What Happened When Anita Carlson Was Supposed to Close the Store?

On the night of June 30, 1987, 22-year-old Anita Carlson finished her shift at Pete’s Place, a gas station on the edge of Bemidji, Minnesota. She called her roommate around 10:30 p.m. to say she’d be home soon. She never made it home. When the store reopened the next morning, the cash register had been emptied, Anita’s purse was still inside, and she was gone. This of The Deck investigates one of Minnesota’s most enduring unsolved murders—a case that has haunted investigators for nearly four decades and continues to generate new leads today. You’ll hear about Anita Carlson’s final shift on June 30, 1987, the mysterious last transaction recorded after the store had closed, the massive search that unfolded over the Fourth of July weekend, the discovery that transformed a missing persons case into a homicide investigation, the customer investigators believed may have known more than he admitted, and the competing theories detectives are still pursuing nearly 40 years later. As investigators dug deeper, they uncovered witnesses who saw Anita serving customers just before closing, a suspicious business card found in Anita’s apartment, multiple persons of interest whose stories changed over time, rumors involving stalking, deception, and violent criminal histories, and physical evidence that modern investigators continue to reexamine using today’s forensic technology. Anita Carlson was a recent graduate of Bemidji State University. See was an aspiring television producer and a young woman with her entire future ahead of her. Nearly four decades later, investigators believe someone still knows exactly what happened after Anita locked the doors at Pete’s Place. If you have information about the case, call the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension’s tip line: 1-877-996-6222 or [email protected]. Check out these other great crime channels: ‪@bellafiori‬ The Case of Steven Clayton    • The Case of Steven Clayton   ‪@annieelise‬ His Family Vanished…Then He Said THIS at Dinner | Jennifer and Abby Blagg    • His Family Vanished…Then He Said THIS at D...   ‪@kallmekris‬ You Won't Believe How This Cold Case Was Solved    • You Won't Believe How This Cold Case Was S...   ‪@KendallRae‬ American Idol Contestant Arrested For Murder!? The Case Of Ashley Flynn    • American Idol Contestant Arrested For Murd...