Michael Bear Carson and Suzan Carson
Encyclopedia
James Clifford Carson ((born 1950) and Suzan Barnes Carson (born 1942) were serial killers reported to have been active at several countries and regions in the late 1970s and early 1980s - particularly, in the San Francisco Bay Area
.
Suzan's ancestors are known to have included Loyalist
s who fought on the British side during the American Revolution
, fled to Canada when the US became independent, but came back later. Michael's ancestors included Scottish
immigrants who fought on the American side in the American Revolution and on the Union side in the Civil War, and in between were involved in brutal fighting against Native American
tribes in 1820's Kentucky
. One of his great-grandmothers was a Seneca.
, and his father was a retired government official. He had been involved in various movements and traveled widely around the world. After returning in 1979 from a trip which included England, Israel and India, Carson published a book called "The Way". A second book, entitled "A Cry for War" was published in 1981, in the aftermath of the DEA
raiding Carson's then home in Oregon
.
and his Vice-President George H.W.Bush.
After their arrest in 1983, they held a news conference admitting to killings including those of Karen Barnes, stabbed to death in their home in Haight-Ashbury, Clark Stephens, shot in Humboldt County
and John Hillyar, shot near Santa Rosa, California
.
On 12 June 1984 the Carsons were convicted of one murder and sentenced to serve twenty five years to life in prison. On May 1985 and November 1987 they were convicted of two other murders and given and additional 50 years to life each - 75 years to life in all
Michael is known to be conducting an extensive correspondence from prison with friends and contacts all over the world, while Suzan - a devoted environmentalist - works as a gardener in her prison.
Carson's own book, dropping the "A" from its name and adding some completely fictional chapters.
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
.
Family Background
Both James and Suzan Carson posses considerable information about and interest in their respective ancestors.Suzan's ancestors are known to have included Loyalist
Loyalist (American Revolution)
Loyalists were American colonists who remained loyal to the Kingdom of Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War. At the time they were often called Tories, Royalists, or King's Men. They were opposed by the Patriots, those who supported the revolution...
s who fought on the British side during the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
, fled to Canada when the US became independent, but came back later. Michael's ancestors included Scottish
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
immigrants who fought on the American side in the American Revolution and on the Union side in the Civil War, and in between were involved in brutal fighting against Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
tribes in 1820's Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
. One of his great-grandmothers was a Seneca.
Early Life
Michael Carson was born and grew up in OklahomaOklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, and his father was a retired government official. He had been involved in various movements and traveled widely around the world. After returning in 1979 from a trip which included England, Israel and India, Carson published a book called "The Way". A second book, entitled "A Cry for War" was published in 1981, in the aftermath of the DEA
DEA
DEA is the commonly used acronym for the Drug Enforcement Administration, a United States law enforcement agency.DEA or Dea may also refer to:- Organizations :* DEA , UK development education charity...
raiding Carson's then home in Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
.
Arrest, charges and trial
Carson and his wife Suzan had been involved in the counter-culture movement, and after they were arrested and put on trial on charges of murder, the prosecutors asserted that "their crimes emerged from a shared missionary philosophy to exterminate individuals they believed to be 'witches'". The pair themselves claimed to have acted in self-defense, and that their cause was against the US Government. They reportedly kept a list of targeted political figures such as then-President Ronald ReaganRonald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
and his Vice-President George H.W.Bush.
After their arrest in 1983, they held a news conference admitting to killings including those of Karen Barnes, stabbed to death in their home in Haight-Ashbury, Clark Stephens, shot in Humboldt County
Humboldt County, California
Humboldt County is a county in the U.S. state of California, located on the far North Coast 200 miles north of San Francisco. According to 2010 Census Data, the county’s population was 134,623...
and John Hillyar, shot near Santa Rosa, California
Santa Rosa, California
Santa Rosa is the county seat of Sonoma County, California, United States. The 2010 census reported a population of 167,815. Santa Rosa is the largest city in California's Wine Country and fifth largest city in the San Francisco Bay Area, after San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, and Fremont and 26th...
.
On 12 June 1984 the Carsons were convicted of one murder and sentenced to serve twenty five years to life in prison. On May 1985 and November 1987 they were convicted of two other murders and given and additional 50 years to life each - 75 years to life in all
Michael is known to be conducting an extensive correspondence from prison with friends and contacts all over the world, while Suzan - a devoted environmentalist - works as a gardener in her prison.
Reynolds book
In 2010 the journalist and writer Richard D. Reynolds published "Cry for War, the Story of Suzan and Michael Carson" http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11028190-cry-for-war-the-story-of-suzan-and-michael-carson, which he asserted was based on interviews conducted with the Carsons at the time of their trial. However, Michael Carson himself accused Reynolds of simply plagiarisingPlagiarism
Plagiarism is defined in dictionaries as the "wrongful appropriation," "close imitation," or "purloining and publication" of another author's "language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions," and the representation of them as one's own original work, but the notion remains problematic with nebulous...
Carson's own book, dropping the "A" from its name and adding some completely fictional chapters.
Sources
- Lane, Brian; Encyclopedia of Serial Killers (Paperback), Berkley (July 1, 1995)
- Lawson, Kristan and Rufus, Anneli; California Babylon, St. Martin's Griffin; Revised Edition (October 2000)
- The Cry for War: The Story of Suzan and Michael Carson, Squibob Pr; 1st ed edition (January 1988)