FILE 292 / 16 June 2022 / 170 MIN / full

A Liar, A Killer & An Idiot

Cottonwood, CaliforniaListen

The town

N ↑Public placePublic placePublic placeTown centre (approximate places)
Static locations; no street basemap. Places and details. OpenFreeMap © OpenMapTiles Data from OpenStreetMap.

Cottonwood, California, and this is in Shasta County, between Redding and Red Bluff inland. about 0:05:35

History, in brief

Town note

Cottonwood began as a stagecoach town, a stop on the way to the Gold Rush and the Oregon Trail.

about 0:06:16

1849

It was established as a settlement in 1849, during the Gold Rush.

about 0:06:31

1849

In 1849 it was known as a stop for supplies and food before heading up to the Oregon Trail.

about 0:06:53
All 11 history facts

Town note

Cottonwood began as a stagecoach town, a stop on the way to the Gold Rush and the Oregon Trail.

about 0:06:16

1849

It was established as a settlement in 1849, during the Gold Rush.

about 0:06:31

1849

In 1849 it was known as a stop for supplies and food before heading up to the Oregon Trail.

about 0:06:53

Town note

It sits between Redding and Red Bluff, inland.

about 0:06:44

1859

In 1859 a Bavarian immigrant named Jacob Foster purchased 240 acres on the north side of Cottonwood Creek, and that is the town of Cottonwood now.

about 0:07:02

Town note

Foster built a hotel on his land, and the settlement grew into a real town.

about 0:07:21

1872

In 1872 it became a big shipping point for cattle, lumber and agricultural products from the Sacramento River Valley.

about 0:07:33

Town note

The railroad came through, and the town kept growing.

about 0:07:47

1997

In 1997 the film Almost Heroes, Chris Farley's last movie, was shot there.

about 0:08:57

1961

In 1961 Hell is for Heroes, starring Steve McQueen, was filmed there, and it was Bob Newhart's first appearance in anything.

about 0:09:10

The figures, as told

Religious

27%

Biggest faith: Catholic, 5%

about 0:14:06

Who lives here

White 77% · Black 0.0% · Asian 0.0% · Hispanic 17.7%

Ethnicity can overlap race.

Crime / national average

Property crime
▼ slightly below

about 0:24:19

Violent crime
▲ slightly above

about 0:24:26

Money

Median home value$322,000
Two-bedroom rent$11.88 a month
Median household income$42,000 a year
Cost of living$102,000

For sale

$699,000

Three-bedroom, two-bath house, 1,800 square feet

about 0:17:13

For sale

$2,250,000

Three-bedroom, one-bath farm, 1,198 square feet

about 0:17:45
All figures and comparisons, as told in 2022

Property crime

"slightly below"

Comparison: "national average". Direction: below.

As told in 2022 about 0:24:19

Violent crime

"slightly above"

Comparison: "national average". Direction: above.

As told in 2022 about 0:24:26

Population

"3,280 people"

No direction stated.

As told in 2022 about 0:12:47

Female

"53%"

Comparison: "the average". No direction stated.

As told in 2022 about 0:12:55

Divorce rate

"almost twice"

Comparison: "the rest of the country". Direction: above.

As told in 2022 about 0:13:10

Single with children

"32%"

Comparison: "normal". No direction stated.

As told in 2022 about 0:13:16

Hawaiian Pacific Islander

"1.3%"

No direction stated.

As told in 2022 about 0:13:54

Democrat in Shasta County

"33%"

No direction stated.

As told in 2022 about 0:14:23

Republican in Shasta County

"65%"

No direction stated.

As told in 2022 about 0:14:23

Independent in Shasta County

"2.3%"

No direction stated.

As told in 2022 about 0:14:23

Unemployment

"a little bit higher"

Comparison: "national average". Direction: above.

As told in 2022 about 0:14:33

Median household income

"$42,000 a year"

Comparison: "about $54,000 nationally". No direction stated.

As told in 2022 about 0:14:39

Cost of living

"$102,000"

Comparison: "$100,000 average, normal". Direction: about the same.

As told in 2022 about 0:14:51

Median home cost

"$322,000"

No direction stated.

As told in 2022 about 0:14:55

Average two-bedroom rent

"$11.88 a month"

Comparison: "national average". No direction stated.

As told in 2022 about 0:15:40

Two-bedroom trailer, 600 square feet

"$11,900"

No direction stated.

As told in 2022 about 0:16:32

Three-bedroom, two-bath house, 1,800 square feet

"$699,000"

No direction stated.

As told in 2022 about 0:17:13

Three-bedroom, one-bath farm, 1,198 square feet

"$2,250,000"

No direction stated.

As told in 2022 about 0:17:45

The reviews

4.5 / 5 · average of 2

5 stars

“A slow pace of life in a small, quaint town; ranchers raise cattle, some have horses, goats, gardens and pets; mountains all around and twenty-five minutes from Shasta and Whiskeytown Lakes; homes sit on acres and Mount Shasta is visible; Holiday Market sells farm-raised beef and chicken, local honey and organic food; no traffic or pavements and five minutes from the freeway.”
about 0:10:02

4 stars

“Kind people, good surrounding schools and great teachers, but there are a lot of drug addicts and gang life is huge and it is not very safe; nearby cities are not safe either; cute shops, small-town feel, good sports and weather despite the droughts.”
about 0:11:16

In California

Closest episodes

  1. The Most Interesting Murderer In The WorldSpringville, California · 22 January 202687 km / 54 miShow on map
  2. The Cowboy & The Con ManOlancha, California · 5 September 2025136 km / 85 miShow on map
  3. Millions To MurderSunnyside, California · 13 March 2025167 km / 104 miShow on map
  4. Cooking Up MurderLomita, California · 12 October 2024183 km / 114 miShow on map
  5. Three Murders & A StranglingCanyon Lake, California · 23 May 2018243 km / 151 miShow on map

The story

When he was fifteen, in 1985, his family moved to Portland, Oregon, where he reinvented himself at his new high school as a veteran of the Irish Republican Army. He had an IRA tattoo and collected newspaper clippings about the organisation. In 1987, aged seventeen, he met Carol Ann at Arby's in Portland, and they soon moved in together. In 1989 he returned to Shasta County, bringing Carol, and finally finished high school. He joined the Marine Corps in 1990, proposed to Carol while he was serving, and married her in March 1991. He was discharged as a lance corporal in September 1991, after about two years.

Around 1994 or 1995 they returned to Shasta County. Carol worked at an insurance agency and was the breadwinner.

He told friends he had fought for the IRA, worked as a sniper for the federal government, carried out assassinations in South America for the DEA, and held the rank of lieutenant in the Marines. He claimed a Purple Heart and a Navy commendation and displayed the medals at home. He said he worked for an organisation called The Company, which had a woman named Sasha in New York assigning contracts, and he had business cards printed under the code name Patriot.

The first plan, to kill Dean at a conference in San Francisco in October 1997, was abandoned when the trip was cancelled. On 6 February 1998 they drove to Oregon with guns, a silencer, walkie-talkies and restraints, checked into a motel in Gresham and scouted a parking garage near Dean's office. They returned to California the next morning.

It contained photographs of Carol, who was eight months pregnant, and written instructions.

They went to the Garton house and watched The Killing Time. He fired four more shots, hitting her chest and back. One bullet killed her unborn son, Jesse James Garton, who was due in two weeks. Carol was shot five times and died at the scene.

He went into the bedroom, found Carol, called 911 and was giving her CPR when deputies arrived. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Detectives found the .44 and bloodstained clothing. He was held on $1.5 million bail and admitted shooting Carol. Dean Noyes took their two children, aged five and three, and left.

The case

Murder of Carol Garton

Victims

Carol Garton. Garton's wife; eight months pregnant; worked at an insurance agency and supported the household
Jesse James Garton (unborn). their son, due in two weeks

Accused and outcomes

As told in the episode, on 16 June 2022.

Accused

Accused

Accused

Outcome

Other people

Dean Noyes. husband and the target of the earlier murder plots
James Holman. Carol's father
Virginia. Carol's mother
Tracy Jones. Carol's pregnant friend
Sarah Mann. girlfriend
Charles Hawkins. bow-hunting teammate, who thought he was full of shit
Sasha. invented information broker in New York
Colonel Sean. invented head of The Company
McGregor Scott. Shasta County district attorney
Steve Grasshoff. Shasta County detective

The timeline

  1. Garton grows up in Shasta County, Californiaabout 0:25:47
  2. 1985 family moves to Portland, Oregon, when he is 15about 0:25:53
  3. 1986 meets ; both are 16about 0:30:54
  4. 1987 meets Carol Ann at Arby's and they begin living together (Arby's)about 0:33:01
  5. 1989 returns to Shasta County with Carol and finishes high schoolabout 0:33:55
  6. 1990 enters the Marine Corpsabout 0:34:50
  7. March 1991 and Carol marryabout 0:37:10
  8. September 1991 is discharged from the Marines as a lance corporalabout 0:37:48
  9. 1992 marries Dean Noyesabout 0:52:43
  10. 1993 meets at the Shasta College computer lab (Shasta College computer lab)about 1:04:51
  11. 1994 or 1995 and Carol return to Shasta County and goes to work for G&G Fencing (G&G Fencing)about 0:40:31
  12. 1995 and are having a regular affairabout 0:52:52
  13. 1996 tells he is a paid assassin for The Company and recruits him to kill Deanabout 0:54:33
  14. fall 1996 first suggests killing Carol during a motel meeting with about 1:44:31
  15. spring 1997 tells that Dean is having an affair and offers to have him killedabout 1:01:54
  16. later in 1997 Dean admits the affair and tells to go ahead with the killingabout 1:03:03
  17. 1997 sends keys to the house and cars, photographs of Dean and details of where he parks (Dean and house)about 1:03:42
  18. October 1997 The plan to kill Dean at a San Francisco conference is abandoned when the trip is cancelledabout 1:11:26
  19. October 1997 Carol is found to be pregnantabout 1:11:56

Conspiracy to murder Dean Noyes

Victims

Dean Noyes. husband; survived several murder plots

Accused and outcomes

As told in the episode, on 16 June 2022.

Accused

Accused

Accused

Outcome

Other people

Dean Noyes. the intended victim
Carol Garton. wife, murdered instead on May 16, 1998
Sarah Mann. girlfriend

The timeline

  1. 1995 and begin a regular affairabout 0:52:52
  2. 1996 tells he is a paid assassin and recruits him to kill Dean for $25,000about 0:54:33
  3. 1996 and practise with a silenced gun, shoot neighbourhood cats and destroy Ford Bronco for insurance moneyabout 0:59:13
  4. spring 1997 tells that Dean is having an affair and offers to have him killedabout 1:01:54

Places and phrases

N ↑Public placePublic placePublic placeTown centre (approximate places)
Static locations; no street basemap. Places and details. OpenFreeMap © OpenMapTiles Data from OpenStreetMap.

Places in the story

Public places are marked on the map.

Heard in this episode