ANTHONY CARR | Death Row | Convicted Murderer Who, on February 2, 1990, Ruthlessly Killed the Parker Family in Quitman County, Mississippi | Renowned for Its Cruelty | Among Mississippi's Most Heinous Murder Cases | ALS

Anthony Carr. Autographed Letter, Signed. Handwritten, Commercial #10 (4.125 × 9.5 envelope). Jackson, MS. May 23, 2025. Content unknown. SEALED.

Anthony Carr’s life reads like a grim parable carved into the blood-stained walls of a death row cell. Born into instability and shaped by violence, Carr emerged from the chaos of his youth to become a triple murderer, carrying out one of Mississippi’s most heinous crimes in the 1990s. This comprehensive narrative unravels his descent into brutality, the methodical and almost ritualistic nature of his killings, and the court proceedings that ultimately landed him on death row. The impact of his crimes reverberated through Mississippi’s judicial system, reshaping how multiple homicide cases were tried and sentenced. Today, Carr’s case is a rare and notorious specimen of Southern justice, and any item autographed by him is both a grim artifact of criminal infamy and a collector’s rarity.

Blood on Holy Ground: The Life and Crimes of Anthony Carr

Anthony Charles Carr was born on May 9, 1965, in Chicago, Illinois. He was raised amid chronic dysfunction, poverty, and exposure to drugs and violence, hallmarks of a fractured childhood that charted a path to destruction. Today, Carr sits on Mississippi’s death row at the Mississippi State Penitentiary, also known as Parchman Farm, convicted of a crime so cold and deliberate that it left seasoned investigators and jurors alike visibly shaken.

Carr’s criminal record stretches back long before his capital crime. His rap sheet includes convictions for robbery and assault, and by the time he moved into the orbit of the Mississippi criminal justice system, he was already a man branded by violence. He was transient, with no meaningful employment history, and drifted through the southern United States under aliases, often accompanied by criminal associates similarly steeped in lawlessness. Among them was John Lee Woolfolk, a Mississippi man with whom Carr would become forever linked in one of the most gruesome murder cases in the state’s history.

Carr’s descent into the realm of capital murder culminated in February 1994, in the city of Clarksdale, Mississippi. The victims were four members of the Parker family: Carl Parker, his nine-year-old daughter Charlotte, his 12-year-old son Gregory, and his fiancée Bobbie Jo Parker. The murders unfolded in a house that Carl Parker shared with his children and his soon-to-be wife. Carl, a respected minister and law-abiding citizen, had offered temporary shelter to Carr and Woolfolk, unaware that he had welcomed evil into his home.

The crime was premeditated and ritualistic in its cruelty. Carr and Woolfolk waited until Carl returned from a church service, then overpowered and restrained him. The horror began with Charlotte, who was gagged and forced to watch as her father and brother were assaulted and mutilated. Carr and his accomplice proceeded to shoot Carl in the head, slit the throat of young Gregory, and strangle Bobbie Jo to death. Charlotte, the youngest, suffered the most harrowing fate. She was sexually assaulted before being executed by gunshot. The killers left behind a scene so savage that officers wept as they processed the crime scene.

Carr’s modus operandi was clinical yet sadistic. Evidence later revealed that the killings were not impulsive but calculated, driven by a warped desire for control and retribution. Robbery was the initial motive, but the acts went far beyond simple theft. Carr appeared to revel in the suffering he inflicted, ensuring that each murder was intimate, personalized, and laced with dominance.

Law enforcement apprehended Carr in Memphis, Tennessee, within days of the murders, thanks in part to a multi-state manhunt and tips from community members. He was extradited to Mississippi, where he faced charges of capital murder, sexual battery, kidnapping, and armed robbery. The trial began in late 1995 in Sunflower County, under heightened security and intense media scrutiny. Prosecutors described Carr as a predator beyond redemption, a man who had “trampled the innocence of children and desecrated the sanctity of a Christian home.” The defense attempted to introduce mitigating factors related to Carr’s traumatic upbringing, but they held little sway against the damning forensic evidence and eyewitness testimony linking Carr directly to the murders.

On December 13, 1995, Anthony Carr was convicted on all counts and sentenced to death. His appeals over the years have included challenges to the admissibility of his confession and claims of ineffective counsel, but none have been successful. The Mississippi Supreme Court and the federal courts have repeatedly upheld his conviction and sentence, describing the crime as “monstrous in the extreme.”

The Parker family murders left a deep scar on the Clarksdale community. Church leaders held vigils, school counselors were deployed to comfort Gregory and Charlotte’s classmates, and lawmakers in Mississippi cited the case in arguments supporting tougher sentencing guidelines and the expansion of victim’s rights legislation. Media coverage of the crime, especially the murder of two young children and the desecration of a home led by a minister, sparked a moral reckoning in a region already struggling with cycles of generational violence and poverty.

Today, Anthony Carr remains on death row at Parchman, where he has spent nearly three decades awaiting execution. He has offered no genuine remorse and continues to appeal his sentence. There are no known rehabilitation efforts or signs of reform. Correctional staff describe him as compliant but emotionally vacant. He writes the occasional letter to sympathizers, but has largely faded from public consciousness—except in the world of true crime collectors, where his signature is a rarity. An autographed letter or item from Carr carries with it the haunting weight of infamy, a macabre keepsake from a man who left behind nothing but carnage.

In conclusion, the case of Anthony Carr stands as a haunting testament to the depths of human depravity. His story illustrates how early exposure to violence and neglect, left unaddressed, can metastasize into acts of unspeakable horror. The murders committed by Carr were not just criminal—they were symbolic assassinations of trust, sanctuary, and innocence. To prevent similar tragedies, communities must invest in early intervention, mental health support, and robust systems of accountability. While Carr’s fate is sealed within the walls of Parchman, the echoes of his crimes continue to reverberate. He remains a reminder of what happens when society fails to stop the spiral before it hits bottom.

VIDEO: Local Yokels Storyteller Series The Parker Family Murders | https://youtu.be/TDgxqqhXG2M

Archiving Protocol:

• Handled with White Gloves ab initio

• Photo Pages/Sheet Protectors: Heavyweight Clear Sheet Protectors, Acid Free & Archival Safe, 8.5 × 11, Top Load

• White Backing Board—Acid Free

Shipping/Packaging: Rigid Mailer 9.5 × 12.5. The Kraft cardboard is white, self-seal, and stay-flat, ensuring it does not bend. Heavy cardboard, which has strong resistance to bending and tearing, makes each rigid mailer sturdy. These mailers are significantly thicker than those used by the USPS. Shipping cost is never more than it absolutely has to be to get it from me to you.