Murder by the Book: The Murder of Karyn Slover

The Slovers claimed to be innocent of the charges, but after five weeks of testimony and deliberations, on May 18, 2002, all three were found guilty. Karyn's parents hugged each other in relief.

On June 28, Jeannette Slover received 60 years in prison, while both men received that sentence plus five more years for concealing a crime. After nearly six years, Karyn's friends and relatives considered that justice had finally been done.

However, there remained an unresolved issue: Mary Slover had adopted Kolten, now 9, and had him in Tennessee. After the verdict, the state took over custody, placing him in foster care, and proceedings began that October to consider whether Mary could keep Kolten. In 2003, a Macon County judge ruled that she was an unfit parent because she may have been involved in concealing evidence of Karyn's murder, she did not provide adequate counseling for him after his mother's brutal murder, and she had allowed him to have contact with the very people who were convicted as his mother's killers. She denied any wrongdoing and appealed the decision.

On behalf of the three convicted Slovers, their attorneys started an appeal, arguing prejudicial pretrial publicity and the admission of testimony during the trial alleging spousal abuse.