Celebration of life to honor slain Springfield native Dr. Beth Potter, husband

There will be a celebration of life for Springfield native and former University of Wisconsin associate professor Dr. Beth Potter and her husband, Robin Carre, at 2 p.m. Sunday at Erin's Pavilion at Southwind Park.

Joggers discovered the bodies of Potter and Carre in the university's arboretum in late March 2020. The couple was abducted at gunpoint from their Madison home.

Carre, 57, was pronounced dead at the scene, while Potter, 52, was taken to a local hospital where she later died.

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Two defendants were sentenced in September for their parts in the crime. Khari Sanford, 21, was convicted of first-degree intentional homicide and will serve life in prison without the chance of parole. Ali'jah J. Larrue, 20, will serve eight years and 10 years extended supervision after pleading guilty to felony murder (kidnapping) in 2021.

Potter grew up in Springfield, where her parents, James R. “Bud” and Mary Jo Potter, still live.

Potter was an associate professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at UW. She was also a physician at the Access Community Health Centers Wingra Family Medical Center in Madison.

Potter's classroom work focused on teaching evidence-based medicine, wellness, women’s health, and investigating ways in which emerging technologies could be used to advance medical education.

Potter joined the UW faculty in 1999 after completing her residency there. Potter attended Rush Medical College in Chicago after completing her undergraduate work at Knox College.

Carre was a counselor and adjunct professor at Viterbo University.

According to the Wisconsin State Journal, Sanford was dating the couple's daughter. Sanford was living in the couple's home early on in the COVID-19 pandemic, but a dispute over pandemic protocols led Potter and Carre to rent Sanford and their daughter an Airbnb in Madison.

Attorney Gordon Gates, in a 2020 interview with The State Journal-Register, called the Potters "a community-minded family." Bud Potter was founding member of the law firm Londrigan, Potter, Randle in 1970.

Potter and Carre are survived by three children.

Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788, sspearie@sj-r.com, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.