Crime scene investigators surrounded the home of an east El Paso woman accused of killing her estranged husband, a Fort Bliss soldier, more than 35 years ago.

The El Paso County Sheriff's Office crime scene command unit was at the home of Lisbeth Ann Garrett, 74, on Friday.

"I don't want to use the word hoarding but the inside, you can see, I mean, I don't know how anybody lived there," said a neighbor.

A quiet cul-de-sac became an active crime scene. Investigators in hazmat suits blocked off Lisbeth Garrett's home early Friday afternoon and went inside.

"It didn't register until we saw it on the news. I said what the heck, I visited with the neighbor next door and I said I'm gonna walk around and look," said that same neighbor.

She was arrested Thursday at her home for the 1977 murder of her husband,Maj. Chester Garrett, a decorated Fort Bliss soldier.

At the same time, homicide detectives went to Knoxville, Tenn., and arrested Roger Evan Garrett, 54, on charges of murdering Chester Garrett, his stepfather.

Neighbors KFOX 14 spoke with Friday describe Lisbeth as keeping to herself and say she never answered her door.

Some neighbors didn't even know her, and said they thought her house had been abandoned.

One woman, who lives across the street from the Garrett household, said the home had been empty for two years but she'd seen Lisbeth back in recent weeks.

Chester was a U.S. Army officer assigned to Fort Bliss when he was found dead in the county in 1977.

"I was shocked. I was shocked because she told me that her husband was shot. She told me this about 15 years ago. And he wasn't shot. So I thought, that's strange. But again, she was [a] recluse," said Carole Forrest, a neighbor.

Carole Forrest has lived on the block for nearly 25 years. She says Lisbeth kept to herself and never let anyone inside her home. She told KFOX 14 about the time boxes piled up in front of Lisbeth's house.
Forrest became worried and called Lisbeth.

“There’s a bunch of mail outside on your porch. If you don't call me back in an hour, I'm gonna call the police.’She called me back in 10 minutes," said Forrest.

Forrest says she hadn't seen Garrett in a while, but had seen someone else at her home.

"Well, there was a guy there working, his name was Pat. He told us that Lis had hired him to clean up the house, that they were gonna put it up for sale," said Forrest.

She'd seen Lisbeth in recent weeks, but then, nothing.

"But those things happen; you never know about your neighbors, that's all I can say," said Forrest.

For many years, Lisbeth worked for the Ysleta Independent School District.

She is currently booked in the El Paso County Detention Center under a $5 million bond.