'Dateline NBC' again focuses on Iowa killing that pitted son against father in episode that explores the criminal trial of Jason Carter
Anna SpoerreAn Iowa family forced into the spotlight after the 2015 killing of its 68-year-old matriarch will again be featured on "Dateline NBC."
In the second Carter-focused "Dateline NBC" episode set to air Friday, viewers will get a look at court proceedings surrounding a criminal case in which a central Iowa father, Bill Carter, accused his son in the death of Bill's wife, Shirley Carter.
The new show highlights the March criminal trial and acquittal of Jason Carter, who was charged with first-degree murder in Shirley's death.
The episode, called "Return to the Farm," airs at 9 p.m. Friday.
DATELINE FRIDAY PREVIEW: Return to the Farm
The first episode, "The Farm," which aired in February of 2018, chronicled the killing of 68-year-old Shirley Carter, who was shot to death June 19, 2015, in her rural Marion County home, and the beginning of the legal battle that followed between her husband and son.
Shirley's husband, Bill Carter, 73, sued Jason in 2017, contending the lawsuit was the only way he and other family members who suspected Jason killed Shirley could find justice. In December of 2017, a civil jury found Jason responsible for his mother's death, and decided Jason Carter must pay $10 million to Shirley Carter's estate.
Jason Carter was charged with first-degree murder in his mother's death two days after the civil trial verdict.
The episode airing Friday details the weekslong criminal trial that followed and the verdict that allowed Jason Carter to walk out of court a free man rather than face life in prison, as he would have if found guilty.
The latest episode includes interviews with Bill Carter, Marion County Attorney Ed Bull, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation agent Mark Ludwick and defense attorney Christine Branstad, according to "Dateline NBC." Jason and Shelly Carter declined interviews.
Dennis Murphy, a correspondent for "Dateline NBC" since 1994, compared Friday's episode to a law class lesson on the difference between civil and criminal trials.
"It's a much steeper mountain to climb to make a case beyond a reasonable doubt," Murphy said of the criminal trial.
Murphy, who is based out of Florida, called the Carter story one with "an extraordinary sense of place," comparing it to "In Cold Blood," a non-fiction novel by Truman Capote detailing the murders of four family members in rural Kansas.
He went on to call Bill Carter "a terribly poignant character."
"You think he's going to be able to get through an interview without coming apart, without weeping, and he just can't," Murphy said in an interview Friday.
A preview of the episode features Bill Carter describing the moment he learned his wife was dead.
“News traveled quickly through the farmlands," a narrator says. “It was a case that ripped the stitches out of a close-knit family, never to be repaired.”
Anna Spoerre is a breaking news reporter at the Des Moines Register. She can be reached by email at aspoerre@dmreg.com, by phone at 515-284-8387 or on Twitter at @annaspoerre. Follow the Register on Facebook and Twitter for more news.