5 chilling details about Denise Hallowell’s murder
NBC's Dateline is all set to delve into the murder case of Denise Hallowell, a mother who was killed by her adopted son with an ax. After committing this murder, Denise Hallowell's teenage son, Carlos Hallowell himself, called 911 and misled them by making up a story about this crime.
This murder will be the subject of season 14, episode 18 of Dateline: Secret Uncovered, which will air on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, at 8 PM Eastern Time (ET), only on Oxygen.
There are many more facts in this case which will send chills down the spine of the viewers. Read the article further to find out five details related to this case.
5 shocking details about the murder of Denise Hallowell
1) Carlos Hallowell sharpened the ax before killing Dennis
According to the CBS12, 17-year-old Carlos Hallowell had made up stories to mislead the police so that his crime would be exposed. But during their investigation, the police found some evidence in Carlos' room which proved that Carlos had sharpened that ax before he committed the crime.
For this reason, the police felt that this was not an accidental or angry murder but was an indication of a well-planned murder conspiracy.
2) Carlos tried to destroy evidence before calling 911
As per the article on Fox 13, Danise Hallowell had installed several cameras inside her house, which recorded all the footage of the murder. Carlos threw these cameras in the lake before calling the police. Also, during the investigation, the police could not find Denise's phone, which was later found near the lake.
When the police checked the GPS records of Carlos's phone, they found out that when he called 911 and informed the police about the matter with a complicated story, he was not at home but was near the lake and was destroying evidence.
3) Denise Hallowell had talked to a friend about Carlos via message before the murder
According to NBC, before her death, Denise Hallowell had sent a message to one of her friends about Carlos, expressing concern over his drug addiction. In the message, she mentioned that if Carlos did not change his behavior, she would ask him to leave the house.
This message indicates that Denise Hallowell was worried about Carlos' habits and wanted him to improve. However, Carlos continued to struggle with his addiction.
4) One thing about Denise had triggered something in Carlos' heart which became one of the reasons for this murder
According to Oxygen, 17-year-old Carlos often clashed with his adoptive mother, Denise Hallowell, who wanted to reform his behavior. During a heated argument, Denise told Carlos she regretted adopting him and saw him as a failure. Her words deeply affected him.
According to the Oxygen article, published on September 15, 2021, Corlos said:
“She let me have it, big time … telling me I’m a worthless piece of s--t because of what I want to do.”
5) Carlos was suffering from Psychopathy
According to forensic experts, Carlos was suffering from psychopathy, to which he responded to 16 out of 20 symptoms. Under this disease, it is known that Carlos was naturally aggressive and violent.
According to the experts, he had Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD), which means committing a crime without remorse. His severe drug addiction was also a reason for him becoming violent.
The upcoming episode of NBC's Dateline: Secrets Uncovered season 14, episode 18 covers this case in more detail.
