Beverly McCallum was convicted of second-degree murder in the 2002 fatal bludgeoning of her husband, Roberto Caraballo, in Michigan. Caraballo was suffocated and beaten in the basement of his home in Charlotte, Michigan, and his burned remains were found in a metal locker near a blueberry field in Ottawa County more than 10 years later. McCallum, 63, was arrested in Italy in 2020 and extradited back to Michigan to face trial. The jury in Eaton County took only two hours to reach a verdict in the case.
Prosecutors alleged that McCallum wanted to get rid of Caraballo in 2002 after he was released from federal prison because he was cramping her lifestyle. Defense attorney Timothy Havis argued that McCallum did not have a role in the killing and was lured into taking a ride to dispose of the remains. However, a witness at trial, Christopher McMillan, who pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, implicated McCallum and her daughter, Dineane Ducharme, in the attack on Caraballo. Ducharme is serving a life sentence for first-degree murder, and McMillan is serving a minimum of 15 years in prison.
During the trial, McCallum took the stand and maintained that she had no part in her husband’s murder. Her daughter, Sicily Caraballo, who was 9 at the time of the killing, testified and refuted some of her mother’s claims, including the severity of the injuries inflicted on her father. Prosecutor Doug Lloyd described the trial as “like a made-for-TV movie” and criticized McCallum’s attempt to explain her innocence on the stand. McCallum showed no visible reaction when the verdict was read, according to Court TV video footage of the trial.
The case is one that spanned over a decade, involving extradition from Italy and multiple witnesses cooperating with the police. The conviction of McCallum for second-degree murder brings some closure to the long investigation and legal proceedings surrounding the death of Roberto Caraballo. The outcome of the trial highlights the complex nature of the case and the impact it had on the lives of those involved, including McCallum, her daughter, and witnesses who were ultimately responsible for bringing justice to the victim.
