Dateline presents ‘The Phone Call’, a premiere episode that explores the mysterious deaths of Kathleen Schroll and her husband, Carl Schroll. In the early hours of April 7, 2008, the couple was found dead inside their Kansas City, Kansas home, sparking an intricate investigation.
The case initially appeared straightforward, with no signs of a struggle or robbery. However, the discovery of a phone and a gun near Kathleen’s body, along with bullets of the same calibre as the gun, complicated matters. The bullets were too damaged to determine if they came from the gun at the scene, introducing uncertainty into the investigation.
Authorities’ attention turned to Olin “Pete” Coones, the housekeeper of Coones’ late father. Coones and Kathleen were engaged in a legal dispute over inheritance and life insurance, providing a potential motive. He was convicted of Kathleen’s first-degree murder but acquitted of Carl’s, suggesting a complex dynamic at play.
Coones was granted a retrial after an appeal due to the State’s nondisclosure of critical alibi evidence. Despite the retrial, he was again found guilty of Kathleen’s murder.
However, in a surprising turn of events, Coones was eventually exonerated, and the conviction was vacated. This development arose from the prosecution’s failure to reveal key information casting doubt on Kathleen’s credibility and suggesting a potential motive for suicide. The absence of DNA or other forensic evidence linking Coones to the scene, coupled with the presence of gunshot residue on Kathleen, further challenged the initial narrative.
Dateline NBC: ‘The Phone Call’ airs on Wednesday, August 28, 2024, at 8:00 PM on Oxygen.
