On January 6, 1981, 22-year-old new mother Karen Lynn Douglas was brutally murdered in her home. There were over 25 stab wounds on her body.
The murder occurred after her husband and high school sweetheart, Randy, left for work. Karen’s mother discovered her daughter around noon when she came to take her to a doctor’s appointment.
It had only been two hours since she was last seen alive.
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Investigators will say Karen “fought desperately” to protect her 3-month-old baby girl. They also knew that her husband, Randy, could not have been the murderer.
Randy has an old injury to his fingertip that got caught in a motorcycle chain when he was 15 years old. Therefore, there is no possibility that he left fingerprints that were found at the crime scene.
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The investigators look away from Randy and focus on notorious serial killer Henry Lee Lucas. However, it turned out that Lucas was in Florida, not Texas, at the time.
Lucas would later be found to have falsely confessed to many murders in exchange for milkshakes and hamburgers from a lazy detective.
So who would kill Karen? And at such an unusual time? Perhaps a neighborhood loiterer?
In the months before and after Douglas’ death, other women in the area were attacked by someone armed with a knife while they were home alone, authorities said.
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The man is described as a young, slender white male wearing a ski mask. That person has not been identified, and it is unknown if he is the same person who killed Karen.
Nearly 45 years after Karen was murdered, the Texas Rangers are still investigating the case and are actively seeking additional information that could bring closure to Karen’s husband and daughter. Masu.
The reward for information leading to the arrest of the killer has been increased to $6,000.
Anyone with information can contact Texas Crime Stoppers anonymously by:
Call the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-252-TIPS (8477) or the Crime Stoppers of Houston hotline at 713-222-TIPS (8477).
Submit a web tip through the Texas Rangers Cold Case website by selecting the name of the victim you have information about.
Call the Missing Persons Hotline at 1-800-346-3243. Your information will be forwarded to the Texas Ranger in charge of this incident
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