Carolyn Warmus
Carolyn Warmus (born January 8, 1964) is an American former elementary schoolteacher who was convicted at age 28 of the 1989 murder of her lover's wife, 40-year-old Betty Jeanne Solomon. After a hung jury at her first trial in 1991, Warmus was convicted of second degree murder and illegal possession of a firearm at her second trial in 1992. She served 27 years for the murder and was released from prison on parole on June 17, 2019.
Carolyn Warmus | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 8, 1964 Troy, Michigan, U.S. |
| Citizenship | American |
| Education | BA psychology Master Degree in Elementary Education |
| Alma mater | University of Michigan Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Former elementary school teacher |
| Criminal status | Paroled |
| Parent | Thomas Warmus |
| Motive | Jealousy |
| Conviction(s) |
|
| Criminal charge | Second degree murder, illegal possession of a firearm |
| Penalty |
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| Details | |
| Victims | Betty Jeanne Solomon |
| Date | January 15, 1989 |
| Country | United States |
| State(s) | New York |
| Location(s) | Greenburgh |
| Weapons | .25 caliber Beretta pistol w/silencer |
| Imprisoned at | Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women Received: June 29, 1992 Paroled: June 17, 2019 |
| Website | carolynwarmus.org |
Warmus was incarcerated at the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women, Westchester County, New York. She received multiple affirmed disciplinary events, which were referenced during her first parole denial in early 2017. That same year, Warmus, claiming her innocence, asked that glove evidence discovered by her ex-lover Paul Solomon, the victim's husband, between the first and second trials be tested for DNA. In May 2021, Westchester County prosecutors consented to DNA testing of the glove, as well as semen recovered from the victim and blood recovered from Solomon's tote bag. None of the evidence ever underwent DNA testing.
The murder case attracted national media attention and led to comparisons with the 1987 film Fatal Attraction, about a love affair that turns deadly. The Warmus case went on to inspire made-for-TV movies, six different episodes across multiple television broadcasters and at least one book.