EXCLUSIVE: Jane Carver was jogging yards away from her home in the close-knit community of Fountain Valley, Calif., when the 46-year-old flight attendant was suddenly shot to death.
While the murder occurred in broad daylight during the morning hours, the case nearly went cold -- but it was her community that decided to band together and take action.
The case is being explored on Oxygen’s new true-crime docuseries, titled “The Real Murders of Orange County,” which delves into some of the most horrific crimes to rock Southern California’s wealthy coastal community.
Jane Carver's death is being explored on Oxygen's new true-crime series, "The Real Murders of Orange County." (Photo courtesy of Oxygen)
Capt. Christine Murray, a retired investigator from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department who was involved in helping to track down the assassin, told Fox News the 1995 murder left the town stunned.
“As was her habit, Jane went out that morning for a run around Mile Square Park and the surrounding neighborhoods,” she explained. “She often ran with her husband. But on that particular morning, he had another commitment. I think he had some business to take care of at home. So Jane went out running on her own, something she has done hundreds of times. But on this particular occasion, without warning, she was approached by a male subject. By all accounts, he didn’t say anything to her. He merely walked up to her and shot her.”
Carver’s husband, Al Carver, heard screams and gunshots, prompting him to step outside his home. He saw his wife lying on the ground mortally wounded. He would later tell a courtroom that the back of her head was “blown away,” the Los Angeles Times reported.
Jane Carver's husband, Al Carver, found her mortally wounded on June 10, 1995. (Photo courtesy of Oxygen)
“The homicide investigators from Fountain Valley worked tirelessly on this case,” said Murray. “They looked at the relationships the Carver family had. They looked at their finances, anything that could provide some clue as to who would gun down Jane Carver. They kept coming up empty. There was no motive. Almost a year from her actual murder, there were no leads.”
“They had some really good witness statements,” Murray continued. “They had a fairly decent composite. And they did a great job putting out a profile because there was a witness that described the suspect. They had a couple of different images so they were trying to find out who the shooter could be. Despite car stops, interviews and research round the clock, there was nothing.”
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Still, Carver’s community persisted. According to Murray, local citizens refused to stop putting up flyers, knocking on doors to gather more information and holding rallies. Many of Carver’s friends also spoke to the press frequently, keeping her story alive.
Jane Carver was described by friends as a doting mother and beloved member of the Fountain Valley community. (Photo courtesy of Oxygen)
“They kept Jane Carver’s memory at the forefront,” Murray explained. “When it would fall off the radar, they’d start stirring things up again. And I think that was key in getting this case solved. They made everyone aware of what had happened to Jane Carver.”
The murder went unsolved for a year until police arrested Leonard Mundy, who was involved in a murder plot with Premium Commercial Services Corp., the Los Angeles Times reported. According to the outlet, The Huntington Beach finance company hired the Los Angeles electrician to satisfy his $80,000 debt by murdering another delinquent borrower.
However, Mundy mistakenly thought the intended target was Carver. The incident would go on to be connected to another case. Paul Gordon Alleyne, a small business owner in Los Angeles who also owed money to Premium, was convicted of trying to shoot James Wengert in 1996, according to the Los Angeles Times. The 51-year-old survived the attack and identified Alleyne.
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Paul Gordon Alleyne was convicted of trying to shoot James Wengert in 1996. (Photo courtesy of Oxygen)
According to the prosecution, Mundy believed Carver was actually Wengert’s wife, Margaret “Peggy” Wengert, who filed a lawsuit against Premium. She also lived near the Carver home.
Murray said both Alleyne and Mundy owned money to Premium cofounder Coleman Allen, who was ruthless in getting his funds. During the investigation of Wengert’s shooting, Alleyne told police about Mundy, connecting the cases.
Wengert, the owner of a financial investigation firm, was also hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt to Allen. His wife accused Allen in a lawsuit of using strong-arm tactics to seize the Wengerts’ home in Fountain Valley.
James and Peggy Wengert (Photo courtesy of Oxygen)
“As we got to learn more about Coleman Allen, we found that he threatened violence and committed violent acts,” she explained. “He made threats and required the borrower to take out life insurance policies and the amounts far exceeded what they owed him. That was the kind of guy he was. I don’t think it was a hard stretch for anyone to describe him as pretty evil and scary at times.”
Coleman Allen was the co-founder of Premium. (Photo courtesy of Oxygen)
“Both of these men appeared to have no means of paying Coleman Allen back,” she continued. “He’s angry and threatening, but then offers an opportunity to not only get out from under their debts but away from his threats. So these men were willing to take on murder for hire on behalf of Coleman Allen. Mundy found himself in a bad situation and probably felt that he had no other choice. They felt the only way to get out of these bad situations was to shoot someone for Coleman and get away from his threats.”
Murray said that thanks to the persistence of citizens eager to solve Carver’s murder, police in Fountain Valley and Orange County were able to connect the dots, leading to the assassin.
Leonard Mundy was later identified as Jane Carver's killer. (Photo courtesy of Oxygen)
At age 43, Mundy was sentenced in 1998 to life in prison without parole, the Los Angeles Times reported. That same year, Alleyne was sentenced to 29 years to life for his involvement in the attempted killing of Wengert.
Allen, who was on probation for beating another debtor with a pipe, died of heart disease in 1996 at age 57. At the time of his death, tips and records were leading straight to him in the killing of Barry J. Skolnick, who also borrowed from Premium. He was shot to death at age 30. A $2.5 million life insurance policy listed Allen as a beneficiary.
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Jane Carver was mistaken for Peggy Wengert (pictured) in a botched murder-for-hire plot. (Photo courtesy of Oxygen)
“The citizens of Fountain Valley took amazing steps in speaking to police as soon as the murder happened and refused to back down in participating in any way they could to solve Jane Carver’s murder,” said Murray. “It was that swell of community involvement that helped solve this case. They never gave up. And it only proves you can make a huge difference in your own community.”
Jane Carver's memory is still being kept alive by the citizens of Fountain Valley. (Photo courtesy of Oxygen)
"The Real Murders of Orange County" premieres Sunday, Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. ET on Oxygen. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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