Tina Louise Lovato, a devoted mother of five, was found shot dead in her Colorado Springs residence on November 1, 1993. Police initially believed the death was by suicide, but an autopsy determined death as murder changed the course of the investigation. Investigation Discovery’s “Homicide Hunter: Lt. Joe Kenda: Justified” chronicles the chilling murder and follows the investigation that has tightened the net around the killer. Let’s dig through the files and find out where the author is currently located, shall we?
How did Tina Louise Lovato die?
Tina Louise Lovato was a loving and caring mother of five who resided in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Adored by those close to her and highly respected in the community, Tina has been described as a kind and generous person who has always put her children first above everything else. So, it was indeed a dark day when suddenly Tina was insanely torn away from her family forever.
Police found Tina Lovato’s deceased body in the living room of her home. Near the victim was a semi-automatic magnum pistol, which resembled the gun that was fired. Although the cause of death was determined to be a gunshot wound, the bullet entered Tina’s head through the bottom of her chin, which initially hinted at a possible death by suicide. Incidentally, authorities also noticed a tattoo on the victim’s body that signified a potential romance between Tina and a man named Darrin Carroll.
Who Killed Tina Louise Lovato?
Amazingly, when the police arrived at the crime scene, they found Darrin Carroll bent over Tina’s body. He even had blood splatters on him, which made detectives suspicious of his involvement. Tina’s cousin, Bert, was another possible witness to the shooting. When questioned by authorities, he mentioned that the trio had gotten pretty drunk before heading home that night. Bert even went so far as to state that he heard Tina and Darrin arguing before a shot rang out in the house.
However, according to the show, Bert and Darrin insisted that Tina was depressed and had drunken suicide. Interestingly, when questioned, Darrin admitted to having an argument with Tina about going out to another bar. He even admitted to carrying a gun and told authorities that the gun found next to the victim was his. However, Darrin claimed that while the two embraced after their altercation, Tina pulled the gun out of its shoulder holster and put it to her chin.
Darrin claimed he tried to reason with Tina and even applied force to remove the gun, but in the ensuing scuffle the gun exploded, killing Tina on the spot. Authorities and Tina’s family refused to believe that the victim committed suicide. Tina’s brother said she loved her children and wouldn’t think of abandoning them. Additionally, Tina’s family, particularly her brother, said Darrin was emotionally and verbally abusive. Additionally, detectives also learned that Tina had a massive fear of guns and refused to hold a gun in her hands.
The subsequent autopsy revealed more incriminating evidence, as detectives realized there was some distance between Tina’s head and muzzle when the bullet was fired. This is extremely unlikely in the event of death by suicide, as most people press down on the muzzle to ensure death. Also, Tina had blood spatter on her right hand, and the victim being right-handed, she couldn’t have fired and had blood spatter on her dominant hand.
Realizing that Tina could have been killed by someone else, the police decided to bring in Darrin for another round of questioning. When subjected to rigorous questioning, Darrin eventually confessed to not only having a massive altercation with the victim, but also introducing the weapon into the ensuing fight, which accidentally erupted, killing Tina Louise. Lovato.
Where is Darrin Carroll now?
When shown in court, Darrin Carroll pleaded guilty and was sentenced to six years in prison for manslaughter. The show mentioned that Darrin had converted to Christianity in prison and, upon his release, began serving as a senior pastor at Victory Life Ministries. Plus, he’s pretty open about his past and even appeared in the Investigation Discovery episode, hoping someone would learn not to make the same mistakes he did. Although a 2017 report said Darrin lived in Pueblo, Colorado, he now prefers to stay under the radar, making his current whereabouts uncertain.
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