Investigators in Washington state claimed Thursday they had caught the killer in a 21-year-old cold case, but said they could not prosecute him.
In a Facebook post, the Island County Sheriff’s Office (ICSO) announced the December 9, 2003 murder of Tamara “Tammy” Matteson, 39, a mother of seven. announced that it had officially ended. Officials said they are “confident” they have identified the culprit, Karl D. Schlobom, 69, currently incarcerated for life without parole in Arizona for the 2005 murder.
ICSO said: “Unfortunately, Mr. Schlobom cannot be charged with Mr. Mattsson’s murder, even if prosecutors had sufficient evidence to prove his guilt, because Mr. Schlobom suffers from advanced dementia. It’s because he’s sick.”
Matteson’s body was found in Camano Island State Park in 2003, and authorities followed leads and conducted interviews for almost six years without making any progress in the case. During the initial investigation, authorities found cigarette butts in a parking lot near where Mattson’s body was located.
Authorities were able to conduct DNA testing in 2009 with help from the Washington State Patrol Crime Lab. Police said the DNA matched Schlobom’s because his DNA was entered into the national CODIS database after his 2005 conviction. Authorities then had to prove that Mr. Schlobom was present at the time of the murder, not just a bystander or witness. Investigators then spent 10 years investigating whether there was any connection between Mattson and Schlobom. (Related: Washington State Fisherman Found 18-Year-Old’s Nude Body in 1988; Investigators Believe They Finally Found Answers)
Lt. Sean Warwick, who had been working on the case from the beginning, along with Detective Ed Wallace, decided to question Schlobom in November 2019. Schlobom refused to answer questions and insisted on returning to his cell, ICSO said. At this time, Warwick and Wallace learned that Schlobom was confined to a wheelchair and in poor health.
Mr. Schlobom then wrote to ICSO in April 2021, stating that he had knowledge of Mr. Mattsson’s death and would provide the information in exchange for a long list of demands, according to a press release.
“In all his crazy demands, all I could think of was that if he turns out to be a murderer and pleads guilty, I’ll let him spend the rest of his life in a Washington prison.” ” said prosecutor Greg Banks.
Authorities were then able to question Mr. Schlobom.
“Without his confession, we were stuck. This allowed him to speak up and confirm that he was the killer before negotiating any kind of deal.” said Banks.
“He knew things that only murderers and detectives know,” Wallace claimed after a June 2021 interview.
According to ICSO, Schlobom refused to sign the confession. Under interstate protocol, he could not be transferred between states without an agreement between Washington and Arizona to allow him to serve time in Washington.
Police say Schlobom is currently confined in the prison’s special needs unit, where his mental state renders him “incompetent to prosecute.”
In his release, Mr. Banks claimed that Mr. Schlobom was responsible for the murder. He added that he believes this development has brought closure to Mattson’s family.
Sheriff Felici claimed the incident stemmed from personal issues between Mr. Schlobom and Mr. Mattson.
