Carina Saunders Special

Carina Brianne Saunders was more than a “body in a duffel bag.” She was a beautiful 19-year-old with big dreams, according to her parents. Carina was born on July 17, 1992, and almost immediately discovered her unique ability to bring smiles to the faces of her loved ones. Her parents say that she was a happy baby, a precocious little girl, and a curious teenager.

From a very young age, Carina was considered a free spirit. Carina made friends effortlessly but chose to graduate early from high school to gain her independence. Before graduating from Mustang High School in 2010, Carina won spelling bees, mathlete competitions, and even a spot in the honor choir. Carina had a remarkable voice and dreamt of performing in the opera. If that didn’t work out, she’d pursue a career as an accountant.

She seemed to have accounted for everything – other than a drug addiction.

It was shortly after Carina moved out on her own that she began expirementing with drugs. Carina’s parents repeatedly tried to intervene with Carina’s newfound lifestyle but it only made Carina more reclusive. Although she made several attempts at sobriety, the parents believe that it was ultimately Carina’s connection to OKC’s drug trade that led to her demise.

“I hold onto that experience in my darkest days”

Margie Queen is often reminded of the last day she spent with her daughter. They attended church together (a rare occurrence for Carina after moving away from home) within weeks of Carina’s disappearance. During the visit, Margie says Carina gave her life to Christ. Margie says Carina seemed really at peace that weekend, “she had a beautiful aura about her.”

Margie has since theorized that her daughter might have known something bad was going to happen. The two shared stories, laughs, and final hugs. Margie has described the day as a blessing in disguise.

She grew more concerned when a relative called with a concerning text message regarding Carina. Margie filed a missing person’s report and began hanging missing posters around OKC. Margie hoped that Carina would see the flyers and call her to say it was embarrassing. A call never came. Margie feared something sinister had happened long before the gruesome discovery of her daughter’s body.

She is still searching for answers about her daughter’s unsolved murder and helps maintain the Facebook page: Justice for Carina.

“If I could have one more day with her then I wouldn’t say anything… I’d just hold her.” Richard Saunders refuses to give up on justice for his daughter.

Carina was his firstborn, and the two shared a unique friendship. Richards says Carina knew to call him if she was ever in trouble and he would be there for her. He says that he got the call several times in her final months, weeks, or days but could not convince Carina to change her lifestyle.

He misses Carina’s smile, voice, and laughter. He is proud of Carina’s accomplishments as a child and wishes she would’ve been given a real chance at adulthood. Richard remembers hugging his daughter goodbye, saying “I love you” and never imagining that it would be the last.

“Carina was my very first best friend.” Kathryn and Carina were close, more like sisters than cousins.

In fact, Carina had been staying with her for about a week before making a final post to Facebook, “whats [sic] everybody doin [sic] tonight.” Carina posted the question on September 28, 2011. Later that day, she asked Kathryn to give her a ride to meet up with a friend. They went to the Taco Bell near Interstate 40 and Rockwell in Oklahoma City where Carina got into a car described as a mid-1990’s model blue or gray Chevrolet Blazer with 22-inch rims. The driver of that vehicle was later identified as Kenny Richards, according to investigators.

Kenny Richards was 44 years old, at that time, with a lengthy criminal history. To date, he has not been charged with a crime connected to Carina’s murder.

“I do feel guilty about dropping her off that night, and I always will. But if we can find out - get some closure on her case - then I know I’ll be able to live with myself a little bit more,” Kathryn said. On that day, she would be the last family member to see Carina alive. She was also the first to be alerted to the disappearance of Carina Saunders.

On October 9, 2011, Kathryn received threatening text messages that indicated something had happened to Carina. She reported the threats to the Oklahoma City Police Department. One text read: "I’m going to bury you next to Carina.” Investigators later revealed the texts were sent by a man named Kyle Savage. To date, Savage has not been charged with a crime connected to Carina’s murder.

“I am not a monster. I am not a kidnapper. I am not a murderer.” Jimmy Lee Massey, also known as “Big Country,” is on a personal quest for vindication in the murder of 19-year-old Carina Saunders. Massey submitted to a polygraph test and met with Carina’s parents in hopes of clearing his name.

In 2011, Bethany Police named Massey as a prime suspect. Massey was arrested a little more than two months after the killing when a 20- year -old woman came forward claiming that Massey kidnapped her and forced her to witness the murder.

Bethany Police stated Massey revealed very specific details about how Carina was tortured and dismembered. Court records corroborate their case by indicating Massey bragged about the murder to other inmates at the Oklahoma County Jail. Massey denies the allegations.

Massey claims that he is guilty of one thing – drug trafficking. As a self-admitted drug dealer, he is adamant that none of his dealings involved Carina Saunders. Massey maintains that he never met Carina and didn’t recognize her in the photo line-up presented to him during interrogation. Massey believes that police zeroed in on him for the murder because of his criminal history.

Subsequently, Massey was convicted in an unrelated drug case. He was sentenced to prison.

Meanwhile, investigators worked to bolster the murder case. Massey and alleged co-defendant Luis Ruiz were in jail for seven months until prosecutors discovered conflicting statements in the case. The credibility of witnesses and their accounts of how and where Carina was killed were called into question. In 2012, the district attorney dismissed the murder charges against Massey and Ruiz. Massey finished out his prison sentence for drug trafficking.

He is currently living in Texas with his wife and baby girl. Massey, who is also a Marine, teaches self-defense to women. Massey says he also tries to help others learn from his mistakes. Massey says he is using his life experience to educate other young adults about the dangers of drugs.

At last check, Massey has not officially been cleared by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. However, he is not currently charged with a crime in connection to the murder of Carina Saunders.

“They [Bethany Police Detectives] manipulated known drug addicts, falsified law enforcement reports…and coerced a confession,” said Luis Ruiz in his Complaint for Violation of Civil Rights.

Luis Ruiz was charged, along with Jimmy Massey, for the murder of Carina Saunders in 2012. Ruiz was implicated by a woman who claimed that she was with Carina on the day of her murder. According to court records, the woman told investigators that Ruiz beat up Carina, tied her up and held her captive at a known drug house. The house was identified as 3500 S. Harvey. Although, the house was demolished before the witness came forward to Bethany Police, the woman claimed that she escaped by jumping from a window of the house.

Investigators also claimed Ruiz admitted to an acquaintance that he planned the murder of Carina Saunders. Ruiz was also said to have been the creator of a snuff video of the killing. However, witnesses soon changed their stories.

Prosecutors dismissed the murder charges against Ruiz and Massey in February 2012 due to “insufficient evidence." After being set free, Ruiz filed a federal lawsuit against the Bethany Police Department, its chief and the detectives who originally investigated the case, claiming wrongful arrest. Ruiz alleged that Bethany police detectives “used illegal tactics” to “manipulate and fabricate” the criminal case against Ruiz and Massey, among other things. Ruiz also argued that investigators ignored his alibi. Ruiz claimed he was in jail the same day he was purported to commit the killing.

Ruiz and the City of Bethany settled the lawsuit for $50,000. The two Bethany police detectives assigned to Carina’s the case are no longer on the force.

Ruiz’s criminal history includes several drug convictions before and after the murder. He is not currently incarcerated but could not be reached for comment.

Read more from Ruiz’s lawsuit.

Kenny Richards is a person of interest in the murder of Carina Saunders, according to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. Saunders was last seen by her cousin getting into Richard’s SUV at a Taco Bell near I-40 and Rockwell on September 28, 2011. At the time, Carina was 19-years-old and Richards was 44-years-old.

Richards had previously served time for drug convictions. A day after Saunders’ remains were found, Richards told investigators he knew Saunders and confirmed that he picked her up at the fast-food restaurant. He said they “hung out together” until he dropped her off at a Bethany apartment complex, according to court documents.

In 2017, acting on a tip, investigators began digging in the backyard of the home that Richards previously owned in the 500 block of Oakdale Drive. During the search, Richards told News 9 in a text, “[Saunders] was a friend of mine… I miss her, too! I have nothing more to say!” After a three-day search of the property, OSBI agents said they discovered a folding knife and womens clothing in an old septic tank. The OSBI forensically examined the items, but investigators have not said if the items are related to Saunders’ killing.

Richards has not been charged with a crime regarding the murder of Carina Saunders. Richards is currently serving a 6-year sentence for drug trafficking.

“This is not going away… I’m not going away.” OSBI Special Agent Meghan Bowman is the lead agent on the Carina Saunders’ murder investigation. Bowman is one of several agents who have handled the case since the OSBI took over the investigation in February 2013.

Since being assigned to the case in January 2019, she has been reviewing the evidence that was collected by the original investigators. Bowman has also filed multiple search warrants for the online interactions between Carina Saunders and several of her associates. She says Carina’s case is considered an active investigation and she continues to collect evidence, conduct dozens of interviews and follow-up on leads. Bowman remains confident that the case will be solved.

Send a Tip to the OSBI at tips@osbi.ok.gov

“I will think about this case every day of my life, and every day I say a prayer that the killers will be brought to justice,” said Chief Cole. For 30 years, Chief Phil Cole has served as a peace officer in Bethany, Oklahoma. He was born and raised in the small, religious suburb.

Chief Cole says this is the most horrific murder of his career. He also pointed out that Carina’s case is the only unsolved murder of his career. He was on the scene October 13, 2011, and says he and the officers took the crime personally. Cole does not believe Carina Saunders was killed in Bethany. Instead, he believes the killers acted hastily in disposing of her body in a wooded area within Bethany city limits. The Chief also defends his department’s handling of the case by touting hundreds of search warrants and witness interviews conducted during the investigation. He remains hopeful that justice will be served in this case.

Chief Cole is set to retire in late 2020.

“I will never forget this case.” Dr. Pfeifer was new to Oklahoma and the state Medical Examiner’s office when Carina Saunders’ body turned up in bags. He did not personally perform the autopsy, but the pathologist remembers it vividly.

He says the killer(s) went to great extremes in trying to mask the identity of the victim. Pfeifer said that time was not on their side when the body arrived to the morgue. He said it was difficult to determine if Carina was dismembered before or after her death. However, it was determined Carina suffered a “violent death.”

“There is one person in the world that you cannot lie to and that is yourself.” Kyle Franks is the owner and operator of Accurate Solutions Incorporated, which provides professional polygraph services in Oklahoma. Franks is licensed by the state of Oklahoma to perform polygraphs.

As a Marine, Franks served three tours to Iraq. He also worked as a private security contractor for the U.S. Department of State, where he provided personal protection to U.S. Diplomats in high-threat environments such as Iraq and Israel.

Franks is a graduate of the National Polygraph Academy, which is accredited by the American Polygraph Association. His polygraph services include post-conviction sex offender testing, criminal testing and drug court testing. Franks performed a polygraph examination on Jimmy Massey on July 23, 2020.

“The analysis of all five charts revealed Mr. Massey showed NO DECEPTION INDICATED.” David Otwell is a certified polygraph examiner licensed in the State of Oklahoma and is an active member of the American Polygraph Association, the American Association of Police Polygraphists and the Oklahoma Polygraph Association.

Otwell operates under Truth Verification Polygraph Services. His work includes examinations for attorneys, law enforcement, government agencies and private security companies.

In 2016, David was nominated by Gov. Mary Fallin as a member of the State of Oklahoma Polygraph Examiner’s Board. David presently serves as the board's secretary.

In October 2020, the OSBI released this composite sketch of a man who was seen in the area of Northwest 23rd Street and Rockwell Avenue around the time Carina Saunders’ body was found. Investigators would like to speak with him for more information.

If you - or anyone you know - has information on this case, please contact the OSBI. Tips can be called in to 1-800-522-8017 or emailed to tips@osbi.ok.gov

“I am hopeful that someday we will find the killer so that the family of Carina Saunders will have answers as to how and why she was killed. If there is ever a credible case on a suspect, then we will hold them accountable because there is no statute of limitation for murder,” said Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater.

Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater filed first-degree murder charges against Jimmy Massey and Luis Ruiz, based on the case presented by the Bethany Police Department. The case quickly fell apart. During preparation for the defendants’ preliminary hearing, D.A. Prater and his investigators realize Bethany Police had built a case on statements from alleged eyewitnesses rather than actual evidence.

D.A. Prater dismissed the charges against Massey and Ruiz in July 2012 due to “insufficient evidence.” The case was never heard in court, but the charges could be refiled if such evidence is found.

Prater has served as the Oklahoma County District Attorney since 2007. He also had a lengthy career in law enforcement. Prater was a Deputy Sheriff in Cleveland County and a Master Police Officer in Norman. He later served an Assistant District Attorney and Assistant Attorney General. Prater’s current term ends in 2023.

He has met with Carina’s parents to explain why the dismissal of criminal charges in Carina’s case. During the meeting, Prater expressed empathy for the turbulent path toward justice for Carina.