EVANSTON — The Evanston woman charged with murdering two local residents in September confessed to investigators in February, according to affidavits of probable cause filed in circuit court. ![]()
Documents also indicate that Michelle McWhorter, 34, had used methamphetamine and marijuana the day she allegedly killed Dean Corlett, and had stayed up all night before she allegedly killed Christina Caves.
According to court documents, McWhorter — who’s been in jail since Oct. 19, 2016, on suspicion of larceny and possessing drug paraphernalia — appeared unapologetic, even laughing at one point during the confession at how long it took her to kill Caves.
“Oh, God, it was hard to kill her,” she said, according to an affidavit.
She made similar statements, according to court documents, about murdering Corlett, telling investigators that it was difficult to cut him with a pocket knife and that “he wouldn’t die.”
Documents also reveal a possible brazenness to the acts. McWhorter allegedly described both scenes as “just sloppy,” and she said she didn’t try to cover her tracks because she didn’t care.
Caves, 52, was found dead on Sept. 10 in her Evanston apartment, located at 212 Birch St. According to court documents, she was murdered sometime between Sept. 1 and Sept. 10, although officers responding to a welfare check on Sept. 10, indicated she’d been dead for some time. A neighbor, who said she usually saw Caves every day, called police when she hadn’t seen her in nearly a week.
Officers were able to find an unlocked window in a bedroom, where Caves’ body was found, and enter the apartment. Officers said they made the decision to enter the apartment based on Caves’ past reported health problems, and once they opened the window, there was a strong odor that officers said was similar to that of a dead body. They also saw that the screen in the window they entered was bent and looked like it had been removed at some point before officers responded.
Corlett, 69, was found dead on Sept. 26 in his Evanston home, located at 178 County Rd. Court documents indicate he was murdered sometime between Sept. 15 and Sept. 26, although Corlett was likely dead for several days before officers responded to a welfare check.
The Evanston Police Department responded to a welfare check on Sept. 18, and couldn’t make contact with anyone at the home. Officers tried again the following day with the same result.
“Both times all the doors and windows to the residence had been locked and officers were unable to see inside of the residence,” an affidavit states.
A neighbor said he had plans to watch a Sunday afternoon football game with Corlett and he called police when he went to Corlett’s home and no one answered the door. The neighbor, who said he sometimes bought groceries for Corlett because he couldn’t get around very well, said the door was locked and a blanket was covering the window.
He said because of his visits and Corlett’s lack of mobility, Corlett never locked his door and he didn’t like his windows covered.
Officers performed another welfare check on Sept. 26, on request from Corlett’s son, Dylan, and found a bloody scene surrounding the 69-year-old’s body.
Evanston Police Lt. Ken Pearson said officers don’t usually kick in doors when performing welfare checks just because a neighbor hasn’t seen someone for a few days.
“We typically try our darndest to look into the house or look for forced entry or anything like that,” Pearson said. “… We’re there to see if they’re hurt. … Typically we find them when they’re there. And if they’re not there, they tell the complainant that we didn’t have any contact with them.”
Corlett’s cause of death was exsanguination, or severe blood loss. According to court documents, investigators found a small pocket knife under Corlett’s body — one that McWhorter allegedly admitted taking from someone who lived nearby.
McWhorter said she and her dog were hungry the night she killed Corlett, according to an affidavit. It was dark outside and getting cold, and she said she didn’t have anywhere to go.
She was introduced to Corlett through a neighbor some time ago, and according to court documents, McWhorter had attempted to steal from Corlett. Corlett reported McWhorter to the police, and the mutual neighbor said he’d been worried about McWhorter because McWhorter was embarrassed by the incident.
On the night of Corlett’s death, “McWhorter decided that she was going to be nice before she was going to have to try anything, by giving Corlett a chance to help her out,” according to an affidavit.
She allegedly knocked on Corlett’s door and watched him get up from his dinner table, then asked him if she could use his cellphone.
“No, get out of here,” Corlett said, according to court documents. “Go away.”
McWhorter then allegedly watched through the door as Corlett went back to his dinner before charging at him, putting him in a choke hold and dragging him into the kitchen, where she beat, strangled and stabbed him several times.
“I killed Dean because of the way he was treating me …” McWhorter said, according to an affidavit.
She allegedly killed Caves for similar reasons. McWhorter lived with Caves at some point, and Caves kicked her out. McWhorter then briefly lived with someone else in the same apartment complex.
McWhorter allegedly told investigators that she was in Caves’ apartment the day of the homicide because McWhorter was Caves’ drug dealer and Caves had just gotten paid. (Toxicology reports confirmed the presence of methamphetamine and alcohol in Caves’ system at the time of her death).
McWhorter allegedly told investigators that it was hot outside when she went to Caves’ apartment — that it was noon or 1 p.m. She said she went there to ask Caves for a little money and Caves told her no.
“McWhorter reached for her car keys and needle that was in her pocket and thought that Caves took them from her, causing her to freak out,” according to court documents. “McWhorter thought that Caves was playing games with her and she was going to hold her hostage to get her in trouble for having the car keys.”
The keys, according to an affidavit, were for a car McWhorter had stolen.
Caves told McWhorter to leave, and when she wouldn’t, according to court documents, Caves punched her in the head.
McWhorter said she then went “full [force] and strangled her (Caves) all the way to the end,” according to an affidavit. At some point, McWhorter went to the kitchen and returned with a butter knife, stabbing Caves.
During the struggle, Caves dug her fingernail into one of McWhorter’s fingers, causing her to bleed, according to court documents. Lab results found several drops of what appeared to be blood throughout the apartment that later tested positive for McWhorter’s DNA. Cave’s autopsy listed asphyxiation as the cause of death.
According to court documents, investigators also found McWhorter’s DNA at Corlett’s home, along with her fingerprints.
McWhorter allegedly told investigators that prior to killing Caves, she had gotten to the point in her life that she told herself “the next person that hits or does something to her, they are going to end up dying.”
McWhorter allegedly ransacked Caves’ apartment and stole anything that might be of value, including clothes, jewelry and methamphetamine. She also told police that she stole from Corlett after killing him, taking cash, several cartons of cigarettes and Spam to feed her dog, according to court documents.
McWhorter had an initial appearance in circuit court on Thursday, and she’s scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing at 9 a.m. on Monday, April 10.
She faces two counts of murder in the first degree, two felony counts of burglary and two misdemeanor counts of theft.
If convicted of first-degree murder, McWhorter could face the death penalty, life without parole or life imprisonment.
If Circuit Court Judge Michael Greer determines there’s enough evidence for the case to move forward, it would be bound over to district court, where McWhorter would be arraigned.
“The court will enter a schedule that provides a deadline for my office to notify the court if we are pursuing the death penalty,” Uinta County Attorney Loretta R. Howieson told the Herald on Friday. “The office will comply with that schedule.”
Families of the victims are pleased with the progress in the cases.
“I did not know Michelle, and my father never mentioned her to me,” Dylan Corlett told the Herald. “I’m glad that the case is moving ahead and look forward to seeing the evidence. The police must be confident in the case if they brought charges, but ‘innocent until proven guilty,’ as they say.”
Caves’ daughter, Kayla Stewart, praised local law enforcement.
“First of all,” Stewart said, “hats off to the Evanston police department. They have been so professional and on top of everything and [have been] putting so much time and effort into this and I am so grateful for the whole department that’s working on these cases.”
She said she’s relieved with the recent progress.
“This is only the beginning of this process,” Stewart said, “but it feels good to have some relief that things are headed in the right direction. We all need to stick together, keep positive and have faith that Dean Corlett and my mother, Christina Caves, get the justice they so much deserve.”
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