NW 23rd and Rockwell in Bethany, Oklahoma, according to seed reporting from KFOR. The Bethany Police Department began investigating in 2011 before later transferring the case to the OSBI, per the same KFOR report.
Carina's sister, Sara Saunders, has spent nearly a decade working the case on her own, telling news9.com, “almost a decade now, I've been investigating it myself.” Sara became a police officer and later started her own private investigative company.
A Case With Many False Starts
Two men, Luis Ruiz of Oklahoma City and Jimmy Massey, were charged with first-degree murder in 2012 in connection with Saunders's death, according to koco.com. Those charges were later dropped without prejudice, meaning they could still be refiled, the station reported, noting that a witness who claimed to have been present when Saunders was killed recanted her story less than three weeks before the charges fell apart. Koco.com also reports that five men in total have been considered suspects since the killing, though multiple arrests over the years have not resulted in charges that stuck.
A separate koco.com report notes the OSBI has said the investigation into Saunders's murder remains ongoing. Investigators have said they believe a video may exist showing the slaying, according to CBS News, which reported the OSBI offered up to $10,000 for such a video, though many people have claimed to have seen it and no copy has ever been found. Saunders was last seen on Oct. 8, 2011, getting into a red Ford four-door pickup truck at Newcastle Casino, per koco.com's earlier coverage, a detail the OSBI's cold-case page for the Saunders file also references.
Digging, DNA, and Dead Ends
The investigation has produced physical evidence over the years without a confirmed break in the case. In 2017, CSI agents excavated portions of property connected to a tip that evidence might be buried there, according to news9.com's Carina Saunders special, which reports that agents found a woman's shirt, a jacket, sandals, and a folding knife, though the OSBI has not said whether those items are connected to the murder.
OSBI investigator Brook Arbeitman, quoted by KFOR, said the case had previously stalled simply because there was no information to pursue, adding “there's just no information that they can follow up on.” Arbeitman also said recent search warrants pointed to renewed activity in the case, noting “you can tell by the number of search warrants in the recent weeks.” Per KFOR's seed reporting, Sara says a new OSBI agent has now been assigned to the case with evidence boxes to review.
Pushing for a New Law and New Tips
Sara is now pushing for legislation known as the Carina Saunders Act, which aims to involve OSBI investigators earlier in brutal murder cases, according to KFOR.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the OSBI tip line at 800-522-8017 or email tips at [email protected], an address listed by news9.com. Those whose information leads to an arrest and conviction are eligible for the $250,000 reward.
