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'''Aliases:''' Carolyn Stevens (Joyce)<br /> |
'''Aliases:''' Carolyn Stevens (Joyce)<br /> |
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'''Wanted For:''' Robbery, Theft, Fraud<br /> |
'''Wanted For:''' Robbery, Theft, Fraud<br /> |
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− | '''Missing Since:''' May 22, 1995 |
+ | '''Missing Since:''' May 22, 1995<br /> |
==Case== |
==Case== |
||
− | '''Details:''' |
+ | '''Details:''' You would think that they were just out for a joy ride, best friends without a care in the world. But like everything else about thirty-five-year-old Rose Turford and thirty-year-old Carolyn Stevens, looks can be deceiving. To the police, these two women are nothing less than the real-life “Thelma and Louise”. They are female con-artists who defraud, humiliate, and steal from their male companions, posing as nuns, police officers and topless dancers. Today, they are armed, dangerous, and on the run, wanted on multiple charges of aggravated robbery.<br /> |
− | + | Rose and Carolyn met in 1992. Both were nurses at a psychiatric hospital in Houston, Texas. Eventually, Rose invited Carolyn to move in with her and her family. By January 1995, the two women had embarked on a vicious game. Rose was, by all accounts, a loving wife, devoted mother, and dedicated professional. But at night, she took on a whole new persona. She began soliciting men through the newspaper personal ads. Then, she would lure her dates to out-of-the-way motel rooms.<br /> |
|
+ | A little soft music, a good bottle of wine, and the stage was set for Carolyn’s entrance. She would pull out a gun and force the man onto the bed. The “Thelma and Louise Bandits” moved quickly and methodically. They forced their victims to disrobe. Then, they would handcuff the victim to the bedposts. Finally, Carolyn would stand guard while Rose ran out to use the victim’s bank and credit cards.<br /> |
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− | After being released, the two vanished on May 22, 1995. They left behind a letter, claiming to have been kidnapped by "Avery". Rose's in-laws now face losing both their home and their business. They were last reported in Canada, having rented a car in Edmonton, later deserting it in Toronto.<br /> |
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+ | From the onset, Rose and Carolyn wanted to be the real life Thelma and Louise. They wanted to experience the thrill and spontaneity. Bail bondsman Clement Romeo does not believe that they ever considered what it would do to their families. Over a three-month period, Rose and Carolyn reportedly robbed at least ten men in Houston, Galveston, and Las Vegas of more than a quarter of a million dollars. But eventually, their luck ran out.<br /> |
||
⚫ | |||
+ | In March 1995, Rose and Carolyn were arrested in Houston. Bail was set at $250,000 each. Romeo believes that, prior to them going to jail, they had a pact that, if one got out, they both got out, or they both stayed in. Rose’s parents stepped in, but they planned to just get Rose out of jail. In an attempt to cajole Rose’s family into posting bail for both of them, Carolyn phoned Rose’s parents repeatedly. She claimed that a mysterious international private investigator named “Avery” was threatening Rose’s children.<br /> |
||
− | '''Results:''' Captured. As a result of the broadcast, the fugitives' story became popular throughout the United States and Canada. Several newspaper reports were aired about them. T-shirts with their pictures were also created and sold. In October of 1995, a witness recognized Turford from one of the t-shirts; she was working at a telemarketing firm in Toronto. Within twenty-four hours, Turford and Stevens were captured in Toronto, Canada, and extradited back to Houston. Turford was convicted of robbery and sentenced to thirty years in prison; Stevens was also convicted of robbery and sentenced to ten years in prison. Both have since been released.<br /> |
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+ | Romeo never believed that “Avery” was real; he felt that the story was too far-fetched. Rose’s family, however, believed Avery was real. Even her in-laws were moved to act. They put up their house and restaurant as partial collateral. Romeo tried to convince the parents not to make both bonds. He said it is not often that you sit and try to speak to someone about not giving you $25,000. But he knew that it was a problem, and he knew that it was not going to work. Unfortunately, it did not work.<br /> |
||
+ | Sure enough, on May 22, 1995, Rose and Carolyn took flight. Left behind was a letter which alleged that they had been kidnapped by the mysterious Avery. In reality, they were on the run, leaving Rose’s in-laws in danger of losing their home and business. Rose’s mother-in-law, Shirley Turford, said that they just wanted to help in any way that they could. She never thought that they would disappear. Romeo hopes that Rose and Carolyn realize that they are going to throw good, honest, hardworking people out onto the streets because of their actions. He hopes that they turn themselves in and face what they did, instead of making their families suffer.<br /> |
||
+ | Rose and Carolyn were last seen in Canada, having rented a car in Edmonton and later deserting it in Toronto.<br /> |
||
⚫ | |||
+ | '''Results:''' Captured. As it turned out, the broadcast was a catalyst for a full-scale media blitz aimed at tracking down the two women. Their story appeared everywhere: on newspapers, magazines, and on television. But it was a t-shirt showing their faces which led to their capture in Toronto, Canada, less than five months after they had vanished.<br /> |
||
+ | In October 1995, a man saw a picture in the “Maclean’s” magazine of Romeo holding the t-shirt up and called the number on it. The tipster knew the whereabouts of Rose; she was working at a telemarketing firm in Toronto. Within twenty-four hours, both women were in custody. They were extradited to Texas and held at the Harris County Jail in Houston.<br /> |
||
+ | Rose was convicted of robbery. She was sentenced to thirty years in prison. She served her time and has been released. Carolyn was also convicted of robbery, but because of a plea bargain arrangement, she was sentenced to ten years. She served nine of those years and was released.<br /> |
||
'''Links:'''<br /> |
'''Links:'''<br /> |
||
− | * [https:// |
+ | * [https://www.houstonpress.com/news/thelma-louise-and-sybil-6572010 Thelma, Louise and Sybil?] - July 20, 1995 |
+ | * [https://buffalonews.com/1995/07/23/texas-scam-suspects-sought-in-ontario/ Texas scam suspects sought in Ontario] - July 23, 1995 |
||
− | * [https://www.houstonpress.com/news/thelma-louise-and-sybil-6572010 Thelma, Louise and Sybil?] |
||
− | * [http://www.nytimes.com/1995/08/13/us/unlikely-suspects-are-sought-in-thelma-and-louise-robberies.html Unlikely Suspects Are Sought in 'Thelma and Louise' Robberies] |
+ | * [http://www.nytimes.com/1995/08/13/us/unlikely-suspects-are-sought-in-thelma-and-louise-robberies.html Unlikely Suspects Are Sought in 'Thelma and Louise' Robberies] - August 13, 1995 |
− | * [https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1995/08/15/women-on-the-run/323fbbf1-e8cb-4a07-8e0e-a5222ed54063/?utm_term=.83c72649c0a0 Women On The Run] |
+ | * [https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1995/08/15/women-on-the-run/323fbbf1-e8cb-4a07-8e0e-a5222ed54063/?utm_term=.83c72649c0a0 Women On The Run] - August 15, 1995 |
− | * [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-09-03-mn-41917-story.html Real-Life 'Thelma and Louise' Elude the Law] |
+ | * [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-09-03-mn-41917-story.html Real-Life 'Thelma and Louise' Elude the Law] - September 3, 1995 |
+ | * [https://www.upi.com/Archives/1995/10/05/Thelma-and-Louise-arrested-in-Canada/8695812865600/ 'Thelma and Louise' arrested in Canada] - October 5, 1995 |
||
⚫ | |||
− | * [https:// |
+ | * [https://newspaperarchive.com/elyria-chronicle-telegram-oct-05-1995-p-3/ 'Thelma and Louise' collared in Toronto] - October 5, 1995 |
⚫ | |||
− | * [https://newspaperarchive.com/elyria-chronicle-telegram-oct-05-1995-p-3/ 'Thelma and Louise' collared in Toronto] |
||
− | * [http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/end-of-road-for-thelma-and-louise-1340556.html End of road for 'Thelma and Louise'] |
+ | * [http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/end-of-road-for-thelma-and-louise-1340556.html End of road for 'Thelma and Louise'] - March 6, 1996 |
− | * [https://newspaperarchive.com/medicine-hat-news-mar-06-1996-p-18/ Canadian half of ‘Thelma and Louise’ duo convicted] |
+ | * [https://newspaperarchive.com/medicine-hat-news-mar-06-1996-p-18/ Canadian half of ‘Thelma and Louise’ duo convicted] - March 6, 1996 |
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
− | * [https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1996-10-18-9610170492-story.html Fugitives can't hide in Toronto] |
+ | * [https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1996-10-18-9610170492-story.html Fugitives can't hide in Toronto] - October 18, 1996 |
− | |||
---- |
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− | [[Category: |
+ | [[Category:Michigan]] |
− | [[Category: |
+ | [[Category:Nevada]] |
− | [[Category: |
+ | [[Category:Texas]] |
[[Category:1995]] |
[[Category:1995]] |
||
− | [[Category: |
+ | [[Category:Armed Robbery]] |
− | [[Category: |
+ | [[Category:Theft]] |
− | [[Category: |
+ | [[Category:Fraud]] |
− | [[Category: |
+ | [[Category:Captured]] |
Revision as of 02:43, 28 November 2021
Real Names: Rose Marie Turford and Joyce Carolyn Stevens
Aliases: Carolyn Stevens (Joyce)
Wanted For: Robbery, Theft, Fraud
Missing Since: May 22, 1995
Case
Details: You would think that they were just out for a joy ride, best friends without a care in the world. But like everything else about thirty-five-year-old Rose Turford and thirty-year-old Carolyn Stevens, looks can be deceiving. To the police, these two women are nothing less than the real-life “Thelma and Louise”. They are female con-artists who defraud, humiliate, and steal from their male companions, posing as nuns, police officers and topless dancers. Today, they are armed, dangerous, and on the run, wanted on multiple charges of aggravated robbery.
Rose and Carolyn met in 1992. Both were nurses at a psychiatric hospital in Houston, Texas. Eventually, Rose invited Carolyn to move in with her and her family. By January 1995, the two women had embarked on a vicious game. Rose was, by all accounts, a loving wife, devoted mother, and dedicated professional. But at night, she took on a whole new persona. She began soliciting men through the newspaper personal ads. Then, she would lure her dates to out-of-the-way motel rooms.
A little soft music, a good bottle of wine, and the stage was set for Carolyn’s entrance. She would pull out a gun and force the man onto the bed. The “Thelma and Louise Bandits” moved quickly and methodically. They forced their victims to disrobe. Then, they would handcuff the victim to the bedposts. Finally, Carolyn would stand guard while Rose ran out to use the victim’s bank and credit cards.
From the onset, Rose and Carolyn wanted to be the real life Thelma and Louise. They wanted to experience the thrill and spontaneity. Bail bondsman Clement Romeo does not believe that they ever considered what it would do to their families. Over a three-month period, Rose and Carolyn reportedly robbed at least ten men in Houston, Galveston, and Las Vegas of more than a quarter of a million dollars. But eventually, their luck ran out.
In March 1995, Rose and Carolyn were arrested in Houston. Bail was set at $250,000 each. Romeo believes that, prior to them going to jail, they had a pact that, if one got out, they both got out, or they both stayed in. Rose’s parents stepped in, but they planned to just get Rose out of jail. In an attempt to cajole Rose’s family into posting bail for both of them, Carolyn phoned Rose’s parents repeatedly. She claimed that a mysterious international private investigator named “Avery” was threatening Rose’s children.
Romeo never believed that “Avery” was real; he felt that the story was too far-fetched. Rose’s family, however, believed Avery was real. Even her in-laws were moved to act. They put up their house and restaurant as partial collateral. Romeo tried to convince the parents not to make both bonds. He said it is not often that you sit and try to speak to someone about not giving you $25,000. But he knew that it was a problem, and he knew that it was not going to work. Unfortunately, it did not work.
Sure enough, on May 22, 1995, Rose and Carolyn took flight. Left behind was a letter which alleged that they had been kidnapped by the mysterious Avery. In reality, they were on the run, leaving Rose’s in-laws in danger of losing their home and business. Rose’s mother-in-law, Shirley Turford, said that they just wanted to help in any way that they could. She never thought that they would disappear. Romeo hopes that Rose and Carolyn realize that they are going to throw good, honest, hardworking people out onto the streets because of their actions. He hopes that they turn themselves in and face what they did, instead of making their families suffer.
Rose and Carolyn were last seen in Canada, having rented a car in Edmonton and later deserting it in Toronto.
Extra Notes: The case first aired on the August 18, 1995 episode; it was updated on the December 15, 1995 episode.
Results: Captured. As it turned out, the broadcast was a catalyst for a full-scale media blitz aimed at tracking down the two women. Their story appeared everywhere: on newspapers, magazines, and on television. But it was a t-shirt showing their faces which led to their capture in Toronto, Canada, less than five months after they had vanished.
In October 1995, a man saw a picture in the “Maclean’s” magazine of Romeo holding the t-shirt up and called the number on it. The tipster knew the whereabouts of Rose; she was working at a telemarketing firm in Toronto. Within twenty-four hours, both women were in custody. They were extradited to Texas and held at the Harris County Jail in Houston.
Rose was convicted of robbery. She was sentenced to thirty years in prison. She served her time and has been released. Carolyn was also convicted of robbery, but because of a plea bargain arrangement, she was sentenced to ten years. She served nine of those years and was released.
Links:
- Thelma, Louise and Sybil? - July 20, 1995
- Texas scam suspects sought in Ontario - July 23, 1995
- Unlikely Suspects Are Sought in 'Thelma and Louise' Robberies - August 13, 1995
- Women On The Run - August 15, 1995
- Real-Life 'Thelma and Louise' Elude the Law - September 3, 1995
- 'Thelma and Louise' arrested in Canada - October 5, 1995
- 'Thelma and Louise' collared in Toronto - October 5, 1995
- Half of ‘Thelma and Louise’ Gets 10 Years in Prison - February 23, 1996
- End of road for 'Thelma and Louise' - March 6, 1996
- Canadian half of ‘Thelma and Louise’ duo convicted - March 6, 1996
- The Money Trail - March 21, 1996
- Fugitives can't hide in Toronto - October 18, 1996