Monica and Nathan Carroll: What Happened to Roger Carroll’s Wife and Son?

Bonnie Woodward was last seen in June 2010 in the parking lot of her workplace in Alton, Illinois, after which she vanished without a trace. An investigation was promptly launched, and suspicion eventually turned toward Roger Carroll. However, authorities initially lacked any direct evidence linking Roger to Bonnie’s disappearance. It wasn’t until 2018 that the case took a major turn when Roger’s son, Nathan Carroll, came forward with a testimony that provided crucial information. His account led investigators to key evidence that ultimately helped solve the case and led to Roger’s arrest. The ABC ‘20/20’ episode titled ‘I Have Killed For You’ explores Nathan’s pivotal role and how his revelations brought long-awaited justice in Bonnie’s case.

Nathan and Monica Carroll Came Forward With Revelations

Nathan Carroll was born in the mid-1990s to Roger and Monica Carroll and spent most of his life in Alton, Illinois. He became acquainted with Heather Woodward through their local church group. In early June 2010, after the latter ran away from home, she came to stay at the Carroll household. Although Nathan had never met Heather’s stepmother, Bonnie Woodward, he recalled that his father, Roger, had alleged that Bonnie was a “bad person” and claimed she had been abusive toward Heather.

Nathan was not initially connected to Bonnie’s disappearance and remained unrelated to the case for several years. That changed in 2018 when he was called to testify before a grand jury and was formally indicted for the information he provided. The turning point came when Nathan’s mother, Monica Carroll, reported a domestic assault to the police in March 2018. During her statement, she revealed that Roger had once told her, “I have killed for you,” which opened the door to further investigation and ultimately led to new developments in the case. Prosecutors had initially offered Nathan immunity in exchange for truthful testimony, but he initially claimed that he hadn’t witnessed anything suspicious. However, when the judge warned him that his immunity would be revoked if he wasn’t honest, Nathan changed course.

Nathan and Monica Carroll’s Testimony Proved Crucial in Roger Carroll’s Conviction

Nathan Carroll testified that during a family vacation, his father, Roger Carroll, told him that Bonnie Woodward “needed to die.” He said he attempted to dissuade his father from following through with the plan, but Roger was determined and refused to listen. Nathan further stated that he and his father cut the vacation short and returned early to their hometown of Jerseyville one day before his mother returned. According to his testimony, after he and his father returned on June 25, 2010, Roger drove by Bonnie Woodward’s workplace, pointed at her vehicle, and remarked that it was good she was working that day. Nathan explained that Roger had learned of Bonnie’s typical schedule through her stepdaughter.

Nathan said that back at home, Roger took a shower, shaved, changed clothes, and loaded his firearm. He then reportedly told Nathan that the act was going to happen, whether he liked it or not. Nathan said he had been instructed to set up a tent a distance away from the house. Later, he recalled hearing eight or nine gunshots— coming from behind the garage. When he stepped outside through the garage, he spotted a pair of human legs wearing tan medical scrub pants. Roger warned him not to come any closer, saying that the sight was “ugly.” Nathan watched as his father used a tractor to lift the body and dispose of it in a large brush fire that Nathan had previously built and started.

Nathan admitted that Roger then showed him Bonnie’s cell phone, which he said he smashed with a hammer, placed in a plastic bag, and tossed into the fire. In an effort to erase all traces, both father and son mowed the grass around the area where the body had been and tended the fire constantly over the next several days. Once the fire had burned out, Roger used the tractor to scoop up what remained and dispose of the ashes in a nearby creek. After his testimony, Nathan led the police to three spots: the place where Bonnie was allegedly shot, the place where her remains were allegedly burnt, and the creek where her ashes were allegedly disposed of. Nathan also claimed that Roger would frequently bring up the murder in conversations for years after it happened.

Monica, in her testimony, described going on a family trip to Goreville, Illinois, shortly before Woodward’s disappearance. Upon returning home, Monica noticed a large brush pile burning on their property. She observed Roger using a tractor to move ashes from the burn site toward a nearby creek. She also recounted a violent domestic incident in March 2018, during which Roger assaulted her and told her, “I have killed for you,” and identified himself as a “monster” who could no longer control his anger.

Monica further testified about Roger’s controlling behavior, including forbidding Heather Woodward, Bonnie’s stepdaughter, from using phones or computers while staying at their home. This control was part of a broader pattern of manipulation and abuse.

Monika and Nathan Carroll Have Not Been in the Public Eye Recently

In 2020, then-25-year-old Nathan Carroll took the stand and testified against his father, Roger Carroll. His detailed and emotionally difficult testimony helped fill in the missing pieces of Bonnie Woodward’s disappearance and ultimately led to Roger’s conviction and 65-year prison sentence. Understandably, he has kept a low profile since then. His cooperation was not only courageous but essential in bringing long-awaited closure to Bonnie’s loved ones and resolving a case that had remained unsolved for nearly a decade.

As part of the agreement with prosecutors, Nathan was granted immunity and was neither charged nor prosecuted for his involvement. However, he later claimed that members of his father’s side of the family had cut off contact with him and that he had received threats in the aftermath of the trial. Despite the personal cost, his decision to come forward played a critical role in delivering justice.