A transient woman remains in the Cochise County jail in lieu of $750,000 bail after she admitted shooting a longtime friend with a hunting rifle earlier this month over fears the friend was planning to harvest the woman’s organs.
Natalie Rene Carlson was arrested June 5 for attempted first degree premeditated murder after the Bisbee Police Department was notified via a 911 call around 2:50 a.m. that a woman had been shot while sleeping in a home on Black Knob View.
The responding officers discovered Carlson used a 44-bolt action rifle she found in the home to fire one round into a wall before reloading and intentionally shooting her friend of 20 years. The male homeowner was able to get the rifle away from Carlson, 39, as she fled to home.
The victim was transported by air to a Tucson hospital for medical treatment.
Carlson, who told police she had no permanent residence, briefly barricaded herself inside another Bisbee home before being taken into custody at 4 a.m. In a post-Miranda statement, Carlson said she initially considered killing her friend with a knife but decided instead to use the rifle.
Bisbee PD Ofc. Ryan Bowie noted in various arrest documents of concerns Carlson may be “mentally disturbed.” He also noted Carlson expressed fears she and others were in danger of having their organs harvested by people living in the house.
Bowie further noted that prior to the shooting, Carlson reportedly placed freon in the microwave, covered the windows, hid knives in her backpack, and claimed to have been previously poisoned with anthrax.
A county grand jury indicted Carlson on June 8 on 10 charges, nine of which are felonies. In addition to the attempted premeditated murder count, the charges include aggravated assault, endangerment, and discharging a firearm within city limits.
Carlson was formally arraigned June 19 at which time her bail amount was reconfirmed. No update has been released as to the victim’s condition.