Teens charged for the 'targeted' murder of a Wisconsin doctor and an education coach
During the early morning hours of Tuesday, a jogger came upon the bodies of a husband and wife laying in a ditch in Madison, Wisconsin, and called 911. Unbeknownst to the jogger, the couple -- a doctor and an education consultant -- were allegedly murdered by a pair of 18-year-olds in an intentional attack, police said.
Officials with the University of Wisconsin-Madison Police Department arrived on the scene where Robin Carre, Ph.D., was pronounced dead and Dr. Beth Potter was taken to a nearby hospital where she died.
A preliminary report from the Dane County Medical Examiner's Officer on April 1 ruled that the couple died from "homicide related trauma." Police said on Saturday that the couple were shot to death.
After following several leads, investigators concluded that the death of 57-year-old Carre and 52-year-old Potter was "targeted and not a random act," Captain Kristen Roman said. By Friday, 18-year-old Khari Sanford, who is known to the couple, was arrested police said. Ali’jah J. Larrue, 18, was arrested on Saturday, police said.
"It was calculated, cold-blooded, and senseless -- and we will continue to do all we can to bring justice to Robin and Beth, their family, and their loved ones," said Roman.
Potter and Carre were remembered for their service to the community through medicine and education. The couple is survived by three children in their teens and twenties, The Associated Press reported.
Potter was a physician at the Access Community Health Centers Wingra Family Medical Center and the medical director of employee health services for the University of Wisconsin Health.
"Words cannot express our grief... Our sadness is immense,” said Dr. William Schwab, professor and interim chair for the University of Wisconsin's Department of Family Medicine and Community Health. Schwab shared his and the staff's sadness on the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health website.
Potter, a multilingual Illinois native, dedicated her career to the health of families, women and underserved communities, as well as the education of medical students and residents. She also "championed initiatives aimed at fostering the wellness of her health care colleagues," according to the university.
"And we will keep Beth’s legacy in our hearts as we step forward. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, there is added pain in not being able to gather together directly to comfort each other, but we will take time to reflect and console in a way that sustains," said Schwab.
Carre, who was bilingual, ran his own "independent educational consultant" business since 2014, according to this Linkedin profile.
"I help high school students and their families navigate the college admissions process. I help them identify good-fit schools, create balanced application lists and provide support and assistance throughout the application process," Carre wrote in the description for his company "Carre College Coaching."
Funeral arrangements have not been announced.
Sanford and Larrue are currently being held in Dane County Jail and each charged with two counts of party to a crime for first-degree intentional homicide. If convicted, they face life in prison. The case is still under investigation.
A lawyer was not listed for Sanford or Larrue as of Saturday.
