Kriti Mehrotra
Directed by Traci Hays and based on Ann Rule’s non-fiction story ‘The Painter’s Wife,’ Lifetime’s ‘Kidnapped in Her Own Home: The Martha Carelli Story’ is indeed a true crime drama. It carefully chronicles the tale of the titular homemaker as her blissful life in the Tri-Cities area of Washington was shattered at the hands of an escaped violent inmate back in 1978. What followed was a dangerous psychological battle between everyone involved, but one’s unwavering fortitude, sharp instincts, and quiet resourcefulness ultimately saved several lives.
Kidnapped in Her Own Home is a Factual Account of a Real Crime
Although Lifetime’s ‘Kidnapped in Her Own Home: The Martha Carelli Story’ is a true account of criminality and survivalism, one aspect of the ordeal has been overlooked by many. Since it is an adaptation of ‘The Painter’s Wife,’ a story featured in Ann Rule’s 2008 book ‘Smoke, Mirrors, & Murder: And Other True Cases,’ some names (not their experiences) are fictional. The author candidly penned in this 12th installment of her crime files that she “changed the names of the actual victims… to save them embarrassment and to avoid invading their privacy.”
The primary victim/survivor in question was Martha Carelli, the wife of professional painting contractor John Carelli, as well as a devoted mother of 5 children: a daughter, plus 4 sons. However, by the time 1978 rolled around, the family’s suburban home in Pasco, Washington, was essentially half empty as the eldest three kids had moved out upon becoming adults. While the three bedrooms on the massive main floor were occupied by the couple, their 14-year-old son, and their 11-year-old son, there were two unused bedrooms on the basement floor.
Little did the Carellis know that a stranger named Michael Anderson would end up making one of the unoccupied spaces on the lower level his home for 36 hours before attacking them. It was on April 16 when 4 prisoners escaped from Franklin County Jail by overpowering a corrections officer and memorizing the jail elevator code, among whom was the 24-year-old. As per the book, he had been awaiting trial for armed robbery, credit card theft, and sexual assaults, all the while already having convictions in Illinois for attempted murder and burglary.
Martha Carelli Had No Idea an Inmate Had Invaded Her Home
Tuesday, April 18, 1978, had started off like any other for homemaker Martha as she woke up, prepared her sons for school, and saw them off along with her husband. She then joined her bowling team for a few hours before returning to what she believed was an empty home, unaware that an escaped inmate had snuck in over a day prior. Everyone in the area was aware of the jailbreak/missing inmate, so they were afraid to keep their doors and windows open, which was the case for the Carellis, too. In fact, they always kept a close eye on what was happening at Franklin County Jail because they lived just 6 blocks away, so they were among the first to start taking precautions.
According to the book, Michael had spent his first few hours out of captivity at a friend’s home, who allegedly provided him with a gun and holster. He only left once police started doing door-to-door checks. The book also indicates that he immediately began searching for another hiding place, and the Carellis’ home was the first he saw. He initially wanted to step into their open garage, but Martha closed the door mere minutes later, leaving him no choice but to lie in wait. His patience was rewarded as he noticed that one of her sons had mistakenly left the back door ajar, so he slipped in in the middle of the night, realized he could stay in the basement, and made himself at home.
Martha didn’t realize it at the time, but during the night or when no one was at home, Michael helped himself to some food and alcohol for sustenance while also paying attention to who lived there. Moreover, he allegedly used their phone to make plans to leave the city, only for everything to change on the fateful Tuesday evening when the mother of 5 went into the basement to do some laundry. She heard a sound she hadn’t recognized, so she went into one of the unused rooms to check, just to come face-to-face with Michael, who was already brandishing his gun.
Martha Carelli Was Attacked, Manipulated, and Allegedly Abducted
The moment Martha saw Michael, she froze in shock for a few moments before screaming at the top of her lungs and trying to run up the stairs to escape and call for help. But alas, Michael was bigger, stronger, and swifter, so he managed to snake an arm around her, hold her in position, and threaten her in quick succession. He then attacked her as she continued to scream. Her thinking at the time was to attract the attention of her two young sons, who were playing outside, or maybe even her husband if he was on his way home from work, but to no avail.
According to the aforementioned book, Michael hit Martha in the head so viciously in his fit of rage over her screaming that he gave her a concussion, injured her eyes, and broke her nose. She even passed out because he landed more than a few blows, and had no idea when she came to how much time had passed. All she knew was that blood was running down her face. She was terrified in those moments, but her fear grew multifold minutes later when she heard her 11-year-old son and a neighbor boy come down the stairs because they had indeed heard her calls for help. That’s when Michael used his gun to direct the boys to lie on the bed beside Martha, showed them his weapon was fully loaded, and tore up sheets to create a rope to hogtie the youngsters.
Unfortunately, Martha’s 14-year-old son then also walked into the room and faced the same fate, following which her husband returned home, was overpowered, and was ultimately hogtied too. As the evening descended, as per the book, Michael dragged the couple upstairs while falsely claiming he wasn’t alone and his fellow inmate would stay in the garage to watch the kids. After he locked John in a room, he had Martha cook dinner and serve drinks while keeping up the charade of having an accomplice. Then, he told her she was to be his getaway driver. However, a few hours later, he decided they should leave early, so she got behind the wheel while he crouched below the windows to hide. In the Lifetime film, it doesn’t appear as if the kids or John face the escaped inmate first-hand – the former seem to be late witnesses while the latter likely returns home to his wife missing.
Michael Anderson Took Another Unsuspecting Local Along the Way
Even though Martha’s one eye was swollen shut from her extensive injuries, Michael made her drive. According to the book, he then gave some eerie statements that she believed indicated he planned to sexually assault her before also threatening her family if she tried to act smart or even attempted an escape. After some time passed, he seemingly changed his mind and ordered her into the trunk. Neither had any idea that John had already managed to partially free himself, crawl to a neighbor’s house, and urge them to dial 911 because a “killer” was in his house with his wife and children. He didn’t know Michael had already taken Martha and was hurtling at 80 miles an hour to leave the Tri-Cities area as quickly as possible because he didn’t want to even risk capture.
While Martha was in the trunk, she believed she heard Michael drive a short distance, stop for a few minutes, attempt a failed carjacking, and get on a bumpy road in frustration. After a while, the car stopped again, he opened the trunk, threatened her to remain quiet, and slammed it shut, during which she could see they were now in a well-lit parking lot. According to records, they were indeed in the parking lot of the Giant T department store in Kennewick, with the escaped inmate wanting to get another car before leaving the area. The 24-year-old thus walked into the store through the Employees Only entry and managed to take a stock boy hostage, despite lacking a concrete plan.
That’s when 28-year-old store manager Edward “Doug” Parry came looking for the clerk, only to find him with a gun pointed behind his ear and Michael having full control of the situation. Nevertheless, thanks to his previous career as an ambulance driver/EMТ specialist, he managed to remain calm and convince the inmate to let him get all the closing customers out. The only people then remaining in the store were a cashier, the stock boy, Doug, and Michael, following which the manager put himself in the line of fire to save his employees. In the end, after the criminal had the manager hand him all the cash inside the store (over $5,000), they left through the front gate. Michael had locked the other two employees in the pharmacy. It was shortly before 10 pm when the duo, along with a disoriented and dizzy Martha, got into Doug’s vehicle, with the inmate settling in the backseat and ordering to be driven to Seattle.
Martha Carelli and Doug Parry Were Crucial in Ensuring Michael Anderson’s Capture
By the time Martha, Doug, and Michael were on their way to Seattle, as per the book, it was evident he was agitated. After all, he hadn’t hesitated to hit Martha upon hearing her cry. She was injured and worried about her family, still believing there was another criminal inside her home, but he showed her no care or mercy; instead, he indicated his plan was to ultimately kill her and Doug. Authorities were also searching for answers as they had found Martha’s abandoned car in the Giant T parking lot at 10:30 pm, with the significant blood stains in the trunk making them wonder if she was even still alive. However, things changed a little when 1 am rolled around, and the three individuals found themselves in Seattle, as Michael demanded a tour of the city he was visiting for the first time.
Doug agreed to Michael’s every whim before calmly turning his car into the Sherwood Inn parking lot without asking for permission. He then asserted that killing him and Martha would only cause more problems, so he could just get a room for the night, tie them up, and leave when he’s relaxed and ready. “You can have my car keys – all the money I have, my credit cards,” Doug reportedly added. “Think about it. You’ll be home free, and you won’t have a murder charge hanging over you.” Michael agreed and told him to check them in while he remained by Martha, warning that if he tried anything funny, he would shoot her. Fortunately, Doug managed to relay to the clerk checking them in that he and the woman he was with were being held hostage, only to be believed when they noticed her injuries.
Therefore, while they settled in, the authorities rushed towards the hotel. Then, as Michael ordered Martha to clean up before tying her to the bedframe and hogtying Doug, officials stealthily got into position outside their room. When the escaped inmate stepped out at 5 am to get something to eat, he was ambushed and arrested, whereas the two hostages were freed and rushed to a nearby hospital. Although Martha was subsequently diagnosed with severe post-traumatic stress disorder, she was determined to testify against her assailant. However, Michael ultimately pleaded guilty to assault, conspiracy to commit escape, escape, kidnapping, and robbery, for which he was handed down multiple life sentences. That same year, he was also convicted of his previous charges and given another 25 years in prison, all the while Martha and Doug hoped to move on from the past with the support of their respective families.
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