Shivangi Sinha
In November 2010, two men out target shooting discovered partially burned human remains near the intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard and St. Rose Parkway in Nevada. They promptly notified the police, who soon identified the remains as those of Michele Carson, a California resident visiting Las Vegas. Several weeks later, a crucial lead helped authorities identify a suspect. The investigation and timeline of events are detailed in the ID episode of ‘A Killer Among Friends’ titled ‘Secret to Reveal.’
A Trip to Las Vegas Turned Fatal For Michele Carson
Michele Carson was born to John Carson and Esther Deleon and raised in Walnut, California. She had two older brothers, Kevin Carson and Daniel Ortiz, who both cared deeply for her. After her parents separated, she divided her time between them but mainly lived with her father in West Covina, California. From a young age, Michele showed a kind and compassionate nature. She aspired to build a career focused on helping others, a goal she pursued with dedication. Michele graduated from Nogales High School in 2003 and went on to study criminal justice at California State University, Fullerton, driven by her strong commitment to her ambitions.
Michele appeared to be living a fulfilling and promising life. After completing her bachelor’s degree, she pursued a master’s degree and was actively working toward it. In November 2010, while visiting her hometown of West Covina, she and her best friend decided to take a trip to Las Vegas, Nevada, to celebrate their upcoming graduation. The 25-year-old stayed with her friend until November 5, after which her friend returned home, but Michele chose to remain. She had rented a hotel room in her name and planned to stay a few more days.
On November 7, 2010, two men out for target shooting came across a dark path in the desert area south of Las Vegas Boulevard and St. Rose Parkway. The men approached the area and discovered human remains beneath what appeared to be smoldering rocks. They immediately contacted the police, who later identified the body as Michele’s. The cause of death was determined to be ligature strangulation, and the remains showed that she had sustained burns covering 80% of her body. Michele’s family was promptly informed, and they flew to Las Vegas to assist with the investigation and seek justice for their daughter.
Phone Records Helped Trace the Movements of Michele Carson’s Killer
The police began interviewing Michele Carson’s friends and learned that she had stayed behind to spend time with her ex-boyfriend, Justin Burns. The two had met in 2006 at Cal State Fullerton, where he was a former Bishop Gorman basketball player. Their relationship had been turbulent, with several breakups over the years. Many of her friends alleged that Justin was physically abusive, which had led her to end the relationship due to its volatility. Michele’s family was shocked by these revelations and stated they had never heard of such issues before. Although they broke up in July 2010, Michele and Justin met in Las Vegas, where he had shown up and wanted to talk.
On the morning of November 7, police discovered Michele’s abandoned car, left running on the side of the road. The driver’s seat was pushed all the way back, which seemed unusual since Michele was not very tall, leading investigators to suspect someone else had driven the vehicle there. Authorities retraced the couple’s steps and learned they had visited a restaurant on the night of November 6, where witnesses reported hearing them argue. Michele appeared to become upset while Justin grew agitated. The last call Michele made was to Justin, prompting the police to obtain a court order to subpoena his phone records for further investigation. In early December 2010, a woman, who was Justin’s brother’s girlfriend, approached the police and revealed that her boyfriend had confessed to her that Justin had killed his girlfriend. Following this lead, in March 2011, authorities arrested him in Jackson and charged him with murder.
Justin Burns Took His Own Life While Incarcerated
Justin Burns’ trial faced multiple delays due to numerous pleas and petitions from his defense team, who argued that he had been diagnosed with mental health issues and was unfit to stand trial. However, these claims were dismissed, and in July 2017, he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder with use of a deadly weapon. He was sentenced to 10 to 25 years in prison and was held at High Desert State Prison in Clark County, Nevada. Despite repeated appeals from his defense team requesting his transfer to a hospital, these were denied. On June 8, 2023, he was found unconscious in his prison cell, and his death was ruled a suicide.
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