Of all the scary stories you could possibly hear, the scariest are usually "based on a true story." Most of the time, Halloween is a fairly uneventful celebration, with smiles and happiness everywhere. But there's one Halloween in Lawton, Oklahoma's history that unfortunately took a turn for the worst.


A Night Like Any Other

On October 31, 1977, Lawtonians George and Rose Carter were getting ready for bed just like any other night. Since their daughter, 19-month-old Nima Louise Carter, wasn't old enough to be trick-or-treating yet, they instead got ready for the next day like usual.

At around 10:30 p.m., the Carters laid Nima down to sleep, unknowingly for the very last time. In interviews with the Carters, they admitted to hearing Nima crying and were practicing a common parenting method at that time: self-soothing.

Rather than coming to Nima's cries, the parents let her cry on her own. Eventually, they didn't hear her anymore and assumed that she had fallen asleep.

The next morning, neither Rose nor George saw the baby anywhere. George admitted that there was a "slim chance" that Nima would've been able to get out of the crib and even out of the house. Lawton's search for Nima started shortly after the Carters reported her missing. If they didn't find Nima soon, they were looking at some deadly circumstances.

A cold front was headed to Oklahoma at that time and, if Nima was still wearing just the thin red t-shirt and diaper that her parents bed her down in, she was most definitely not going to be able to withstand those low temperatures on her own.

"Hunt For Missing Tot"

Bentley, Bill F. The Lawton Constitution (Lawton, Okla.), Vol. 75, No. 122, Ed. 1 Tuesday, November 1, 1977, newspaper, November 1, 1977; Lawton, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc2039097/: accessed October 24, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.
Bentley, Bill F. The Lawton Constitution (Lawton, Okla.), Vol. 75, No. 122, Ed. 1 Tuesday, November 1, 1977, newspaper, November 1, 1977; Lawton, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc2039097/: accessed October 24, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.
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After looking for more evidence, George, Rose and Lawton police were able to come up with a few significant clues pointing towards an abduction, rather than Nima simply wandering away:

  • A few months earlier, the Carter's home had been vandalized and Nima's photos were found scattered behind their shed
  • The side door to the home, that wasn't able to lock, and the gate to the property were both found open

It wasn't until November 23, 1977 that the Carters would have at least some of their answer. Unfortunately, it wasn't what the family had been praying for. A Fort Sill soldier, who happened to be exploring an abandoned duplex, found the missing child lying on the ground in front of a refrigerator.

Lawton Constitution Nov. 24, 1977 Issue
Bentley, Bill F. The Lawton Constitution (Lawton, Okla.), Vol. 75, No. 139, Ed. 1 Thursday, November 24, 1977, newspaper, November 24, 1977; Lawton, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc2039116/: accessed October 24, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.
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To this day, Nima's suspected murderer has gone unpunished for the crime. When the Carters and police drew up conclusions of who could have taken Nima, they knew the suspect would've had to have been:

  • Familiar with the home and known that the side door was unable to lock
  • Had access to the home, as it was believed the suspect hid in Nima's closet until the Carters were asleep
  • Knew where furniture was placed and the house's layout, so as to not disturb anything while leaving with Nima
  • Nima must've known this person, since no one heard her cries as whoever took her left

The one person who not only fit every bill on this list, but had been accused (and eventually convicted) of kidnapping two younger girls that were found just blocks away from Nima's crime scene just a year and a half prior.


Nima's Possible Killer Could've Been Caught Sooner

In April 1976, the Carpitcher girls were both locked in a refrigerator in an abandoned home; one of which unfortunately passed away. But the older sister, Tina Carpitcher, was able to breathe through a crack in the fridge and call for help when a group of children were playing the in the abandoned home. Later on, Tina was able to identify Jacqueline "Jackie" Roubideaux as her kidnapper.

Unfortunately, because of Tina's age at the time (she was only 10) and the lack of evidence, Jackie was set free and began babysitting for the Carters. Although Jackie was convicted for the Carpitcher case after new evidence was discovered, she was never charged with Nima's murder.

And Nima's father, George, didn't believe that Jackie would've done it. On the other hand, George's mother-in-law confidently believed that Jackie was responsible.

Nima's unfortunate passing is still heavily debated to this day: did Jackie Roubideaux murder her?

Remember the Carter family this Halloween and keep your kids close.

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