Dateline NBC “Without a Trace” December 30 2023 Recap & Preview
In the Dateline NBC episode titled “Without a Trace,” airing on December 30, 2023, the story revolves around the disappearance of 29-year-old Carrie Olson. When Carrie doesn’t show up for work and is reported missing, her community comes together to search for her. Detectives become suspicious of foul play and begin to focus their investigation on two men in her life.
The episode delves into the mystery surrounding Carrie Olson’s disappearance, the efforts to locate her, and the investigative process that leads authorities to consider foul play. It’s a gripping tale of a community’s determination to find a missing person and the detectives’ efforts to uncover the truth about what happened to her.
What Happened to Carrie Olson & Killer Tim McVay?
In the ongoing case involving Tim McVay, a 48-year-old man, he was convicted of a homicide in 2015 in connection with the disappearance of 29-year-old Carrie Olson in 2013. This case has attracted considerable attention and is still evolving. Carrie Olson, a 29-year-old woman from Davenport, vanished on December 29, 2013, initially prompting a missing person investigation.
Tim McVay, who had previously been in a relationship with Carrie, became a person of interest in her disappearance. It’s worth noting that Carrie had also been involved romantically with another man named Justin Mueller.
Carrie’s mysterious disappearance occurred in late December 2013, shortly after she moved in with Justin Mueller. She was last seen by Mueller, who reported that she left their residence following an argument and never returned.
Tim McVay later claimed that Carrie had come to his house to seek comfort after her dispute with Mueller. He stated that he dropped her off at her residence the following morning and borrowed her car to catch a flight to Las Vegas.
Suspicion surrounding McVay intensified when surveillance footage captured him attempting to use Carrie’s debit card at a gas station and making multiple unsuccessful attempts to withdraw money from her bank account. McVay explained these actions as a common practice between him and Carrie, even after their romantic relationship had ended.
Carrie Olson’s body was discovered in April 2014 in a remote wooded area in Hastings, Minnesota, the same city where McVay had parked her car before flying to Las Vegas. Her cause of death was ruled as homicide by unspecified means. Notably, a piece of carpet matching the one found at McVay’s residence was discovered in her hair.
Based on the evidence, authorities believed they had sufficient grounds to arrest Tim McVay. Subsequently, he was convicted during a bench trial in 2015 on charges of first-degree murder and concealment of a homicidal death. He received a 40-year sentence for the murder charge and an additional five years for concealment, with the sentences to run consecutively.
Despite his conviction, Tim McVay continues to assert his innocence from his prison confinement, insisting that he did not kill Carrie Olson.