EATON COUNTY, Mich. — After 22 years and 16 days a cold case in Charlotte is now closed.
Beverly McCallum is heading to prison for the next 40 to 60 years after being sentenced Thursday afternoon in the 2002 death of Roberto Caraballo.
Prosecutors argued McCallum and two others killed Caraballo and dumped his remains in an Ottawa County blueberry field where he went undiscovered until 2015.
Prosecutor Doug Lloyd told FOX 47 News that the most challenging part of the case in his mind was trying to piece together decades of evidence.
“Twenty-two years as well as three detectives, two detectives who have retired and now I'm onto a third detective and trying to keep all those pieces going while people are all coming and going,” Lloyd said.
Sicily Caraballo, the daughter of the victim and his killer was one of two family members who gave victim impact statements before Judge Janice Cunningham delivered the verdict.
“Despite her ill-will and her disgraceful parenting, I’m here to face her today as a human you cannot take credit for,” Caraballo said as she looked to her mother.
Last month, following six days of testimony, a jury found McCallum guilty after a two-hour deliberation. Her accomplices, including her oldest daughter, are currently serving prison sentences.
Prosecutors say McCallum left the country in the wake of her husband’s death, allegedly traveling to Jamaica and later Italy where she was arrested in 2020.
European authorities extradited McCallum in 2022 after prosecutfrom ors in Eaton County agreed to bring her in on a second-degree murder charge.
At the end of her statement, Sicily Caraballo requested restitution that would be used to help the children of murdered parents.
McCallum has 42 days to appeal her sentence.
Want to see more local news? Visit the FOX47News Website.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere.
Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox.
Select from these options: Neighborhood News, Breaking News, Severe Weather, School Closings, Daily Headlines, and Daily Forecasts.
