by Samuel Roen
Linnert told the group, “So far we have a helicopter searching the area and we’re sending in special K-9s as well as cadaver dogs. We’re also setting up ground unit specialists and more search parties to comb all of this area, which will be pretty hard going. You can see how thick the scrub is all through here. The search began just north of the Osceola Parkway and I-4 intersection near the Publix market, which is where Mrs. Larson was last seen, and fans out. Okay, let’s get to it.”
Weir and Linnert had been told that Dora Landscaping worker Milton Johnson had some information that might be helpful to the investigation. The detectives met Johnson at the wooded area off Osceola Parkway.
“A group of us working out here yesterday stopped for lunch.” He referred to his watch. “It was just twelve-forty, I remember.” Johnson looked over at the parkway and turned toward I-4, fixing the location precisely into his account. “We frequently eat lunch by that little pond”—he pointed to a small body of water—“just east of the dirt path running into the woods.” Johnson explained how the path forked and then stretched out two ways, to the east and to the west. He stated that while they were eating their lunch, one of the fellows, Lavon Brown, pointed out a white Ford Explorer going past them. It went on toward a drainage canal at the far eastern end of the path.
Linnert asked, “Did you see the driver? Can you tell us what the driver looked like?”
“Hmmm. He had dark hair; he was a white man.”
“Was he alone?”
“I didn’t see anyone with him. It didn’t take him very long until he was speeding back in the other direction. I didn’t pay much attention to him. I just thought it was a Disney security vehicle.”
He said his supervisor, Barry O’Hearne, arrived with fellow employees David Maderano and Francisco Morales and they ate lunch together.
“Anything else?”
“Yeah, David Maderano and I started walking the path back to the Osceola Parkway, picking up discarded soft-drink cans, when the car came out of the woods from the west side of the fork traveling south toward us, traveling twenty to twenty-five miles per hour, which seemed fast for the driving conditions.”
Trying to provide an accurate picture, Milton Johnson explained, “I was on the east side of the path and Maderano was walking on the west when the vehicle raced between us, going like a bat out of hell. I turned my head and this car was right over by me and I got a better look at the driver. He was in his mid-thirties, medium build, maybe one seventy-five to one hundred eighty pounds. He had dark hair and a fuzzy mustache and he was wearing those aviator-style sunglasses.”
“That’s great,” Linnert encouraged.
“I can tell you something about that car. It was a Ford Explorer with gray trim around its bottom edge and it had lightly tinted windows and factory ‘mag’ wheels.” Shaking his head, Milton Johnson repeated, “The guy was driving the car too damn fast.”
“Mr. Johnson, we’re going to put you in touch with our department artist and you can give him the description of the driver so he can make a drawing. You’ve been very helpful,” Linnert stated.
The detectives interviewed David Maderano and Lavon Brown, who told the detectives that they had seen the white Ford Explorer, which they described with gray or silver trim around the bottom of the body. But they were not able to provide a physical description of the driver.
The two detectives interviewed David Gust, a building superintendent at Centex Rooney, also David Lewis and a number of other Centex Rooney employees, all who saw a man driving the Ford Explorer out of the woods that day around lunchtime.
Weir and Linnert also talked with Barry O’Hearne, project manager for the Dora Landscaping team. He told the officers that he saw the vehicle from approximately seventy feet away heading back to the main fork of the path. He estimated that it was traveling at thirty-five to forty miles an hour. O’Hearne caught a glimpse of the driver and described him as a white male with a mustache, wearing sunglasses, with dark hair pushed up.
In a discussion at the department crime scene office, the investigators decided that the original receipt that Carla Larson signed at the Publix market, rather than the copy they were given, could become a piece of evidence as the case expanded.
“Carl,” Weir told Sergeant Carl Head, one of the key members of the department’s crime scene unit, “we need to confirm that Carla Larson was at the Publix market and made some food purchases.”
Head, whose specialty is evidence, anticipated. “You want me to go to the Publix and get something for your file on this case.”
“Right. We’ve already got a copy of her credit card receipt, but we need the original. They have been most cooperative and I’m sure that they’ll help you.”
“No problem. I’m on my way.”
At the huge supermarket Head met with the assistant manager of the store and explained his mission.
“It would be helpful to the case if we could have the original receipt with Carla Larson’s signature on it for the evidence file.”
“Well, I’ll have to go back into our records and root it out. It may take some time, but I’ll do it now if you want to wait.”
“That would be fine.”
In short order the assistant manager produced the receipt and gave it to Detective Head.
Back at headquarters Carl called Detective Weir and told him that his trip was successful. Weir asked Head to deliver the receipt to Crime Scene Detective Ron Weyland, who added it to the growing evidence file.
Meanwhile, Detective David Callin went to the Home Depot building supplies store and met with one of the office personnel.
Callin asked to check the work schedule of James Larson on June 10. The records verified that Larson clocked in to work at 6:00 A.M. and checked out at 3:03 P.M. It was noted that he took a break at 9:41 A.M. through 10:40 A.M. Callin obtained a copy of the time sheet.
Later that afternoon, Detective Linnert conferred with Weir and reported his findings. “I checked the Visa Bank of America credit card and also the Discover card in the Larsons’ names. There was no new activity reported on either card. I had the accounts flagged and the companies will notify us of any subsequent use of either of the two credit cards.”
“That’s good. Callin got Larson’s work schedule for yesterday and it checks out. But I’d like him to take a lie detector test.”
“Do you think he will?”
“I don’t know. We’ll ask.”
Weir phoned Jim Larson and asked if he would take a lie detector test.
“Sure, any time,” he agreed.
“Good. I’ll set it up and get back to you.”
“Fine. I’ll wait to hear from you.”
Weir contacted polygraph examiner Richard Keifer and arranged for him to administer the test, then called Larson and asked him to come to headquarters, where it would be done.
At the conclusion of the examination, Richard Keifer advised Weir and Linnert that James Larson passed the examination, showing no signs of deception.
When the investigating detectives received the report, Weir told Linnert, “Keifer passed Larson with flying colors. He’s in the clear.”
“I’m glad.”
“Yeah, so am I. Poor guy’s had enough bad luck.”
Weir and Linnert continued their investigation with an interview with John Ricker, a Centex Rooney Company employee.
Ricker worked with Carla Larson for five years. Both were with the building company in Atlanta, where Centex Rooney had an assignment under construction, and both happily accepted the opportunity to move on with the company when the project at Walt Disney World in Orlando became a possibility. They moved in December 1995 and began work on the Coronado Springs Resort at Disney.
Weir asked Ricker, “Did Carla Larson have any problems when she worked with you, either here or in Atlanta?”
“No, none, not at all. Carla is one of the most dependable persons you’d ever meet. No, she had no problems; she is always very conscientious
about everything, especially her work.”
“What do you remember about yesterday, whatever you can recall?”
“Well, like the other guys, we were all taking our lunch break. I was with Ray Walby and Freddie Kitchens. We all work together. We left the job in Ray’s company truck and drove east on Osceola Parkway. As we were driving, we saw Carla, who was also driving along the parkway, heading in the same direction. She was driving her white Ford Explorer. When she got to International Drive, she turned right, heading south toward 192. She was alone; no one with her,” he emphasized. “She gave us a big smile and waved as we passed.”
“Is there anything else that you can recall?” Linnert asked.
Ricker replied, “I sure as hell was shocked when I heard around six-thirty that she was missing. I was stunned. I had just come out of a meeting and returned to the office when I heard secretaries calling hospitals, looking for Carla.”
With a mournful expression on his face, John Ricker said that he learned from some of the other Centex Rooney people that Carla never returned from lunch. “Some of the guys went out and spoke to the Publix manager. Ray Walby and I went out to check the wooded area behind the market.”
Weir and Linnert concluded the session and returned to their vehicle.
“Are we making any progress, do you think?” Linnert asked.
“Well, I think we’re headed in the right direction. But we’ll have to dig deeper. We still don’t know what happened to Mrs. Larson after she left the grocery store. And the clock is ticking.”
Later that afternoon, the detectives interviewed Centex Rooney employees Ray Walby and Freddie Kitchens, who confirmed John Ricker’s account of seeing Carla shortly before noon in her vehicle, going to lunch.
Cindy Garris at the Centex Rooney construction trailers was eager to talk to the detectives. “I’ve known Carla for about a year and a half. And we’re good friends. She is always so considerate,” Garris volunteered. “Only yesterday Carla came up to Deborah Brooks and me at the front desk and told us that she was going out to lunch. She asked if she could bring anything back for us. We thanked her but told her that we were going out, too. I asked where she was going and she said to Goodings supermarket. We told her to go to the Publix. It’s closer. And we gave her directions because she had never been there.” Cindy looked away as she thought about the suggestion that they made to Carla.
Aware that Publix was reportedly the last sighting of Carla, Linnert’s lips tightened. He asked, “Anything else?”
“Well, at about twelve-fifty Deborah and I left for lunch taking the same route that Carla would have if she followed our directions. We didn’t see any sign of her or her vehicle.”
Cindy shifted her eyes from one detective to the other. “About two-thirty, long after we returned from lunch, Deborah came up and said, ‘Everybody’s looking for Carla.’ ‘What do you mean?’ I asked her.
“She said that several different people had been looking for Carla and they couldn’t find her. Nobody seemed to know anything about her. Deborah said that they tried to reach her by radio, thinking that she might be out in the field.”
Weir was alerted. “What do you mean, about the radio?”
“Oh, we maintain contact with workers in the field by radio. Deborah said that Carla never responded to the radio attempt. We became concerned but thought maybe she had been delayed. We decided to wait to see if she turned up for her three o’clock meeting.”
Cindy explained, “Carla isn’t like that; she would not miss a meeting. She just wouldn’t. I couldn’t get Carla Ann off my mind. It didn’t make sense. Deborah and I couldn’t just sit there and do nothing. We talked about what we could do and decided to call Carla’s husband and find out if she was at home or if he knew where she might be. But we didn’t want to worry him unduly.”
“Did you talk to Mr. Larson?”
“Oh, yes, Deborah did. She asked him if Carla was at home or if he knew where she was, and he told her that as far as he knew, she was at work. Deborah asked if Carla had, like, a doctor’s appointment that she might have kept. He said that he didn’t know of any appointments.”
Cindy said that she and Deborah were more disturbed after her talk with Larson. “We thought that there had to be something really serious if Jim Larson didn’t know anything more than we did.”
Cindy brushed back her hair and continued. “We were scared; we sat staring at each other. We were at a loss as to what we should do . . . what we could do. Finally I suggested to Deborah that it might be a good idea for us to go out to the parking lots of Publix and maybe Goodings, too, to see if we could find out something. So we drove over to both places, but it was fruitless.”
Weir asked, “One final thing. Can you give us a description of Carla as you normally saw her? You know, how she dressed, anything that might take special attention.”
“Well, she’s very pretty with long blond hair, which she wears in a braid. The last time I saw her, she was wearing a red sleeveless shirt with a rounded collar. She usually comes to work in blue jeans. Gap jeans. She also wears brown work boots; they are just a normal part of her.”
Cindy thought a moment and then added, “Carla always wears nice jewelry, like her diamond stud earrings. And her diamond engagement and wedding rings, of course. Also she always wears her Centex Rooney five-year pendant on a chain; she is very proud of that. She usually carries a brown purse, which I’m sure she had with her when she went to lunch.”
The detectives made notes and absorbed the information. Weir wanted to discuss the jewelry with Linnert when they were alone, but as they were leaving the telephone rang. Cindy answered and called to Detective Weir, “Sir, there’s a call for you. You can take it here.”
“Thank you.” He said into the phone, “Detective Weir.”
“Detective,” Jim Larson began, “I’ve been wondering if you found out anything yet.”
“Mr. Larson,” Weir explained gently, “we’re doing everything that we can. We are investigating and following through on everything we find. But so far we haven’t found your wife.”
“Detective Weir,” Jim said in an apologetic tone, “I don’t mean to put any pressure on you. I’m sure you understand our concern. I wouldn’t have called, but my mother is here and so are Carla’s parents. They drove up from Pompano Beach and they are naturally anxious, as I am, to know if there has been any progress in your investigation.” Larson paused. “Have you learned anything about Carla’s disappearance?”
“Mr. Larson, I understand what you’re going through and I am sympathetic,” Weir answered. “Let me assure you that we are entirely devoted to finding your wife.” He explained, “Solving crimes requires patience. We just keep digging until we find the answers. I’ve been in criminal investigation for fourteen years, and I can tell you that there is no quick way to solve a complicated case like this one—”
“Detective Weir,” Larson interrupted, “I didn’t call you to make any problems for you or to question your handling of the investigation. It’s just that our whole family is so concerned, I just thought I would check with you to see if you have learned anything yet.”
“I certainly understand,” Weir told the distraught husband. “And when we find some answers, you certainly will be told. We won’t hold back on you in any way.”
“Thank you. There’s one more thing. I’ve been wondering about your men searching the area and I would like to be out there helping them, if it’s all right with you.”
Cam thought about this request. It might be a good thing for him to be out here. Then he can see what an intense job we’re doing, that no one is just sitting around eating doughnuts and talking about the weather. He’ll see for himself what’s going on. And maybe it will help him if he feels he is participating in the search.
“Mr. Larson, if you’d like to do that, I have no objections.”
“Thank you, sir.”
CHAPTER 4
Detectives Cameron Weir and John Linnert
sat with several other sheriff ’s department detectives and special investigators. Their discussion centered on the lack of progress in finding Carla Ann Larson.
“To bring you all up to speed,” Weir said, “so far all our search efforts have resulted in nothing.” He shook his head in disappointment. “No trace of her or her vehicle. The helicopter, the dogs, the foot search, all negative. It’s as though Carla Larson disappeared into thin air. And we know that’s not possible. Somewhere out there are the answers we need. We’re just going to have to dig deeper for some leads.”
Linnert took over. “We also have divers exploring several lakes, ponds, retaining pools and canals on the Disney lands. And we’re fine combing the whole area. We’re bound to find something. But we’d better do it soon. It’s been too long already.”
The gathered personnel understood the urgency and all departed with renewed determination to find some answers. Weir and Linnert returned to the Disney site to oversee the search.
The hours passed slowly and the weary searchers, on foot and in vehicles, who worked in shifts throughout the night— shining their flashlights through the woods, examining the brush, each bush and tree—were exhausted. They rested only a few hours, fortified themselves with strong coffee and sandwiches, and returned to their arduous task. Daylight made the search easier, but there was so much territory to cover.
As the day progressed, the reports on all of their efforts began coming back to the detectives. They were negative. No sign of the missing woman. No sign of her automobile.
Weir looked at Linnert, shook his head and muttered one word, “Nothing.”
While Weir and Linnert pumped up the spirits of the investigative personnel, as time passed with no results, their apprehension grew. Their hopes of finding Carla safe were dwindling.