Nearly three decades after 81-year-old widow Gerthie Carolina was found savagely beaten and stabbed to death in her rural Oklahoma home, authorities have charged two of her relatives with murder, alleging they killed her to obtain a $40,000 inheritance.

According to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI), the case remained unsolved for 28 years until forensic testing revealed Carolina’s blood on a shoe belonging to her then-17-year-old grandniece, Dakota Davis, who was present at the crime scene in 1997. Davis, now 45, and Carolina’s niece, 81-year-old Carolyn Foreman, were both arrested and charged Friday with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

Carolina’s body was found in August 1997 at her home in Sasakwa, a small town of fewer than 200 residents. An autopsy showed she died from multiple stab wounds and blunt force trauma. At the time, Foreman and Davis told investigators they discovered Carolina’s body around 3:15 a.m. when they arrived to take her to a doctor’s appointment.

However, investigators now allege the pair were motivated by a $40,000 certificate of deposit placed in a living trust for Foreman just four months before Carolina’s death. Court filings say Foreman and Davis cashed out the trust days after the widow was killed, believing they were entitled to the money.

In the years since, Davis allegedly confessed to killing her great aunt on multiple occasions, sometimes referring to an ax or a machete. Investigators say Davis’ father also told them that in 2001 his daughter admitted “chopping up” Carolina while Foreman urged her, “Hit her again, hit her again,” during the attack.

Family disputes were reportedly brewing prior to the murder, including an incident in which Carolina confronted Foreman, accusing her niece of stealing from her bank account.

Foreman, who has been married for 51 years and suffers from dementia, was arrested in Midwest City, Oklahoma. Davis was taken into custody in Sacramento, California.

Foreman was previously charged with first-degree murder in the 1999 shooting death of a 16-year-old, though that charge was dismissed. Her son was later convicted in that case and is serving a life sentence.

Seminole County District Attorney Erik Johnson praised investigators for their persistence in pursuing the case.

“This case is a testament to the relentless dedication of these investigators and our unwavering pursuit of justice, even decades after a crime is committed,” Johnson said in a statement. “We hope this brings some measure of peace to Gerthie Carolina’s family after all these years.”

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