Although the case is considered solved, the suspect will not see his day in court. Here’s why.
CAMANO ISLAND, Wash. — The 2003 killing of a Camano Island woman is now considered solved – however, the suspect who confessed to the crime won’t see a trial.
On Thursday evening, the Island County Sheriff’s Office announced that they closed their investigation into the homicide of 39-year-old Tammy Mattson, who was found dead 21 years ago.
Prosecutors and police said they are confident in the identity of the killer, however, 69-year-old Carl Schlobom will not be charged.
KING 5 is naming Schlobom because police said his confession included information only the killer would know, and investigators are “certain” Schlobom killed Mattson.
Greg Banks, the Island County prosecuting attorney, told KING 5 that while Schlobom hadn’t been found guilty by plea or a jury, “I can say that I am as confident as I have been in any other case, that I’ve tried to conviction, that he is the murderer. I talked with him on the phone, and I have no doubts.”
Mattson’s mother, Sharon Chism, described her daughter as a “sweet child” and said she can finally sleep at night knowing who the killer is.
“I’m glad that they found out who it was because I know who did this and it means a lot to me,” Chism said. “I know she’s in heaven so I know she’s alright.”
Despite the closure of this case, it doesn’t remove the hurt, she said.
“I miss her terribly,” Chism said, “and they say you get over this but you don’t.”
Details of the investigation
Mattson was found dead on Dec. 9, 2003, in the vegetation at Camano Island State Park. For six years, the sheriff’s department pursued tips and interviewed anyone they could, however, this produced no leads.
In the summer of 2009, advancements in DNA technology allowed investigators to test a human sample found on a cigarette butt near where Mattson’s body was found. The profile matched a sample that was entered into the CODIS database, which holds the DNA profiles of offenders convicted of violent crimes nationwide. The match belonged to Schlobom, who, at the time, was serving a life sentence in Arizona for a 2005 murder.
Between 2009 and 2019, investigators learned everything they could about Schlobom, hoping to discover information they could use in court to link Schlobom to the crime definitively. In November of 2019, detectives decided the only option they had left was to go to Arizona to interview Schlobom in person.
When detectives arrived, Schlobom refused to answer their questions. Then, the COVID-19 pandemic caused the investigation to “all but stall out” for 15 months.
In April of 2021, detectives received a letter from Schlobom, who said he had information about Mattson’s death, and he was willing to share it if they could work out a deal allowing him to spend the rest of his life sentence in a Washington prison. Detectives once again traveled to Arizona to interview him to see if his version of events was consistent with what they had learned over the course of the 18-year-long investigation.
Ahead of the interview, detectives spoke with the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit to help them prepare.
In June of 2021, investigators spoke with Schlobom face-to-face in a “free talk” under temporary immunity. Island County Prosecutor Greg Banks said this allowed them to hear Schlobom’s story and verify for themselves he was the killer before offering any kind of concrete plea deal.
Banks described Schlobom as “cold, matter of fact, and very forthcoming” during the interview. Schlobom answered all of the investigators’ questions.
“He knew things that only the killer and detectives knew,” said Detective Ed Wallace, who joined the case in 2009. Schlobom was also able to fill in gaps and explain his motive: that he killed Mattson over a drug deal gone wrong.
Banks was prepared to offer Schlobom a plea deal. Schlobom agreed to sign a letter of confession once a prison transfer agreement between Arizona and Washington was ironed out. However, both states hesitated to complete the deal. Schlobom had serious medical issues, and Washington’s Department of Corrections was not inclined to take him on. Arizona’s prison system also maintained that Schlobom should serve the rest of his sentence there for the crimes he had committed.
“I rattled all the cages I could,” Banks said. However, the two agencies would not agree to the transfer.
In 2024, an extradition officer from Arizona contacted Banks and suggested he try to negotiate one more time, hinting that both systems may have “softened” to the idea. Banks sent multiple letters to Schlobom to see if he would agree to try again, but they went unanswered.
Eventually, Schlobom’s relative reached out to Banks, saying they had been forwarded Schlobom’s letters. The relative told Banks that Schlobom had suffered several strokes and had been diagnosed with advanced dementia since the last time they spoke and that he was confined to a Special Needs Unit in Arizona, requiring round-the-clock care. Schlobom’s deteriorated mental condition means he will never be prosecuted.
Despite a lack of conviction in Mattson’s case, Banks and detectives consider the investigation closed, saying they are confident the suspect was the killer.
“We’re always wary when talking with a suspect who is trying to get a deal from us,” Banks said. “But in this case, everything he said was consistent with what we knew and was information that nobody else could have known. His memory was quite good at the time (of the confession).”
The investigation was also led by former Detective Shawn Warwick, who’s now a lieutenant and was on the case since Mattson’s body was found.
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