In March 1981, 23-year-old Karen Barnes (no relation to Suzan), an aspiring actress from
Georgia who had been the Carsons' roommate in San Francisco, was found dead in their shared apartment. She had been stabbed thirteen times and her skull crushed before being wrapped in a blanket and hidden in the basement. Evidence suggested that Karen had been killed by someone she knew, and the Carsons became the
prime suspects. However, the family disappeared before the body was found. The Carsons later confessed to killing Karen after Suzan had decided Karen was a witch. The Carsons fled to a mountain hideout near
Grants Pass, Oregon, where they remained until spring 1982. They then moved to
Alderpoint, California, where they lived and worked on a
marijuana farm. According to other workers on the farm, the Carsons were
anarchists who advocated revolution and predicted that a
nuclear apocalypse would soon occur. In May 1982, Michael shot and killed Clark Stephens, a worker on the farm with whom he had a dispute, and attempted to dispose of the body by burning it and burying it under chicken fertilizer in the woods. Two weeks later, Stephens was reported missing to the
Humboldt County sheriff, leading to the discovery of Stephens' burnt remains. The Carsons, who by this point had fled, were again considered suspects. Upon searching their abandoned belongings, detectives found a
manifesto they had written which called for the assassination of then-
President Ronald Reagan. The fight escalated outside the vehicle, and Suzan stabbed Hellyar while he and Michael struggled over a gun. Michael gained control of the gun and killed Hellyar in view of passing motorists, one of whom contacted police. A high-speed chase ensued as the Carsons attempted to flee in Hellyar's car which crashed and they were both apprehended. ==Confessions and aftermath==