Robert Frederick Carr

Case record

Timeline

• July 6, 2007 — Robert Frederick Carr died in prison after being admitted to a North Florida prison medical center.
• July 22, 2007 — A report said Carr was buried in a Florida prison cemetery with no one to claim his body.
• June 8, 2000 — Florida’s three-member Parole Commission added 14 centuries to Carr’s sentence and set a tentative release date for July 30, 3414.
• June 13 — A woman, fully clothed and with her hands and feet bound, was unearthed by detectives.
• October 1975 — Carr was paroled from a Connecticut prison.
• November 13, 1972 — Carr kidnapped Mark Wilson and Todd Payton from North Miami Beach; the boys had been hitchhiking.
• 1976 — Carr was sentenced to life in prison and imprisoned at Union County Correctional Institute.

Background

Robert Frederick Carr was a television repairman. He was described as a charming, soft-spoken person who “didn’t look scary” and “didn’t look threatening.” He was also described as “the most dangerous child sexual predator-murderer” investigated by David Simmons and as “evil” by Edna Buchanan.

Carr had been imprisoned for rape in Connecticut and was paroled in October 1975. While living in Miami, he drove around Biscayne Boulevard with the inside door handle dismantled so victims could not escape. He claimed he was born evil. In jailhouse interviews, Carr told Edna Buchanan of his childhood, including killing baby chickens with a stick and being paid by men for sex at about 11, and stealing cars as a teen.

Carr had a history of being booted from a state mental hospital after hoarding wire cutters and pliers. While in prison, he sent letter after letter to detectives, Buchanan, O’Donnell, and even his ex-wife.

The offence

Carr admitted to kidnapping, raping, and murdering 11-year-olds Todd Payton and Mark Wilson and 16-year-old Tammy Ruth Huntley. A fourth victim, Rhonda Holloway, 21, was later found in Connecticut. Carr also confessed to raping more than a dozen additional boys and girls.

Todd Payton and Mark Wilson

Carr kidnapped Todd Payton and Mark Wilson while they were hitchhiking. Todd and Mark had been noticed on Nov. 13, 1972, in North Miami Beach. The boys were lured into Carr’s car, and Carr had rigged the door handles so the boys could not escape. The trunk contained food, jars of petroleum jelly and a shovel. Carr raped the boys and strangled Todd, burying Todd in a shallow grave in Mississippi. Four days later, Carr strangled Mark and buried him in Louisiana.

Tammy Ruth Huntley

Carr kidnapped, raped and murdered 16-year-old hitchhiker Tammy Ruth Huntley, also from North Dade, and led investigators to the grave of Tammy Ruth Huntley.

Rhonda Holloway

The body of a fourth victim, Rhonda Holloway, 21, was found in Connecticut.

Attempted rape of a housewife; arrest context

Carr was caught while trying to rape a housewife. A Metro police officer stumbled onto him during the attempted rape.

Additional assaults

Carr assaulted a 15-year-old named Sari after picking her up at a concert in Hollywood, Fla. At knifepoint, he assaulted her repeatedly over 36 hours before she escaped. Carr also sent letters in which he claimed he and the Manson cult killers from California would embark on a bus tour to teach public safety.

Investigation

After Carr’s arrest, he led Detective Charles Zatrepalek, deputy medical examiner Dr. Ronald Wright, and others on a cross-country trip to dig up corpses and to show investigators where victims had been buried.

Statements about the grave recovery included that Carr led investigators to the Gulf Coast graves of three young victims, including two 11-year-old boys first reported missing on November 13, 1972. Back in Connecticut, Carr helped police find the grave of an adult female victim. Detectives unearthed the woman on June 13, and she was found fully clothed with her hands and feet bound.

Simmons saved Carr’s letters for years and later threw them away; Buchanan called the prison to have the letters stopped.

Arrest

Carr was picked up by police at the end of May 1976. In custody, he soon confessed to four murders, including those of three Florida children and a woman in Connecticut. After the arrest, Carr was described as state inmate 055664.

Trial

Carr later pleaded guilty against Michael Von Zamft’s advice and received a life sentence. It was described as in part because he cooperated with investigators.

Sentencing

Carr was sentenced to life, which then included the possibility of parole. Florida added 14 centuries to his sentence, with a tentative release date set for July 30, 3414.

The Parole Commission used commissioners’ and aides’ calculations, including:

• 15 years added for making it impossible for the children to open the car doors.
• 50 years added for each rape.
• 100 years added for each child’s death. A parole examiner had suggested a release date of 2086, or age 143.

Appeals

Carr told the examiner he was not interested in parole and was seeking an appeal.

Outcome

Carr was imprisoned at Union County Correctional Institute since 1976. He died on July 6, 2007, after admittance to a North Florida prison medical center. His cause of death had yet to be determined. Carr was quietly buried in a North Florida prison cemetery with no family to claim his body.

Aftermath

A lawyer and other individuals associated with Carr’s case offered statements about him. Michael Von Zamft said:

"He was very charming. Carr didn't look scary. He was very slight. Wispy hair. I could see how teenagers would get a ride from him. He didn't look threatening.''

Ed O’Donnell said:

"It was really an unusual experience to listen to him describe how well-planned his crimes were, and how controlling he could be over others. These kids had a lot of chances to get away and wouldn't because he had control.''

David Simmons said:

"In my 33-year career in law enforcement, Carr ranks as the most dangerous child sexual predator-murderer I ever investigated.''

Edna Buchanan said:

"He was about the most evil person I ever met. . . . It was such good news that he is no longer on the planet.''

In jailhouse interviews, Carr told Edna Buchanan:

"I don't have any fear of death. I've seen enough of it to know,''
``It's peaceful. It's like sleep.''

At the parole hearing, Jayne Peyton told the commissioners about Todd Payton:

"a hole in the fabric of our family," she told the commissioners, tears in her eyes.
"The pain he has caused this family is agonizing," she said.

The Parole Commission’s Commissioner Frederick Dunphy said:

"There are many evil men in the world,"
"None could be more evil than this man."

Sari testified:

"He looked like the guy next door. He had a puppy,"
and at the parole hearing Sari called out: "Thank you,"

Buchanan quoted Carr about Sari:

" I was really trying to hurt her,' " " I was trying to kill her.' "

Sari told the commissioners:

" `I tried to find a way to make you feel the terror,' "
"No one could tell you of his evil better than Robert Carr in his own words.''

Simmons commented about the letters and Carr’s death:

"Now,'' Simmons said, "his maker can decide his everlasting punishment.''"

Other details

Carr’s state inmate number was listed as 055664.

The Parole Commission meeting occurred in Tallahassee, Florida, and parole-related remarks included that Carr was prisoner No. 055664 at Union Correctional Institution in North Florida, where a parole examiner had suggested a release date of 2086 or age 143. Carr was not at the hearing.

Carr’s defense attorney was Michael Von Zamft. The prosecutor was Ed O’Donnell. The detective who arrested Carr was David Simmons. Detective Charles Zatrepalek and deputy medical examiner Dr. Ronald Wright participated in the investigation and grave recovery trip.

Reported additional details included that Carr kidnapped and moved victims into extended road trips and later raping, strangling and burying them in Mississippi and Louisiana.

A book title associated with Buchanan’s work was listed as “Carr: Five Years of Rape and Murder.” Another title listed was “Five Years of Rape and Murder.” Carr’s crimes were described as a “spree cost Jayne Peyton and her family their hearts” and as “Pure evil,” with Edna Buchanan commenting that Carr did not have to “grab anyone or hit anyone over the head” because he could do so without physical force once he had the victims in his car.

Carr was described with “sexual predator-murderer” and described as a “pedophile” by the detective who arrested him.