Let’s take a look at “Dateline: Lisa Kerr Murder Updates” – “The Killer Closer: Roadside Homicide,” a program that airs on Investigation Discovery, is about the horrific murder of 32-year-old Lisa Kerr in the San Fernando Valley of California in March 1999.
The rest of the episode illustrates how an obsession can ultimately prove fatal as well as the detective technique that was ultimately successful in identifying the crime’s culprit. If you want to find out more information about the incident, the identity of the perpetrator, or their current whereabouts, we’ve got your back. Should we start the party now?
Lisa Kerr: Cause Of Death
On March 24, 1999, firemen in the San Fernando Valley put out the fire that was caused by a burning 1994 Ford Probe that was parked next to the northbound Hollywood Freeway at the Roscoe Boulevard exit ramp. They discovered a person that had been burned inside the vehicle, so they called the police and an arson investigator to the scene of the crime.
They were able to positively identify the charred body as that of 32-year-old Lisa Lorraine Kerr thanks to a driver’s license that they obtained from the purse that was discovered in the vehicle. In addition to that, they discovered evidence that suggested the fire had been started on purpose, as well as traces that suggested an accelerant had been used.
According to the findings of the autopsy, the most significant contributors to mortality were smoke inhalation and thermal burns. Further investigation revealed that although if suffocation was a possibility, the burned remains made it impossible to determine whether or not it was a factor.
In spite of this, the medical examiner came to the conclusion that Lisa was still alive when the fire started, but that she was most likely unconscious because she did not attempt to flee the building. The results of her toxicological test showed that she also had modest levels of carbon monoxide in her circulation, which confirmed the hypothesis that an accelerant was used in the incident.
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Details Of The Murderer Of Lisa Kerr
In the beginning, the police were looking at Calvin Kerr, Lisa’s ex-husband, as a possible suspect in the murder. According to the findings of the investigation, Calvin had a troubled past relationship but was ultimately exonerated as a suspect. As the investigation into Lisa’s life progressed, the authorities were eventually able to come up with a name: Donald Lewis Brooks Jr., who worked as a plumber. He had not been seen or heard from since the day the crime was committed.
In October of 1997, Lisa and Donald first connected at an Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) dance. They engaged in an affair behind one other’s backs for a period of ten months, and it wasn’t until August 1998 that Donald told another AA member, Mark Harvey, about it.
Donald stated that he loved Lisa, but he was furious and frustrated when Lisa decided recently to reunite with Calvin for the sake of their son. Donald believed that his son would be better off without either parent. He did not want the affair to come to an end, and he allegedly admitted to telling others that he had aspirations of stabbing Calvin or taking other drastic action to “get him out of the picture.” Lisa confided to a number of her friends and acquaintances that she was beginning to feel terrified of Donald as he began to display his true colors, which were those of a vindictive and jealous person. Lisa revealed in one of her friends that Donald, who was fascinated with her, was there “every time she turned around,” standing outside her home or business and watching her. Donald had resorted to following her and harassing her because of his obsession with her.
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How Did The Murderer Got Caught?
After Lisa’s divorce from her husband and subsequent move into her own apartment in January 1999, she continued, despite her misgivings, to accept financial support from Donald. After naming both himself and Lisa as tenants in the rental agreement that Donald had signed, he had given the document to Lisa to sign. Many of Lisa’s friends and acquaintances claim that she only let Donald into her life “for the money.” After questioning Mark, the investigators discovered that Donald allegedly threatened to hurt Mark and his children if Mark allowed Lisa to rent a room in his house. This information was obtained during Mark’s interview with the investigators.
After reviewing Donald’s cellphone records, the investigators discovered that he had placed a call from the location of the crime at approximately 4:23 am on March 24, 1999. This was several minutes before the firefighters arrived at the scene.
Additionally, the locations of his cell towers revealed that he had placed two calls from the neighborhood of Lisa’s house on that particular evening. The police were able to track his location to Colorado, where he had been living under an alias. He had even admitted to one of his roommates, David Jayne, that he had killed his ex-girlfriend by strangling her. This led the police to his location. After another four months, in July 1999, he was taken into custody.
After being extradited to California 5 days later, he confessed to his former plumbing helper that he had heard Lisa and Harvey laughing at him on March 23, 1998. This took place after he had been transported to California. Donald, overcome with resentment, “simply couldn’t take it” and accosted Lisa just as she was leaving the house. He then strangled the woman and placed her lifeless body in the trunk of her car. After that, he had drove to the location of the crime, set fire to the vehicle, and then fled to Colorado.
Current Location Of Donald Brooks
In June of 2001, Donald stood trial for the crimes of first-degree murder, stalking, and arson that caused serious bodily injury, and he was found guilty on all three charges. The defense that tried to make him guilty of voluntary homicide committed in the heat of passion was unsuccessfully presented to the jury, which resulted in the case being dismissed.
A “special circumstance charge of murder during the conduct of a kidnapping and murder with the infliction of torture” was also brought up by them.
Donald was given a death sentence, and in March of 2017, he attempted to file an appeal against the decision; however, the Supreme Court of California ruled in favor of maintaining the ruling. The official court documents indicate that the 57-year-old prisoner is presently being held in a cell on death row at the San Quentin State Prison located in the state of California.
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