New York’s Court of Appeals has rejected Karl Karlsen’s appeal of the guilty plea he gave four years ago in the death of his son.
The Seneca County man pled guilty in 2013 to a second degree murder charge shortly before his trial was due to begin. He admitted rigging a jack stand so that a pickup truck would fall on his son, Levi, while his son was working under it. Prior to rigging the apparent accident, he took out a life insurance policy on his son.
Several years after the incident, Karlsen told his estranged wife what he’d done, and after pleading guilty he was sentenced to 15-years-to-life in prison.
His attorney argued on appeal that Karlsen was denied an attorney during interrogation and made the guilty plea involuntarily. The court disagreed.
Karlsen is currently in California, awaiting trial for the murder of his first wife. Her death in a 1991 fire had been declared accidental, but California authorities reopened the case after learning about Levi Karlsen’s murder and found evidence to accuse Karlsen.