Karen Marie Mitchell was a teenager who vanished in 1997. Her age progression depicts her at 30 years old.
Background[]
Karen was born on November 11, 1980. Her parents divorced shortly afterwards and she grew up in Whittier, California with her mother and brother. She moved to Eureka, California to live with her aunt and uncle when she was thirteen because her mother thought it was a safer place for a teenager to live. During the holidays and summer vacation she would return home to spend time with her mother and brother. At the time of her disappearance she was a good student and planned on graduating early. She hoped go on to study law or political science at Humboldt State University.
Case[]
Karen was last seen in Eureka, California on November 25, 1997. That morning Karen and her mother had been filling out her college application over the phone. She went to work a the Coastal Family Development Center as usual but walked to her aunt's shoe store at the Bayshore Mall over the afternoon hours. She left to return to work at 2:45 P.M. and was last seen walking from the Bayshore Mall toward West Sonoma Street.
That day a witness had nearly been run over by a car which he then witnessed a girl who resembled Karen getting into. The vehicle was a light blue 1976 to 1978 sedan. It had California license plates and the word "Eureka" was imprinted on the rear license plate frame. The man was 60-70 years old with balding light gray or sandy blonde hair and grey or green eyes. He had a small build, a large nose that had likely been broken in the past, and he wore "prescription-type" eyeglasses and a long sleeved blue button up shirt. Neither the man nor the car have ever been identified despite composite sketches being created of both.
Robert Durst, a suspected serial killer, is considered a possible suspect in Karen's case. He apparently visited her aunt's store several times in March 1998 and bore a striking resemblance to the composite sketch of Karen's possible abductor.
Durst is the primary suspect in the disappearance of his wife, Kathie Durst, who vanished in 1982. He was also initially investigated as a possible suspect in the 1997 disappearance of Kristen Modafferi, although this has since been ruled out. Additionally, he is suspected to have had a hand in the disappearance of Lynne Schulze. In 2015, he was charged with murder in the 2000 shooting death of Susan Berman. He was also acquitted of the 2001 shooting of Morris Black on the grounds of self defence.
Gallery[]
Characteristics[]
- Straight, sandy blonde neck length hair.
- Blue/green eyes.
- Pierced ears.
- She may have had a piercing below her lower lip.
Clothing and accessories[]
- A long-sleeved tan shirt.
- Baggy, dark brown Corduroy pants.
- Tan leather shoes with buckles.
- A necklace with a crystal on it.
- Three silver rings.
- Small hoop earrings.
- She was carrying a Nalgene brand water bottle.
Sources[]
- Karen Mitchell at the Charley Project
- Karen Mitchell at NamUs
- Karen Mitchell at NCMEC
- Karen Mitchell at the Doe Network
- Robert Durst on Wikipedia