Pierce County prosecutors have filed murder charges against a man whose wife was found fatally shot inside their burned-out South Tacoma home in January.
Michael Carlson, 53, was charged Tuesday with first-degree murder in Laura Carlson’s death and with first-degree arson in the house fire.
Carlson, who suffered burns in the Jan. 3 fire, remains hospitalized at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. Tacoma police talked to him briefly Wednesday and placed him under arrest.
A uniformed officer is standing guard at Carlson’s hospital room. He is expected to be released from the hospital soon and will be booked into the Pierce County Jail, police said.
Tacoma firefighters were called to the Carlsons’ home in the 7200 block of South Lawrence Street shortly after 3 a.m. Witnesses reported seeing an explosion and flames engulfing a trailer parked next to the home, court documents state.
They also reported seeing Michael Carlson inside the home, fully dressed and with his head on fire. When neighbors tried to pull him out of the burning house, charging documents state, he ran back inside and said, “My wife is inside!”
Firefighters found Laura Carlson, 46, dead in the couple’s bed. Michael Carlson also was found in the bedroom. Two empty pill bottles were found between the two.
Michael Carlson had burns on his hands and back and was taken to Harborview Medical Center in serious condition.
The Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office determined Laura Carlson had been shot 10 times, including twice in the head.
Fire investigators determined Michael Carlson’s burns were consistent with “having been in direct contact with the fire, rather than having been in the bedroom while the fire burned the house,” charging documents state.
When searching the couple’s burned house, detectives noted a strong smell of gasoline. They found gas cans in the living room and in a bedroom, They also found a hand pump sprayer in the Carlsons’ bedroom, court documents state.
Detectives collected 9mm casings and cartridges and found a .357-caliber revolver on the bed.
“The bedroom opened onto a back deck where a 9mm handgun was recovered,” charging documents state. “The 9mm handgun was between the house and the trailer.”
Firefighters found a five-page, typed letter on the windshield of Michael Carlson’s truck. It said the Mafia had killed the Carlsons for some previous wrongdoing, charging documents state. A copy of the letter was left in several mailboxes of neighbors.
Detectives determined the letter had been written on Michael Carlson’s computer two days before the fire.
The motive for Laura Carlson’s death remains unknown, police said Wednesday.
Stacey Mulick: 253-597-8268
stacey.mulick@thenewstribune.com
JOIN THE DISCUSSION | Register here
We welcome comments. Please keep them civil, short and to the point. ALL CAPS, spam, obscene, profane, abusive and off topic comments will be deleted. Repeat offenders will be blocked. Thanks for taking part — and abiding by these simple rules. A thorough explanation of rules of conduct can be found in our Terms of Service. If you have any questions, including why your comment may not be showing immediately after you submit it, be sure to visit the commenting FAQ.