Lisa Kerr Murder / when she died
Firefighters put out a 1994 Ford Probe on fire on March 24, 1999, in the San Fernando Valley, near the Roscoe Boulevard exit ramp of the Hollywood Freeway.
When they discovered a burned body inside the vehicle, they called the police and an arson investigator to the scene. They obtained a driver’s license from the handbag that was discovered in the vehicle, and this allowed them to determine that the burned body belonged to 32-year-old Lisa Lorraine Kerr. The authorities also discovered traces of the usage of an accelerant as well as evidence that suggested the fire was started on purpose.
The autopsy report stated smoke inhalation and thermal injuries as the primary cause of death. It further disclosed that while strangulation may have also played a role, the charred remains make it impossible to evaluate. However, the medical examiner concluded that Lisa was alive when the fire started but probably unconscious as she did not make any attempt to escape.
Her toxicology report also showed that she had low levels of carbon monoxide in her bloodstream, thus confirming the suspicion of the use of an accelerant.
Who Killed Lisa Kerr?
Calvin Kerr, Lisa Kerr’s ex-husband, was at first thought to be responsible for the murder. Calvin and Lisa had a tumultuous relationship, according to the detectives, but Calvin was ultimately excluded as a suspect. The authorities were able to identify Donald Lewis Brooks Jr., a plumber by trade, when they dug deeper into Lisa’s past.
Since the day of the crime, he had vanished. In October 1997, Lisa and Donald connected at a dance hosted by AA. They allegedly had a covert relationship for ten months, with Donald finally confessing to Mark Harvey, another AA member, in August 1998.
Donald acknowledged falling in love with Lisa but was enraged and irritated when Lisa recently made the decision to get back together with Calvin for the benefit of their kid.
The program also noted Donald’s reluctance to put a stop to the relationship and his alleged statements that he intended to knife Calvin or take other steps to “get him out of the picture.” Lisa confessed to several friends and acquaintances that she was terrified of Donald as a jealous and vindictive Donald began to reveal his true colors.
An obsessed Donald had resorted to stalking and harassing her, as Lisa confided to one of her friends that he was there “every time she turned around,” standing outside her home or workplace and watching her. Despite her fears, Lisa used to take financial assistance from Donald after splitting up with Calvin. She moved to her apartment in January 1999. Donald had signed the rental agreement where he had named both him and Lisa as tenants. According to many friends and acquaintances, Lisa allowed Donald in her life “only for the money.”
The investigators interviewed Mark to find that Donald had allegedly threatened to harm him and his children if he allowed Lisa to rent a room in his house. They reviewed Donald‘s cellular records to find that he had made a call at around 4:23 am on March 24, 1999, from the crime scene – minutes before the firefighters had reached. His cell tower locations also revealed that he had made two calls from near Lisa’s residence that night. The police traced his location to Colorado, where he had been living under an alias.
As per the show, Donald had even confessed to one of his roommates, David Jayne, that he had strangled his ex-girlfriend. He was arrested four months later, in July 1999. After being extradited to California 5 days later, he confessed to his former plumbing assistant that he had heard Lisa and Mark belittling him on March 23, 1998.
A jealous Donald “just couldn’t take it” and confronted Lisa just when she was leaving, strangling her and laying the unconscious woman in the backseat of her car. Then he had driven to the crime scene and lit the car on fire before escaping to Colorado.
SOURCE: Ghnewslive.com
