Karlie’s stepmother Melissa told Dateline that in the beginning of October, Karlie was a “happy kid” and her positive attitude was no different than usual. The family had recently moved just north of Bishop to a town called Chalfant, but Karlie wasn’t fazed by the move as she’d been able to stay in the same school district.
On Friday, October 12, Karlie left home to hang out with friends, as her stepmother says was typical for her. According to her mother Lindsay, Karlie’s boyfriend Donald Arrowood III would later say that, after hanging out with friends for a while, Karlie started to not feel well and wanted to leave the party.