The Carsons .

1. The Carsons. BY. Lizzie King

2. Background (James Clifford Carson (aka Michael Bear Carson) • Diagnosed with rare bone disorder and put on bed rest and took to reading and school work. • Had an explosive personality. • Hated the government. • Was married and living with one child in Phoenix, Arizonain 1980 • Stay at home dad/pot dealer • His wife noticed major behavior changes and moved them out to California. • When in Cali he fell in love with a woman named Susan and devoiced his wife to marry her. • Big part of the counterculture movement. • Adopted parts of the Islamic religion. born 1950

3. Background (Susan Carson Aka Suzan Carson) • Grew up with a privileged life in an upper class town of Arizona. • As a young girl she was not interested in people. • She thought she was psychic starting at a young age. • Had few friends and did not do well in school. • During her first marriage she found herself drawn to the counterculture way of life, and parts of the Islamic religion.

4. Crimes. • They were both never in any kind of legal trouble before these crimes. • They were both charged with 3 murders, of Keryn Barnes, 22 / Clark Stephens / John Hillyar, with a total of 75 years to life. • Their crimes emerged from a shared missionary philosophy to exterminate individuals they believed to be "witches". The pair reportedly kept a list of targeted individuals including celebrities and political figures such as Johnny Carson and then-president Ronald Reagan. • The evidence against them were • DNA • Witnesses • And they admitted to the murders in a press conference, saying what they did was justified .

5. Quotes • “Witchcraft, homosexuality and abortion are causes for death,” said James when being questioned. • “a yogi and a mystic with knowledge of past, present and future events.” he said when talking about Susan. • James Carson’s nickname was Michael bear Carson. • Susan Carson did not have a nickname but she did change her name to Suzan Carson.

6. SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY • I think the best theory for this couple is the conflict theory. I believe it is this one because, one James Carson had a deep hate for the government. Also the only reason he killed the people he did is because he thought they were trying to overpower him and hid wife. He thought that they were witches and trying to kill his wife. The only reason he thought the way he did was because of his wife. • Susan clamed to be able to see the future and tell what people really were and if they were gonna come after them. For example they were working on a pot farm in rural California and she told James that a man working with them was trying to take advantage of her. She said that he was going to get away with it if he did not kill him before he got it done. In the end he killed him in order to diminish his power over them.

7. CULTURAL REFERENCES • The Carsonswere featured on Deadly Women. • Michael Bear and Suzan Bear were also shown on the Discovery Channel's show Wicked Attraction. • Michael Carson was featured on The Devil You Know. • A book was also done about their life and the murders “ Cry for war”.