Charlotte, Michigan – The trial of Beverly McCallum, accused of the cold-case murder of her husband Roberto Caraballo over 20 years ago, took a dramatic turn as she took the stand to testify in her defense. McCallum denied any involvement in the murder and instead pointed the finger at her daughter, Dineane Ducharme, and Ducharme’s friend, Christopher McMillan, as the culprits behind Caraballo’s death.
According to McCallum, Caraballo was killed because he wanted to evict Ducharme and McMillan from the house they shared in Charlotte. She testified that Caraballo came home one day demanding that she kill her daughter and get rid of McMillan as well, before later being murdered in the basement while she was not present.
McMillan, a key witness for the prosecution, detailed a premeditated plan to kill Caraballo, alleging that McCallum, Ducharme, and himself conspired to bludgeon Caraballo with a hammer in the basement before disposing of his body in a wooded area in Ottawa County, where it was set on fire. McCallum, who was living abroad at the time of the charges, was extradited back to the United States in 2022 to face trial.
Testifying in a wheelchair, McCallum maintained her innocence, claiming she was not present during the murder and was unaware of the events unfolding in the basement. Ducharme, already convicted of first-degree murder and serving a life sentence, implicated her mother in Caraballo’s death, leading to the reopening of the case and the subsequent arrest of McCallum. The prosecution alleged that the murder was motivated by allegations of abuse inflicted by Caraballo on McCallum and her children.
As the trial unfolded, chilling details emerged of Caraballo’s murder, leading to the revelation of the crime scene in the basement of the Charlotte residence. Remnants of Caraballo’s DNA were found beneath layers of paint and concrete, corroborating the accounts provided by witnesses. The case, dubbed the “Jack in the box” murder, remained unsolved for years until new evidence came to light, linking McCallum and her accomplices to the heinous crime.
The trial continues as McCallum faces charges of second-degree murder and disinterment and mutilation of a body, with ongoing testimony shedding light on the events leading to Caraballo’s tragic death in 2002.