He was found guilty of murder; kidnapping while armed with a deadly weapon, a Level 3 felony; criminal confinement while armed with a deadly weapon, a Level 3 felony; and criminal confinement with bodily injury, a Level 5 felony.
“We’re so happy and thankful,” her sister Genesis Flores said Saturday. “Nothing’s going to bring her back. We’re really thankful he’s not going to be able to hurt anybody else, or take any more lives.” They presented a witness who admitted she was addicted to crack cocaine, had a flawed memory and lied during the investigation, Gruenhagen said.He met Flores sometime in 2018. They got involved, then he claimed they split because she struggled with drugs, but remained close.
That witness — Flores’ friend — admitted the women were smoking crack all night. Carter and Flores were arguing on-and-off. Prosecutors said there was “talk” of the three having sex.As Flores said, no, Carter, driving, turned around wearing one glove and shot her dead, the witness testified. She thought Flores had been shot in the chest, because the witness didn’t have any blood on her. At trial, the witness said she assumed it was the chest, but wasn’t sure.
Investigators went out on two different searches with police, drones, and cadaver dogs in Gary in 2019 without finding Flores’ body. He alleged Flores and her friend “ruined” his plans to kill Pamela Crider, 42, of Hammond, who the witness knew as “Little Debbie” there at the house by “making a scene” and getting kicked out.“You don’t fabricate that story,” Randall said. “You don’t make it up.”
Investigators never looked for a fireman the woman said she found just afterward she escaped from Carter’s relative’s house, nor a NIPSCO worker that gave her a ride, Gruenhagen said. There was no weapon, DNA, or fingerprints tying Carter. On Feb. 26, 2019, Lake County Sheriff’s Department officers started to investigate the disappearance of two women from South Chicago Heights, according to the probable cause affidavit. One woman was found alive but Jessica Flores was reported missing on Feb. 24 when she was driving a white 2010 Nissan Altima, court records state. The Altima was found in Chicago, where it had been set on fire and a large amount of blood was found in the rear seat.