Karla Mendez Brada, Eric Earle: Santa Clarita Woman Found Murdered In Her Bed Is Focus Of CBS ’48 Hours’ Saturday
Karla Mendez Brada, the 31-year old Santa Clarita woman who was found dead in her bed almost five years ago, will have her death case featured on CBS 48 Hours. Inquisitr last brought you the story of Nancy Bishop, another compelling crime case that was featured on the show. On Saturday’s 48 Hours, which first aired in 2014, viewers will listen to family members, friends, and law enforcement officials tell how Karla Mendez Brada, a young woman who had struggled with alcoholism, was killed, and how police put together a case against her killer and fiancé, Eric Earle. Today, Eric Earle sits in a California correctional facility, serving 26 years to life, according to KHTS.
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While watching CBS’ 48 Hours, you’ll hear that Karla Mendez Brada and Eric Earle met in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), an unlikely place to meet a future husband. But Karla was ready to receive help for her alcohol addiction, and she needed help fast. Karla believed that attending the local AA meeting would be just what she needed in order to get her life back on track. However, authorities say instead of getting her life back on track, she met a killer, a man with a criminal record and with a history of violence and abuse.
Karla Mendez Brada had no idea about Eric Earle’s past, but she was quite smitten with him when she first began talking with him. Eric Earle was just as impressed with Karla, a petite, brown-haired beauty with a beautiful smile. And that’s why Karla’s friends and family were distraught to hear that she had been found dead in her bed. 911 first received a call from Eric Earle, who stated that his girlfriend had passed away. He then contacted Karla’s family to tell them the devastating news.
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But to the family, nothing added up. Yes, Karla Mendez Brada did have problems with alcohol and prescription drugs, but she wouldn’t harm herself. And when the death was ruled as suspicious, Eric had the perfect explanation—- Karla had accidentally fallen down the stairs. This conflicted with the coroner’s report, which ruled her death as a homicide, caused by suffocation. The autopsy report also showed that Karla Mendez had been beaten to death in her bed. That information, coupled with what detectives already knew about the couple’s domestic violence problems, made Eric the prime suspect. Ultimately, he was convicted of her murder.
Eerily, photos of the condo where Karla Mendez Brada was murdered by Eric Earle are available on Zillow. The address was 20847 Plum Canyon Road. In fact, there is a tour of the entire home, which appears to be vacant. Also, here are a few facts about where this crime occurred, according to City Town Info.
“Incorporated in 1987, Santa Clarita is the 24th largest city in California. Within Los Angeles County it is the 4th largest city. It is part of the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area, which in the broadest sense, has a population of nearly 18 million people. Santa Clarita lies in the southern part of the state, 22 miles north of Los Angeles. The Pacific Ocean is 27 miles away.()Santa Clarita is the result of a 1987 merger of several communities which were already in existence – Saugus, Valencia, Canyon Country, Newhall, and parts of Castaic. One goal of the merger was to keep tax dollars local.”
On the next 48 Hours report, you’ll hear how much Karla’s mother misses her hugs. She also discusses how much she looks forward to sleeping because it is the only time that Karla comes to her in her dreams.
Be sure to mark your calendars for Saturday, January 2, so you can tune in to the CBS 48 Hours episode entitled “The Sober Truth” at 10 p.m. ET/PT.
CBS 48 Hours Preview: “The Sober Truth”
