Mary 'Shellie' Rachel Carson was only 18 years-old when her life was tragically taken on August 14th, 2005. The teenager lived in Virginia Beach at the time of her death. It's believed that Shellie was killed sometime between 4:00 AM and 6:00 AM. Shellie's body was found that morning shortly after 6:00 AM, near a traffic circle by Kings Grant Road and Newcastle Road. Her pink bicycle laid just feet away.
 |
| Source: Virginia Beach PD |
An autopsy confirmed that Shellie had been brutally beaten to death. Over two decades have passed, and investigators still do not know who killed Shellie, or why she was killed. No suspects or persons of interest have ever been publicly named.
Shellie was raised in Virginia Beach by her adoptive parents, Bill and Charlotte Carson. While being interviewed after her death, Bill told police that Shellie began "getting into trouble" at the age of 14. She reportedly began using drugs at that age. However, it appears that by the time Shellie turned 18, she was doing better in that regard. In fact, she did not have any drugs or alcohol in her system at the time of her death.
Still, detectives still noted that "Shellie was living a 'high-risk lifestyle' at the time of her murder and would frequently be out at late hours." Shellie was, in fact, out during late hours prior to her murder. Investigators have been able to put together a timeline of the events leading up to her death, but there are still some missing pieces.
It's known that Shellie was alive and seemingly well just hours before her body was found. She rode her bicycle to a local 7-Eleven to visit a friend who was working as a cashier. Surveillance cameras captured Shellie leaving the store around 3:50 AM. One witness saw her approximately 10 minutes later, riding her bicycle near the traffic circle where her body would later be found.
Another final witness saw Shellie a 4:06 AM, still on her bicycle in the same area.
After that witness, aside from the killer(s), nobody ever saw Shellie alive again. The next person to see her was a passing motorist who spotted her body on the side of the road. At 6:08 AM, said motorist called police.
The crime scene was nothing short of horrific. According to detectives, "[Shellie] was laying on her back, partially under some trees. Her shirt was pulled up, exposing her upper torso, she was naked from the waist down and her face was bloodied." It appears that the killer(s) either attempted to sexually assault or did sexually assault the young woman. Her pants were missing from the scene and still have never been found.
Although it seems likely that there was DNA or some other evidence left behind by the killer(s), investigators have still not been able to narrow down any suspects. In 2020, it was reported that over 100 people have been interviewed in regard to Shellie's murder. Her boyfriend at the time was reportedly heavily scrutinized, but he has not been named as a suspect.
Shellie's adoptive mother passed in 2012, and her adoptive father passed in 2017. They unfortunately died before ever finding out what really happened to their daughter. Investigators still hope to find answers in Shellie's case. There is a monetary reward available for information that could help solve the case. If you have any information that could help the investigation, please contact authorities at 757-385-4241 or submit a tip online.
No comments:
Post a Comment