TOPEKA, Kansas — A 47-year-old man has been sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of the first-degree murder of his ex-girlfriend. Aldrick Scott was convicted for the 2022 killing of 43-year-old Cari Allen. The tragic incident occurred after Allen returned home to Nebraska from a date with another man, prompting Scott to carry out the brutal act. He then buried her body on an abandoned farmhouse property near his home in Kansas before attempting to flee to Central America. However, he was apprehended in Belize after the individual who offered him shelter reported him to the authorities.
Douglas District Court Judge Kimberly Pankonin handed down the life sentence to Scott, who was also found guilty of using a weapon to commit a felony and tampering with physical evidence. During the trial, it became clear that Scott had an unhealthy obsession with Allen, which ultimately motivated his heinous crimes. The victim’s ex-husband, Brett Allen, expressed the deep trauma inflicted on their lives, unable to comprehend how someone could commit such an act of violence against someone they once claimed to love.
In his defense, Scott testified at trial that Allen had pulled a gun on him, leading to a struggle and the unintentional discharge of the weapon. However, authorities revealed that the couple had recently ended their relationship and that Scott had traveled to Allen’s home in Omaha, Nebraska, where he gained entry through the garage and murdered her. He then transported her body over 160 miles across state lines to Kansas, where he buried her remains on an abandoned farmhouse property near his residence.
The investigation into Allen’s disappearance commenced after she was reported missing, eventually leading law enforcement to identify Scott as a person of interest. It was discovered that he had boarded a flight out of the country from Topeka, Kansas. Subsequently, a warrant was issued for his arrest on charges of kidnapping. Scott was eventually captured in Belize on December 6, 2022, thanks to the vigilance of a barbecue restaurant owner who had taken him in and alerted the authorities.
The search for closure finally ended on December 21, 2022, when authorities located Allen’s remains on a farm property in Topeka, Kansas. The discovery was made possible through the location data from OnStar in Scott’s SUV, which showed that he had spent an hour at the site after committing the murder.
Throughout the trial, jurors were presented with evidence of threatening messages exchanged between Scott and Allen prior to her tragic death. Allen had informed Scott that she was going out with a friend on the fateful night. Inside her home, Scott messaged her, confronting her about what he perceived as lies.
As the news of Allen’s murder spread, her colleagues at Vodec, an organization that provides services for people with disabilities, expressed their fond memories of her. They described her as the first supervisor of their Elm program in Omaha, Nebraska, and a beloved member of the disability community.
The sentencing of Aldrick Scott to life in prison serves as a reminder of the devastating consequences of domestic violence and the need for vigilance in protecting victims. The case also highlights the importance of collaboration among law enforcement agencies across international borders, as Scott’s attempt to flee to Central America was thwarted thanks to the cooperation between authorities in Belize and the United States.