Bonnie Woodward's murder: A complete timeline of events
Bonnie Woodward, a 47-year-old Alton, Illinois, resident, was last seen on June 25, 2010. Her unexplained disappearance initiated an eight-year-long pursuit. The case went unsolved for the first eight years, even though authorities had a suspect. It wasn't until 2018 that officials finally made headway when Roger Carroll, the early suspect, was arrested and eventually convicted of killing her.
This was primarily due to his son, Nathan's, testimony, which provided new information that reopened the case. Nathan informed authorities that he saw his father murder Bonnie Woodward and assisted him in hiding the crime. This information led to the discovery of key evidence on Carroll's property.
The case then moved smoothly through legal proceedings. By 2020, Roger Carroll was convicted and sentenced to 65 years in prison, as reported by The Alton Telegraph. The Bonnie Woodward murder is being broadcast as a special edition of ABC's 20/20 on June 7, 2025. The show explores the murder of Bonnie Woodward and the subsequent investigation and trial of Roger Carroll.
A detailed timeline of the Bonnie Woodward murder case
June 25, 2010: Bonnie Woodward disappears
According to a March 9, 2020, The Intelligencer article, Bonnie Woodward was last seen on June 25, 2010, near her vehicle in the Eunice Smith Nursing Home in Alton, Illinois, parking lot where she worked. She did not return home that evening and her disappearance was quickly reported to local authorities by her family.
June–July 2010: Early investigation
Initial investigation efforts focused on known acquaintances. According to an AP News article dated March 8, 2020, Roger Carroll, a man connected to the case through family ties, was identified as a person of interest as his fingerprints matched those found on Bonnie Woodward's truck. However, a property search yielded no evidence linking him to the disappearance, leading to no charges being filed due to a lack of direct evidence.
2010–2018: The case remains cold
For nearly eight years, there were no major developments in the case, leading to the case remaining cold. Investigators continued to follow up on leads and maintained interest in Roger Carroll, but no new evidence came forward. Woodward’s body had not been found, and there were no confirmed sightings or activity on her personal accounts.
March 2018: Testimony from Nathan Carroll
A major development occurred in the case in March 2018. According to a March 12, 2020, The Alton Telegraph article, Roger Carroll's son, Nathan, testified before a Madison County grand jury. He stated that he had heard his father shoot Bonnie Woodward the day she disappeared.
He further claimed that Roger forced him to help dispose of Woodward's body by mowing over the area where it was hidden and later burning the remains. Nathan also said that Roger made him scatter the ashes across their property, as per an October 1, 2020, Riverbender article.
April 12, 2018: Roger Carroll is charged
As per a June 3, 2025, article by The Alton Telegraph, following Nathan Carroll's grand jury testimony, law enforcement obtained a search warrant and returned to Carroll's property. Investigators then found bone fragments believed to be Bonnie Woodward's remains along with a 9mm revolver, which Nathan identified to be the murder weapon.
On April 12, 2018, Carroll was officially charged with three counts of first-degree murder, according to the March 2020 report by the outlet.
2018–2020: Trial and evidence
Jury selection began soon after charges were filed. During the trial, prosecutors presented testimony from Nathan Carroll as their primary evidence, who described in detail how the murder and the cover-up took place. Prosecutors also introduced physical evidence from the property, including recovered remains, as per the March 2020 Alton Telegraph report.
The outlet reported that Roger Carroll's defense challenged the reliability of the testimony, but the jury found the account credible. No additional suspects were identified.
2020: Conviction and sentencing
According to an October 1, 2020, article by The Alton Telegraph, a Jersey County jury found Roger Carroll guilty of first-degree murder in March of the same year.
Carroll received a total of 65 years in prison—45 years for the murder and an additional 25 years for using a firearm during the crime, as per the October 2020 Riverbender article. He was 54 years old at the time of his sentencing.
2025: Public and media interest continues
Years after the conviction, the case of Bonnie Woodward continued to attract media coverage. According to ABC's 20/20, the story was featured in episodes focusing on cold cases that were solved through family testimony. Local media outlets such as The Alton Telegraph and Riverbender revisited the case to highlight the importance of persistence in long-term investigations.
For more details on the Bonnie Woodward murder case, watch the special edition of ABC's 20/20 on June 7, 2025.
