In November 1997, 16-year-old Karen Mitchell vanished while walking down Broadway in Eureka, California after visiting her aunt’s shoe store.
A witness described a light-blue 1977 Ford Granada driven by an older white male near the scene, which prompted cadaver-sniffing dog searches and investigations along the West Coast, but no leads panned out.
Notably, both Robert Durst, and serial killer Wayne Adam Ford were hinted at, but later ruled out as a possible suspects in Karen’s disappearance. Despite renewed searches in 2004, and appeals in national media, the case remains unsolved.
Karen Mitchell's disappearance highlighted the sudden vanishing of young women in Humboldt County, contributing to the pattern that would include Jennifer Wilmer, Christine Walters, Danielle Bertolini, and Sheila Franks.
