Watch Me on ID Investigation Discovery Tonight
Saturday, December 8, 2012 at 9:38AM 
Tonight at 9:00 PM EST, I will appear on the nationally broadcast program Motives & Murders: Cracking the Case | Not Again on ID - Investigation Discovery.
In 1997, Carla Larson was murdered near Disney property, where she worked as an engineer for a construction company. Her husband became an immediate suspect in the public’s eyes (not to mention law enforcement) because of his lack of emotion when interviewed on local television stations. He was downright indifferent. However, there was much more to the story, so please watch tonight to find out why…
From the ID Website:
When Carla Larson leaves work to grab lunch, she never returns. The all-American wife and mother is discovered naked and strangled to death in a nearby swamp. The investigation stalls…until a random love triangle provides a clue to finding her killer.
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I will be featured on this program because of a two-part series I wrote and published on September 5 & September 8, 2010:
Slowly, the wiles of justice churn
Motives & Murders: Cracking the Case will appear on the Investigation Discovery channel on Saturday night, December 8, at 9:00 PM EST. It will be repeated at midnight, at 4:00 AM, and Sunday afternoon at 5:00 PM. You can find out if your TV Service Provider carries the channel by clicking HERE and typing in your information.
Newly elected State Attorney Jeff Ashton was also interviewed, along with Carla’s husband, Jim Larson. The interview took place in June of this year.
I don’t know how much I’ll figure into the program, but I do know about cutting room floors. In any event, it should be a very good show because I remember the crime so well. Please take a little time to read my two posts to familiarize yourself with the case.
Dave Knechel | tagged Carla Larson, Investigation Discovery, Jim Larson, John Huggins, Motives & Murders | in Chief Judge Belvin Perry, Dave Knechel, David B. Knechel, David Knechel, Death Penalty, Forensics, Human Interest, Jeff Ashton, Marinade Dave, Marinade Dave Knechel, Ninth Circuit Court, Orange County Sheriff’s Office, marinadedave | Share Article 
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Reader Comments (25)
O cool I know a movie star LOL got my DVR set will you be giving out autographs?
Autographs? Movie star? PFFFFT. I put my pants on like everybody else!
Thanks, Charlee!
Hi Dave,
I am sill an active reader on your wonderful blog and your articles are the best. I will be watching the show and I am looking forward to it.
Thank you so much for all the time you put into your blog and keeping us updated on the Zimmerman Case.
[Thank you for continuing to read my blog, Janet, and for wanting to watch the show tonight. I am looking forward to it, too, as nervous as I am.
Hopefully, I will be able to continue covering the Zimmerman case. I want to cover it with the same zeal as the Anthony case.]
Looking forward to watching, Dave. I can hardly wait!
[You and me both, Nan! I can't wait, either. I'd be chewing my fingernails if I didn't keep them trimmed.]
Well good for you Dave ! I too have my DVR set :) Don't be nervous...just be yourself. Will your appearance be live?
[I'd better be myself, katfish, and not nervous... It was taped in June. I kept waiting to here from them about when it would air, and I finally got an e-mail early in the week. Monday, I think. Thank you, I hope they made me look better than I felt that day. NO MAKEUP, EITHER!!!]
katfish~~I believe Dave is out right now. The show was taped back in the summer. Unfortunately, I am not able to get it here in Canada. My ISP does not carry the same programs as the US. I was hoping that I could view it via internet. Nah, Dave is not nervous. He is getting to be an old pro at being on the media. lol
[I was never camera shy or afraid to stand in front of an audience. I must have gotten that trait from my grandfather, the preacher. He was better looking than me.]
Oh Dave, thanks for the reminder. I'm setting my DVR now.
[My pleasure, Xena, and thank you for DVRing it. I hope you enjoy it! I have no idea what it will be like.]
Haha! Well where have I been? LOL So if you screwed up in June...it's in the can....I'm sure it will be great. Those were some masterful articles that got you this gig. I remember reading those back at the time.
Snoopy...I wish I had a way to send it to you after the DVR :( ID has a BIG website so it may be there eventually.
[It's in the can, alright. Great, though? I doubt it - not from me, but Ashton, perhaps. He was interviewed before me and they asked him if he knew me. He said some nice things, actually.
Why, thank you, katfish. I had no idea any of my writing would eventually get me where I am today, not that I'm anywhere, really, but it sure is different from the days I sat at an art board and a computer doing graphic arts. Yes, I have evolved. I only wish I would have started writing earlier.]
Hey superstar. I just watch the show. You were great. I think you got a new career.
Marsha from NY
[Superstar? Ha! I wish. Thank you, Marsha, but I must say I wouldn't mind doing it again, especially if any shows come along on the Anthony case, and Zimmerman down the road. Gee, they made me look professional!]
Hi Dave, Just finished watching ID and you were great. Thanks for letting us know that it would be
showing tonight.
Agnes in NJ
[Thank you, Agnes. I'm from NJ, too, you know. It was actually my pleasure to let you know when the program would air, so I really appreciate it that you watched it, believe me. I hope I get to do it again!]
Well, I managed to stay awake and saw the initial broadcast! You rocked! You certainly got plenty of air time.
You came across as a seasoned vet in the true crimes genre.
[They really did an excellent job making me sound professional, ritanita. They even fooled me!
Actually, yes, I did get a lot more air time than I expected, and they pieced it together quite well. You are absolutely right, too. It certainly didn't hurt establish me in the true crime genre.
Thank you. I'm glad you stayed up to watch it, and happier that you enjoyed it.]
Well I watched and you did a great job. Did you know that Jeff Ashton was going to be on it also?
Personally I think your writing on that case did a better job of explaining all that took place. Do you know if Huggins is still on Death Row?
[Thank you, Tommy's Mom. I don't think I did a bad job, either. Yes, I was aware that Jeff was going to be on it. He was interviewed the day before me and when the producer told him who the interviewees were going to be, he said he knew me and and also told them to make sure to say hello.
One of the reasons why newspapers will never go out of business, whether online or in print, is because they will always be able to report more in-depth than a TV program. That's probably why my articles seem better. Television is also more entertaining. There were things I noticed on the show that weren't quite true to the story. For instance, the Publix store that was first shown - the one where she was supposedly kidnapped - was actually the one in College Park, where the Larsons resided. The actual one was miles away, near Disney. No one would really notice things like that, but I sure did. However, it made no difference in the end, but TV productions can't pay as much attention to detail as the written word. Writing is closer to radio in that regard. Where you have no real visuals, the writing has to paint a picture you do not see.
John Huggins remains on death row, and he is still appealing. He is a snake in the grass, but a smart one. He knows the system, but in the end, no matter how much he professes his innocence to this very day, he will lose. Perhaps he's waiting for the day the death penalty is abolished,and he may succeed there, but he will never again be a free man. He is a worthless human being.]
Dang, Dave- I've been busy with my folks, my sis, and things like Steampunk shows and Renn. Faire planning- yoicks! So I've missed all of this- BUT I see this morning the show is repeating today at 5pm? We do get the ID channel, but it appears the one they are showing here is "Not Again", not "Cracking the Case". Since it's about a woman gone missing from work, it may be the same with a different name perhaps? I'm taping this one anyway (we're having my parents over for old-fashioned chicken dinner- don't know how up they are for it) in case it's the same and I'll keep hunting for it under "Cracking the Case" name, too. Congratulations on it at any rate! I'm sure I'll catch it at some point soon...
[It should be the same show and time where you are, Karen. I would agree that it's better to be safe than sorry, so I would record it. 5PM on ID. That's it. If you have a problem with it, let me know because I should be getting a DVD of the show this week or next. I have a sneaking suspicion it will pop up online somewhere, too.
Meanwhile, thank you for the congratulations. It's certainly a feather in my cap, and I'm very pleased with the results and the feedback. I keep your sister in my thoughts and prayers, and it's great to see you are keeping yourself busy.]
The show came up on the tv listings as "Not Again". The description was similar enough that I tuned in. I was like "awww that's Dave?". lol. It's always good seeing who you're talking to - and in some cases talking about. Makes your blog a little more real to me.
I was in SC in 97 and was so involved in my own life that I never heard about this case. Yeah, believe it or not, those cases that are so famous down here don't get as far as SC at times. And if they do, if you're not paying attention it never even registers, it passes so quickly in the news. SC just doesn't report crimes as often or as in depth as Fl does. You've been at this a while then. No wonder you seem so knowledgeable about the law, etc. You gave some good insights.
I was so busy noticing your appearance and what you were saying that I missed your caption. What did they have beneath your name? Blogger? Reporter? I missed it. Btw congratulations.
[Thank you, Connie! Yup, that was me!!! They had me listed as Journalist/Blogger, which was perfect.]
Well, I went ahead & recorded the 5pm showing- we all had chicken dinner and then "60 Minutes" (I am a 60 Minutes gal, due to Dad), and then when I suggested we all check out the ID show after they were willing to watch, and By Golly, it was the right program after all- and they were all impressed by your Local Color input and general demeanor, not to mention the amount of camera time you were given- 'bout as much as Ashton it seemed.... sad, sad case though. That poor woman did not do one thing wrong, and you can't help but think what if Angel had pressed charges right then against Schmucko- she was clearly assaulted and at least that would've put that dangerous and angry male away for a cooling off period. And the poor husband- My God, Gainesville! All those Predators there, and all that innocent Prey.
[I was very surprised by the amount of camera time, too, Karen. They really used my material in all the right spots and it really did add a lot of local color. Thank you for watching it and for including your family. It was a very sad crime. Carla Larson never did anything wrong, nor did her husband. I feel bad for him to this very day.]
Yeah, Conniefl- I'm in SC too and I do have to agree, what crime there is here (in the Upstate, anyway) is fairly pedestrian- drunk guy shoots his buddy over cards, meth head steals a vehicle and hits a kid on a bike, drug dealer shoots his competition- not generally too exotic or with much in the way of broader potential social insight or interest. Florida does give us something to chaw over...
I have a picture of Dave that was taken off the tv program. I wish I was able to post it in here. It says Journalist/Blogger under his name. I posted it on my blog ( swiped it from Facebook)...Maybe Dave will post the pic in here. *hint *hint
I am going to try something here to see if it will work....
Dave's pic
[edit] yipee it worked... there's our man...
[Thank you, Snoopy. I will probably replace my banner with one from the show if I can get permission from the network. There's all that copyright law involved and I want to make sure I'm on the up-and-up.]
Thanks Snoopy!
Yeah Karen. I was in Charleston and every now and then we'd hear about some murder of one druggie on another but they were few and far between. My daughter lives in the upstate in Anderson. We moved down here to Jacksonville because her husband's family was down here and it would be easier for visits since they're Coast Guard. Then she got a divorce and moved back to SC. So here we are and here we stay. The news is certainly different. All we got in Charleston was the School Board meetings, politics, etc.. I did hear about Nelson Serrano and that blond/bald guy who killed his wife on the beach down here in FL, but that was it.
I think the sensational cases down here have to do with the sunshine laws more than anything else. In SC info just doesn't get out while they're investigating and even while they are trying a case. We were hearing about a shooting a day here in Jacksonville it seemed, then I read they took the police scanners away from the newspapers and suddenly it got quiet around town. Gotta wonder.
I missed it Dave. :(. If a dvd comes out, please let me know.
[As soon as I know, Joanna, you will know. I promise!]
Dave, I saw you on the ID station. That was a very interesting case. When are you going to write a book? So proud of you. Cindy in Savannah.
[A book? Probably when there are no more sensational murder stories to report in Orlando, Cindy. Thank you! I'm sort of proud of it, as well. Kind of like a feather in my cap. Oh well, I'll get over it.]
Dave. I do hope that you stop a moment to commend yourself for why you ended up on ID. It is your heart, passion, attention to detail and superb journalistic style that has the attention of those producers.
Well done my friend. Well done.
[Thank you, Porky3100. That is extremely nice of you to say. I know it was the writing I did on that case because the producer told me she thinks I'm an excellent writer. Fortunately, I just look at myself as a writer and if people enjoy it, then I've succeeded in my work. That's what makes me happy.]
Hi Dave. How are ya? Hope you are feeling better. I come here often to read (and at Mainstream! Hi Snoopy!). I cannot believe that I missed your ID episode. I wrote a note to myself so I wouldn't forget to watch and kept it by my computer-then....spaced it out and watched another show on biography Sat night. I am looking forward to the repeat of the show. I was trying to find when it will be on again. If you have any info..please let me know. (I do remember reading about this on your site when you first wrote it!).
[When I can find it online or when it reruns, Linda, I will let you know. Sorry you didn't get to see it, but it will be around again. Thanks for hanging in there with us. You've been around our blogs a long time!]
I need someone to fix this link. It's safe and beautiful.
Happy Holidays!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vnt7euRF5Pg&feature=youtube_gdata_player
I will have a video up on my YouTube channel soon. I have a doctor appointment and I will be out a good part of the afternoon. When I return, I will incorporate the video and some of my thoughts about yesterday's hearing in a new post.