Mother-of-seven’s killer is finally identified decades later after DNA breakthrough… but cops can’t charge him

The killer of a Washington mother of seven has finally been identified, more than 20 years after her body was found dumped in the greenery — but he cannot be charged.

Island County Sheriff’s Office investigators were able to confirm that Carl D. Schlobom, 69, killed Tamara “Tammy” Mattson, 39, over a dispute over a drug deal, and left her body at Camino Island State Park – where it was located. on December 9, 2003, the sheriff’s office announced on social media last week.

But Schlobom, who is currently serving a life sentence without parole for another murder in Arizona, cannot be prosecuted because he now suffers from advanced dementia.

Authorities explained that officers spent six years pursuing leads and interviewing Mattson’s acquaintances.

Then, in the summer of 2009, the Washington State Patrol Crime Lab was able to develop a DNA profile from a tiny amount of human biological material on a cigarette butt found in a parking lot near where Mattson’s body was found.

The DNA matched that of Schlobom, whose genetic material had already been added to the national database after his conviction in Arizona.

Yet that only proved that Schlobom was in the park – not that he was at the scene when Mattson was killed.

So detectives continued their investigation into Schlobom, trying to learn everything they could about him and his connection to the mother of seven, while also ruling out other potential suspects based on DNA collected from other litter in the park.

In 2019, then-Detective Shawn Warwick and Detective Ed Wallace went to the Arizona prison to question Schlobom about Mattson’s death.

But he refused to answer questions and the investigation was put on hold during the COVID pandemic.

Meanwhile, Mattson’s family continued to press for answers on each anniversary of her death.

“I called and I called and would have a conversation, and they explained to me that they didn’t have enough and if they heard anything they would let me know, but I stayed with Tammy’s business for many, many years. Mattson’s aunt Debra Darling said KOMO.

“I wanted justice for her mother and her children, she deserved it.”

Ultimately, Schlobom wrote a letter to Island County detectives in April 2021 saying he had information about Mattson’s death and that – in exchange for a long list of demands – he would provide information about the murder.

“Of all his crazy demands, the only one I would consider was allowing him to spend the rest of his life in a Washington prison if he were found to be the killer and pleaded guilty,” said prosecutor Greg Banks .

He then arranged a ‘free talk’ with Schlobom, where they could interrogate him under a temporary grant of immunity.

“Without his confession, we would have been stuck,” Banks explained. “This allowed him to speak candidly and allowed us to verify that he was the killer before negotiating a deal.”

After the interview, detectives were convinced they had Mattson’s killer.

“We’re always on guard when we’re talking to a suspect who’s trying to get a deal from us,” Banks said.

‘But in this case, everything he said matched what we knew and was information that no one else could have known. His memory was pretty good at the time.”

Schlobom subsequently agreed that once prison transfer arrangements between Arizona and the Washington Department of Corrections were finalized, he would sign a sworn confession and be charged in Island County with first-degree murder and first-degree kidnapping.

But investigators were unable to reach an agreement that Schlobom would serve his sentence in Washington rather than be transferred back to Arizona.

At the time, the Washington Department of Corrections was releasing inmates most at risk from COVID.

Without a guarantee that Schlobom could remain in Washington, he refused to sign a confession – and without a confession, there was no proof that he was the killer and he could not be charged.

Last year, an extradition official also told Banks that the two states might be willing to work something out, and Banks tried to revive negotiations, but attempts to reach him were met with silence.

Eventually, one of Schlobom’s relatives contacted Banks and told him that Schlobom had suffered a series of debilitating strokes and had advanced dementia.

She said she doubted Schlobom could read or understand the contents of the letters Banks sent.

Arizona officials subsequently confirmed that Schlobom was suffering from advanced dementia last month, saying he has been confined to the Special Needs Unit because of his need for 24-hour care and monitoring.

“He won’t be charged with Tammy’s murder, but he will spend the rest of his life in prison and he has to answer for that,” Darling said.

“He’s got another one to answer to, a much bigger one.”