Carolyn Warmus, The Fatal Attraction Killer

How do you have a relationship with a married man? Eliminate the competition.

Carolyn Warmus is a twenty-six-year-old woman who was accused of murdering her lover's wife in a story that bears a resemblance to Fatal Attraction.

She served a twenty-five-year sentence in a case that gained much media publicity. 

Warmus has consistently denied any part in the murder of Betty Jeanne Solomon. 

Early Life

Warmus was born in Michigan in an affluent suburb. Her father was a self-made millionaire. Her parents divorced when she was eight. 

Warmus went to the University of Michigan, and it was here that her trouble with relationships started. She drifted from one unsuccessful relationship to another. 

Warmus has shown over the years that she is preoccupied with unavailable men. It is reported that she has been involved with two married men and one engaged. 

This has prompted her to commit several acts that have involved breaking the law. She had a history of stalking ex-boyfriends and even hiring private detectives to follow them. 

One of her boyfriends had to obtain a restraining order when she kept in contact with him and his fiancée, making false claims, including claiming she was pregnant with his baby.

Betty Jeanne Solomon

After graduating from college, she moved to New York, where she soon landed a job at Greenville Elementary in Scarsdale. 

Warmus met Paul Solomon whilst working there; both were employed as teachers. It was not long before they became lovers. She also met his daughter, who she became a mentor to, buying the girl expensive presents.

Prosecutors say that she became so obsessed with her new lover that she fired nine bullets into his wife at close range on 15 January 1989. Warmus denies these charges. 

After murdering his wife, she met Paul for drinks at a local Holiday Inn before retiring to her car for sex. It was when he returned home that he discovered his wife's body. 

Investigators initially suspected Paul of the murder, especially when they discovered the affair. It was not long, though, until their attention turned to Warmus as she sought to continue her relationship with Paul. 

For his part, Paul had broken off the relationship with her and was soon dating Barbara Ballor. 

Fatal Attraction

Warmus was ignored by Paul, which led her to escalate her behaviour and suffer what is believed to be a nervous breakdown. 

At one point, she flew to Puerto Rico to find Paul, who had taken a holiday there with Barbara. 

When it was discovered that Warmus had obtained a .25 calibre Beretta with a silencer, the police were convinced they had their woman. 

Detective Richard Constantino checked calls from Warmus, discovering that she had obtained ammunition the day of the murder. 

Trial and Punishment

Warmus appeared in court on the charge of second-degree murder on 2 February 1990. Her father bailed her. 

The trial was then scheduled. The first trial was a long affair as the jury examined each piece of evidence. The jury would then retire for twelve days. The prosecution had failed to provide any physical evidence in the case.

After twelve days, the jury returned, stating they were hopelessly deadlocked at an 8-4 decision on conviction but could not proceed. The judge declared a mistrial on 27 April 1991. 

The second trial began in January 1992, and a new piece of evidence was introduced at this trial. A bloody cashmere glove belonging to Warmus had been found at the scene. 

The jury took six days to deliberate this time, and Warmus was declared guilty on 26 May 1992. The judge offered her no leniency and sentenced her to twenty-five years to life in prison.

Carolyn Warmus

In 2004, Warmus and a fellow inmate filed a lawsuit stating prison guards had sexually abused them. Warmus stated that if she complained about the abuse, she was put into segregation. 

The case was settled outside the court, with Warmus receiving $10,000 in compensation. 

After serving twenty years of her sentence, during an MRI, it was discovered she had a large brain tumour. At around this time, she was also denied parole, leaving her options for treatment limited.

She was finally released in 2019 and underwent many surgeries to save her life. Warmus still fights to clear her name today, claiming she is innocent of all charges. 

Recently, she requested that new DNA tests be carried out on multiple items connected to the murder, including the glove. To date, no testing has been done.