Woman Arrested on Warrant for Murder in LaPorte

A Crown Point woman was arrested yesterday morning for a murder that happened more than ten years ago. The warrant was issued out of Prescott, Ariz., for first-degree murder.

Indiana State Police Detective Chris Campione worked with the Prescott Police Department to track down Joan Leslie Carpenter, 61 of Crown Point, and located her in LaPorte County. The warrant stems from an investigation into the murder of Carpenter’s husband in June 2002 while the pair resided in Prescott. Shortly after her husband’s murder, Carpenter returned to Indiana, but additional information that had been received by Prescott Police this past year led to the warrant being issued for her arrest.

Police tracked down Carpenter and arrested her as she arrived at a client’s house in LaPorte. Carpenter ran a business based out of her home in Crown Point and often traveled to LaPorte.

She was taken to LaPorte County Jail where she will await extradition back to Arizona, where she will face charges of first-degree murder.