People in Fort Walton Beach still lower their voices when they talk about James Flanders. It’s one of those stories that feels too dark for a sunny Florida beach town, especially when a man of the cloth is at the center of it. Honestly, when Marie Carlson vanished back in 2011, nobody expected the trail to lead back to a backyard grave and a "holy" throuple that was anything but sacred.
The case of James Flanders and Marie Carlson is more than just a true crime headline. It’s a messy, tragic look at what happens when power, religion, and manipulation collide.
Who was Marie Carlson?
Marie was a 37-year-old mother trying to find her footing. She’d had some rough patches, but those who knew her described her as kind and perhaps a bit too trusting. That trust eventually landed her in the orbit of James Flanders, the charismatic pastor of Calvary Chapel Emerald Coast.
Flanders and his wife, Tanya, didn't just offer Marie spiritual guidance. They offered her a home. But this wasn't just a charitable gesture. It eventually came out that the three were involved in a polyamorous relationship. James and Tanya even had a name for it: they were living "the old-fashioned way," a phrase they used to justify a biblical-style polygamy.
The Pregnancy That Changed Everything
Things got complicated—fast. In July 2011, Marie gave birth to a daughter named Grace. James Flanders was the father.
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You’ve gotta imagine the tension in that house. A pastor, his wife, and the "other woman" all raising a newborn under the same roof while trying to maintain a pious image for the congregation. According to later testimony, Marie started to push back. She wanted her own life. She wanted to raise her daughter without the suffocating constraints of the Flanders' rules.
Then, on October 17, 2011, she simply disappeared.
The "I'm Okay" Text and the Five-Year Wait
Two days after she was last seen, a group text went out from Marie’s phone. It basically said she was leaving town to do something she’d always wanted to do. It sounded suspicious to everyone who knew her. Marie wouldn't just leave her three-month-old baby.
The police were stuck. For years, the case went cold. James Flanders moved his wife and Marie’s daughter to Arizona, seemingly leaving the mystery behind in the Florida sand.
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It took the intervention of the TV show Cold Justice and relentless work by Okaloosa County investigators to finally break him. In 2016, facing second-degree murder charges, Flanders took a deal. He led investigators to the side yard of his former home on Revere Avenue.
He had buried her right there.
The Confession Most People Missed
During his interrogation, Flanders didn't describe a premeditated hit. He claimed it was an accident—a "tight bear hug" during an argument that went too far. He said he held her until she stopped moving.
It’s a chilling detail. He then spent the next several hours digging a hole while his wife and the baby were potentially in the house or nearby. He even admitted to sending that "I'm okay" text from her phone to buy himself time.
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Where is James Flanders now?
Under the terms of his plea deal, James Flanders was sentenced to 15 years in prison for manslaughter. For many, that felt like a slap on the wrist.
- Sentencing: He began his sentence in 2016.
- Release: With gain time and Florida's sentencing laws, his release date has been a point of constant monitoring for the Carlson family.
- The Daughter: In a move that still shocks true crime fans, Tanya Flanders actually maintained custody of baby Grace for a significant period, raising her in the shadow of the man who killed her mother.
Why This Case Still Matters in 2026
We’re still talking about this because it exposes the massive gaps in how "trusted" figures are vetted. Flanders used his position as a pastor to insulate himself from suspicion for nearly half a decade.
If you're following cases like this, the biggest takeaway is often about the digital footprint. It wasn't just a gut feeling that caught Flanders; it was the cell tower data that proved Marie's phone never left the area when those texts were sent.
Actionable Insights for True Crime Followers:
If you are looking into similar cold cases or missing persons, pay attention to the "departure" narrative. When a victim "voluntarily" leaves without their children or essential belongings, it is the primary red flag for foul play. In the Flanders case, the recovery of Marie's car at the airport—parked by James himself—was the thread that eventually unraveled his entire story.
The tragedy of Marie Carlson serves as a reminder that the most dangerous people aren't always strangers in the dark. Sometimes, they're the ones standing behind a pulpit.
Next Steps for Research
- Look up the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office public records for the 2011-2016 window to see the original "Missing Person" posters.
- Watch the Dateline NBC episode "Secrets on the Emerald Coast" for the actual interrogation footage of Flanders.
- Check the Florida Department of Corrections inmate population search to track current status updates on Flanders’ release.