(San Andreas, CA) On November 26, 2012, the Calaveras County
Sheriff’s Office was notified that investigators with the Seneca County
Sheriff’s Department in New York were investigating a homicide in their
jurisdiction. They alerted Calaveras County Sheriff’s detectives that
the New York homicide case may have ties to a 1991 Murphys fire where a
woman was killed. In 1991, upon completion of a house fire investigation
by the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office and the California Department
of Forestry arson investigators, the death of Christina Karlsen was
determined to have been an accident.
According to Seneca County Sheriff’s officials, Karl Karlsen, who
now lives in New York, allegedly killed his son, Levi Karlsen, in 2008
for the purpose of collecting insurance money. In 1991 Karl Karlsen and
his wife, Christina, previously lived at a residence on the 4000 block
of Pennsylvania Gulch Road in Murphys where the fire occurred. Seneca
County Sheriff’s investigators learned of Christina’s death during their
investigation and believed that Suspect Karl had a pattern of criminal
behavior in regards to both deaths.
As a consequence of the investigation by Seneca County, the
Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office has obtained the California Department
of Forestry and Calaveras County incident reports concerning the 1991
fire. At this time Calaveras County Sheriff’s detectives are reviewing
the reports and determining a course of action to follow in regards to
re-interviewing people in the 1991 case, as well as interviewing others
who may not have come forth during the initial investigation.
At this time, the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office is not prepared
to comment on any further aspects of this on-going investigation.
