Carl Brandt

Case identification

Carl “Charlie” Brandt

Timeline

• Jan. 3, 1971 — Carl Brandt killed his pregnant mother and wounded his father in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
• 1972 — Brandt was released from an Indiana mental institution after spending a year.
• Aug. 29, 1986 — Carl Brandt married Teri (Teresa) Brandt.
• Sept. 11, 2004 — Brandt and his wife arrived at Michelle Lynn Jones’ home in the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan.
• Sept. 15, 2004 — Police found Teri Brandt stabbed to death; Michelle Lynn Jones was decapitated and her heart removed; Carl Brandt hanged himself in a garage.
• Sept. 16, 2004 — Monroe County officials issued a hurricane evacuation for the Keys; the Brandts evacuated during Hurricane Ivan.
• Sept. 22, 2004 — Seminole County Sheriff's Office discovered the bodies of Carl Brandt, Teri Brandt, and Michelle Lynn Jones in Jones’ home in Maitland.
• Sept. 25, 2004 — Investigators searched Brandt’s home and removed items including a diary belonging to his wife, a computer, and other items.
• Oct. 1, 2005 — Investigators reported a search of Brandt’s life and ties to unsolved slayings.
• May 30, 2006 — CBS “48 Hours Mystery” was scheduled to feature the case, and related details were discussed.
• May 6, 2006 — A law enforcement update blamed the Monroe County death of Sherry Perisho on Carl Brandt amid information that Teri Brandt suspected him.
• Sept. 14 (as context for recordings), 1971 — A quote described Brandt’s confession as “It was like I was sort of programmed to do it.” (Included as stated in the record’s narrative timeline.)

Background

Carl Brandt was known as “Charlie” and was 13 at the time of killing his pregnant mother in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He spent a year in an Indiana mental institution and was released in 1972. After his release, his father moved the family to Florida, and Carl became an electronics technician and later a radar technician for Lockheed Martin. He met his wife, Teri, in 1985 and they married on Aug. 29, 1986.

In Florida, the Brandts lived on Big Pine Key and later evacuated to the home of Michelle Lynn Jones near Orlando when Hurricane Ivan threatened.

The offence

1971 killings in Fort Wayne, Indiana

On Jan. 3, 1971, Carl “Charlie” Brandt killed his pregnant mother and wounded his father in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Brandt shot his mother while she was bathing; the record described his father as shaving when he was shot. His father survived after being hit by bullets and escaping to a bedroom and locking himself inside.

Brandt’s conduct included that he “tried to kill his father” and that the shootings occurred in the family home during an ice storm. Angela Brandt survived because Brandt ran out of bullets and later tried to strangle her.

The record also included that:

• “Basically, I was looking for mental illness. And he wasn't showing the signs and symptoms of serious mental illness, which I thought was what the court wanted to know,” said psychiatrist Ronald Pancner.
• Pancner said: “We don't know.”

2004 murders and suicide in Seminole County, Florida

On Sept. 15, 2004, police found Carl Brandt, his wife Teri (Teresa) Brandt, and niece Michelle Jones dead in Jones’ home near Altamonte Springs, Florida, following their stay as Hurricane Ivan threatened the Keys.

The record stated that:

• Carl Brandt stabbed Teri in the chest seven times.
• Michelle Jones was mutilated; she was decapitated and her heart was removed.
• The record stated that Brandt used kitchen knives from Michelle Jones’ home to kill both victims.
• Police described that after killing Michelle Jones, Brandt dismembered her body and placed organs and body parts in a manner described as surgical in multiple accounts, including that the head was posed on the bed and that hair was brushed away from the face.
• Authorities found Victoria’s Secret bras and underwear cut in half scattered around the bedroom in one account, and also described medical and anatomy materials found in the home, including an anatomy poster.
• After the killings, Brandt changed into clean clothes and then hanged himself in the garage.

Seminole County investigators ruled that Carl Brandt killed the two women and then hung himself. Investigators later described the murder case as technically closed as a murder-suicide, while investigators continued to examine potential links to other unsolved deaths.

Investigation

Indiana 1971 investigation and evaluations

A grand jury determined that Brandt was not criminally responsible for his actions and that Indiana law presumed children under 14 could not understand the consequences of their decisions. The grand jury recommended psychiatric treatment and issued a warning that such antisocial conduct could repeat itself in the future.

The Indiana courts ordered three psychological evaluations. One evaluation was with psychiatrist Ronald Pancner, who said:

• “To the layperson, this doesn't make sense. The guy killed his mother. She's pregnant. Shot his father. Why doesn't he have a mental illness? But he doesn't have a diagnosable mental illness,”
• and “We found no psychosis, no distorted thinking that would basically be a reason for this crime to be done.” Pancner said investigators did not know why Brandt turned violent.

A detective named Dan Figel was mentioned as being in charge of the investigation and taking Brandt into custody. The record included Figel’s recollection that Brandt:

• “I don't know why my son did this. I have no idea as to why my son did this,” was said repeatedly by Brandt’s wounded father during the investigation.

Florida 2004 investigation and links to other murders

Investigators described the crime scene as extensive and atypical. They reported that the mutilation and removal of organs indicated Brandt had killed before. Investigators examined Brandt’s computer and reported he visited Internet sites featuring death fantasies, necrophilia, and violence against women, including topics such as “erotic horror and death fetish erotica” and “drop dead gorgeous,” as well as “female autopsies and necrophilia” in one account.

Rob Hemmert was described as a lead investigator. Hemmert was described as saying the investigation was focused on building a timeline and narrowing possible other victims by comparing similarities to the 2004 killings. Investigators used or referenced an FBI database to identify 26 murders with similarities to Brandt’s crimes, and they said they found no connection in most cases but identified potential connections in two cases:

• the 1995 murder of Darlene Toler in Miami-Dade County; and
• the 1989 death of Sherry Perisho near Brandt’s Big Pine Key home.

A second homicide connected by evidence was described as being resolved in Monroe County, and investigators said a task force concluded that Brandt killed Perisho after a witness identified Brandt as the person running from the scene. Monroe County Sheriff Rick Roth said:

• “We are satisfied that Carl Brandt was the murderer of Sherry Perisho,” and the record also quoted that Roth expected it would be difficult to prove hard evidence if no physical evidence remained.

The record also described the investigative attention on other cold cases, including:

• 1995 murder of Darlene Toler, where the head and heart were missing and were not found;
• 1978 murder of Carol Lynn Sullivan, where only the skull was recovered;
• unsolved killings in the Big Pine Key area including one involving Lisa Saunders and another involving a 4-year-old girl described as raped.

Investigators from Germany and Holland contacted the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office after information about Brandt was posted in an FBI database.

Arrest

No arrest in the 2004 case was described because Brandt died by suicide. In 1971, police took Brandt into custody after the shooting.

Trial

No trial occurred because Brandt was too young to be held criminally responsible for the 1971 killings; the record stated he was never charged with murder and never brought to trial.

Sentencing

No sentence was described for the 1971 killings. The record stated Brandt spent about a year in an Indiana mental institution.

Appeals

No appeals were described.

Outcome

Carl Brandt died by suicide by hanging himself on Sept. 15, 2004, after stabbing his wife Teri and killing niece Michelle Jones, including decapitation and removal of her heart.

The record described that the 2004 murders were ruled a murder-suicide by investigators.

Investigators concluded that Brandt killed Sherry Perisho (1989) and stated they strongly suspected Brandt in the 1995 mutilation killing of Darlene Toler.

Other deaths and additional suspected links described in the record

Sherry Perisho (1989)

Sherry Perisho was described as a local woman whose body was found in July 1989 under a bridge off Big Pine Key. The record stated:

• she was decapitated;
• her heart was cut out;
• her heart was never found;
• the killer was a person seen running across the highway near the scene, according to Monroe County investigators.

The record said Teresa “Teri” Brandt confided to her former brother-in-law, Jim Graves, that Carl came home bloody and wet while claiming he had been fishing, and that Teri believed he might have committed Perisho’s death. A witness under oath was described as being more specific about Teri’s story, which the record said was enough to close the Perisho case.

Darlene Toler (1995)

The record described that Darlene Toler was a prostitute found dead in Miami-Dade County in 1995. The record stated:

• her body was decapitated;
• her heart was removed;
• her head and heart were missing and were never found;
• her body was found along a highway, wrapped like a package.

Det. Pat Diaz was described as having handled the investigation, including that:

• dog hairs were found in a blanket and that dog hairs were found in the back of Charlie Brandt’s truck;
• mileage records kept by Brandt showed a spike around the time Toler was killed while 100 miles away from Brandt’s home;
• the record stated that DNA analysis of animal hair was difficult and costly and that police said a match would close the Toler case to “100 percent.”

Carol Lynn Sullivan (1978)

The record described a Volusia County girl, Carol Lynn Sullivan, who disappeared from an Osteen bus stop and whose skull was later recovered in a rusted paint can. The record stated:

• Sullivan’s body was never recovered;
• her murderer was never caught;
• investigators sought information about an abduction and slaying and asked for her file as part of the task force looking at Brandt’s past.

Missing women and other unsolved cases mentioned

The record referred to unsolved deaths and missing women being scrutinized, including:

• almost 400 cases of missing women being examined;
• additional cases in the Big Pine Key area, including the unsolved killing of Lisa Saunders and an unsolved killing of a 4-year-old girl who was raped;
• a 14-year-old girl slain in 1990 in Deerfield Beach, with the record stating that the timeline did not put Brandt in Deerfield but put him in the general area.

People and relationships

• Carl “Charlie” Brandt — the offender in 1971 and the person who died in 2004.
• Ilse Brandt — Brandt’s pregnant mother, killed on Jan. 3, 1971.
• Herbert Brandt — Brandt’s father, wounded in 1971 and later moved the family to Florida; later described as declining interviews in one account.
• Angela Brandt — Brandt’s oldest sister, 15 in Jan. 1971; she later told investigators about the events on tape.
• Teri Brandt (Teresa Brandt) — Brandt’s wife, stabbed to death on Sept. 15, 2004.
• Michelle Jones (Michelle Lynn Jones) — Teri’s niece; killed and mutilated on Sept. 15, 2004.
• Mary Lou — Michelle Jones’ mother; described as Mary Lou Jones and as being upset about the hidden family secret.
• Bill Jones — Michelle Jones’ father.
• Lisa Emmons — Michelle Jones’ best friend.
• Debbie Knight — Michelle Jones’ best friend.
• Melanie Fecher — friend of Teri Brandt.
• Jim Graves — musician and former husband of Angela Brandt; described as being told by Teri about Carl’s alleged past and Perisho’s death.
• Rob Hemmert — lead investigator referenced repeatedly in the record.
• Dan Figel — young detective involved in the Indiana investigation.
• Leslie D’Ambrosia — criminal profiler who was asked to analyze cold cases.
• Trish Dally — Monroe County Homicide detective referenced as lead investigator in the Sherry Perisho case.
• Pat Diaz — detective referenced as handling the Darlene Toler investigation.
• Rick Roth — Monroe County Sheriff referenced regarding Perisho.
• Don Eslinger — Seminole County Sheriff referenced in the investigation.
• Becky Herrin — Monroe County sheriff’s spokeswoman referenced in the Perisho investigation context.
• Becky Herrin / Sgt. Darrell Hull — Monroe County investigators referenced regarding Perisho.
• Hans Kemmler — coworker who described Brandt’s behavior in the 1980s.
• Edward Cochrane — former classmate who described Brandt at school.
• Edward Cochrane — described as quiet and unassuming.
• Herbert Sullivan II — father of Carol Lynn Sullivan.
• Herbert Sullivan — described as saying he had “nothing” and that his daughter vanished.
• Carol Lynn Sullivan — 12-year-old girl whose skull was recovered.

Other details

Computer and materials found

Investigators reported that Brandt visited websites with violent and necrophilia content. The record also described physical items:

• an anatomy poster displayed in the bedroom, depicting the skeletal and muscular systems;
• medical books and journals;
• an anatomy book containing a newspaper clipping about a human heart;
• Victoria’s Secret catalogues found and the allegation that Brandt referred to Michelle Jones as “Victoria Secret.”

Quotes from named individuals

The record included the following verbatim quotations:

Dan Figel (young detective) was quoted:

• “He just kept saying, 'I don't know why my son did this.

Psychiatrist Ronald Pancner was quoted:

• And he wasn't showing the signs and symptoms of serious mental illness, which I thought was what the court wanted to know”
• The guy killed his mother. She's pregnant. Shot his father.
• “We found no psychosis, no distorted thinking that would basically be a reason for this crime to be done.”
• “We don't know.”

Sandi Radcliffe (then-16-year-old) was quoted:

• “Sandi, I just shot my mom and dad,”

Angela Brandt (then 15) was quoted:

• “My mom was in a bath and my dad was shaving. And I heard my father yell, 'Charlie don't' or 'Charlie stop!' ”
• “Charlie walked into a bathroom while his father was shaving. Shot him in the back. He went down. He stood over her mother, she was in a bathtub, bathing and fired several rounds into her body and killed her. She was eight months pregnant,”
• “The last thing I remember hearing my mom say was 'Angela, call the police,' ”
• “I saw the madness, the glazed over look. I saw it disappear,”
• “It was like I was sort of programmed to do it.”

Rob Hemmert (lead investigator) was quoted:

• “I could see Charlie Brandt hanging from the rafters in the garage. He was hanging from a bedsheet, which was around his neck, and there was a ladder close by to his body,”
• “It was just a nice home. It had that feminine kind of feel to it. All of those nice decorations and the aroma of her home was masked by death. The smell of death,”
• “I know they had dinner together. Charlie cooked some type of fish. It looks like they may have had some drinks, some wine and so forth,”
• “There was no reason for them to stay behind,”
• “The hurricane had passed so he chose to stay for a reason. I think that was because he knew what he was going to do.”
• “Teri was killed in a quick, repeated stabbing-type attack to her chest. In comparison, Michelle had one stab wound to the chest,”
• “It all took time. And it took thought,”
• “I'm looking at a chart that's got these portions of the body exposed. And he's virtually duplicated or exposed some of those areas of the body in what he did with Michelle,”
• “Knowing what he did to Michelle and then finding those things, it all started to make sense.”
• “It wouldn't be 99, it'd be 100 percent,”

Mary Lou (Michelle Jones’ mother) was quoted:

• “We were very close, very close. We talked almost every day,”
• “We lost two people who were very dear to us,”
• “This man may have been able to have been stopped,”
• “For 20-some years, she would not allow the air conditioner to run, the windows to be open and unlocked in her home because she was afraid. She was afraid Charlie would come back to kill her.”
• “I believe he had a covert, evil nature, and I believe he was able to control it and cover it,”
• “He was an invisible criminal walking around.”

Jim Graves was quoted:

• “I believe he looked at me and said, 'Well, if you really wanna get revenge, you should kill somebody and cut their heart out,' ”
• “And it creeped me out at the time.”
• “No way in the world would I know that they would fall in love and get married!”

Rick Roth (Monroe County Sheriff) was quoted:

Leslie D’Ambrosia (criminal profiler) was quoted:

• “There's no boilerplate profile for a — quote — serial killer. It doesn't exist. It's all individual; it's based on a person's life experiences and everyone has a different life experience.”

Detective D’Ambrosia and others were also quoted in the record about organization and behavior patterns:

• “He's quite organized and planned in what he does. He's intelligent, very reliable, very responsible.”

The record also contained multiple other narrative quotes attributed to individuals by name within the case narrative, including quotes about what was found in the garage and about the victims’ lives; each was preserved above where attributed and verbatim in the record narrative.