Caretaker charged with killing of client

NEWLAND, N.C. — A live-in caretaker for a North Carolina woman who was found dead in her home last week, buried in concrete, has been arrested and charged with murder, a sheriff said Sunday.

Elizabeth Carserino, 53, of Goose Creek, S.C., was in the Avery County jail in lieu of secured bond of more than $1.6 million, Avery Sheriff Kevin Frye said.

Frye’s deputies assumed custody of Carserino — also known as Elizabeth Freeman — on Saturday after deputies in Jackson County took her in on outstanding warrants from Avery on charges of vehicle larceny, identity theft and financial card theft, Frye said.

Carserino was wanted in the death of Lynn Gay Keene, 70, of Linville Falls, which is in the mountains about 110 miles from Charlotte.

The Avery sheriff’s office on July 30 filed a missing person’s report for Keene, who had last been in contact with her family in mid-June. Detectives discovered her car was missing, and it was found several counties away with two empty concrete bags in the trunk, according to WBTV in Charlotte, leading to a search warrant for Keene’s house.

Sheriff’s Det. Tim Austin said he and another detective discovered a mass of hardened concrete in the basement. State Bureau of Investigation agents broke enough of the concrete to discover human remains inside, according to the TV station.

An autopsy and dental records confirmed that it was Keene, and Austin said her remains appeared to show blunt-force trauma in the head and strangulation.

Carserino’s first court appearance could be as soon as today, the sheriff said.