TX TX- Karen Lynn Douglas, 22, new mom, fatally stabbed,@ home, Harris Co., 6 Jan., '81, poss. connected to other home invasions in area,*New initiative*

[dotr]

Jan 13, 2025 rbbm.

Increased Reward Offered in New Mother’s Cold Case Murder | Department of Public Safety

www.dps.texas.gov

AUSTIN – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) is seeking information in the 1981 murder of Karen Lynn Douglas. The reward for information leading to the arrest of those responsible for her death is now increased to $6,000 if the tip is received before the next featured Texas Rangers cold case is announced. Anyone with information in this case is asked to please come forward.

''On Jan. 6, 1981, Douglas, 22, was found stabbed to death in her Harris Co. residence after an apparent struggle. Douglas’ mother found the body when she arrived at the residence to pick up her daughter for a doctor’s visit. Douglas was married, had a new baby and stayed at home full-time to care for her child who was in the home when she was murdered. Douglas’ husband was at work at the time of her death. She was last seen alive two hours before her body was found.

In the months before and after Douglas’ death, there were other unsolved home invasions in the area, in which women who were home alone were attacked by someone armed with a knife. It’s believed these crimes were committed by a young, slender white male. It remains unclear if Douglas’ death is linked to those other crimes.''

 

[dotr]

Jan 14, 2025
22-year-old Karen Lynn Douglas was found dead over 40 years ago inside her home in the Houston area.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Texas Dept. of Public Safety on Instagram: "Karen Lynn Douglas was found murdered in January 1981. The new mother was stabbed to death inside her Harris Co. residence after an apparent struggle. She was last seen alive two hours before her body was f

52 likes, 0 comments - texas_dps on January 16, 2025: "Karen Lynn Douglas was found murdered in January 1981. The new mother was stabbed to death inside her Harris Co. residence after an apparent struggle. She was last seen alive two hours before her body was found. DPS is asking for the...

www.instagram.com

 

[imstilla.grandma]

In the months before and after Douglas’ death, there were other unsolved home invasions in the area, in which women who were home alone were attacked by someone armed with a knife. It’s believed these crimes were committed by a young, slender white male. It remains unclear if Douglas’ death is linked to those other crimes.

Increased Reward Offered in New Mother’s Cold Case Murder

AUSTIN – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) is seeking information in the 1981 murder of Karen Lynn Douglas. The reward for information leading to the arrest of those

www.fbherald.com

 

[gregjrichards]

‘Karen Lynn Douglas, 22, was found dead in her home in Harris County on January 6, 1981, after being stabbed more than 25 times. The young mother had 'fought like hell' protecting her three-month-old baby, investigators said.

The case was potentially linked to other break-ins in the area at the time and left the community living in fear.’

Major update in murder of new mom, 22, stabbed 25 times in her home

A major update in a cold case murder from the 1980s has Karen Douglas's family pleading for information after she was stabbed 25 times while protecting her daughter.

www.dailymail.co.uk

I hope the efit photo helps jog someone’s memory who still lives in the area, or they used to around this time who may recognize the alleged perpetrator, and it provides the tips and breakthrough law enforcement needs.

It is tragic that Karen, her husband and their baby daughter had only recently moved into this home, and it was broken into. In order to feel safer Karen learned how to use a firearm to protect herself before moving back home. On the day of the murder, Karen’s husband left for work in the morning and she was home alone with her daughter for the first time after the break a few weeks prior, she realized someone was in the home, and she hid her baby daughter under the sink in the bathroom of the bedroom to protect her. Then she was murdered by being stabbed 25 times. It doesn’t seem like a coincidence that Karen was killed the first time she was home alone with her daughter. The perpetrator may have been watching Karen and the home prior to the murder to ensure that her husband, Mother or another adult wasn’t home at the time.

I agree with the comment in the article that Karen may have known her killer. Murdering someone by stabbing them 25 times gives the impression that it was a personal attack on them, and he flew into a rage wanting to brutally injure her. I have wondered if there was evidence collected from the crime scene that could be tested for DNA now and if there was anything taken from the crime scene like clothing or jewelry belonging to Karen or something from the home. Karen and her husband owned a burger place nearby, and it is thought the killer could possibly have been an employee who was fired or a guy who was possibly infatuated with her, and she rejected him. Could he have been a customer who had seen her there? It was brazen of the killer to commit such a brutal murder during the daytime before noon.

 

[gregjrichards]

‘Douglas says he found a ski mask on the bed and all the evidence from the murder was saved.

Two weeks before Karen’s murder, she escaped a home invasion. Douglas said his wife told him the man was “not a very big person” and was “cocky”.

There were multiple unsolved home invasions in the same area where women were attacked by a young man with a knife.’

‘God can forgive him, but I wouldn’t’: Husband seeks answers 44 years after young mother murdered at Harris County home

On January 6, 1981, Karen Lynn Douglas was stabbed to death in front of her baby. KPRC 2 Reporter Corley Peel spoke one-on-one with the victim’s husband after law enforcement offered announced a reward for information leading to the killer’s arrest.

www.click2houston.com

There is some more information on Karen’s murder in this article. I’m glad his ski mask was left behind and evidence from the crime scene was collected. I wonder if the mask or other evidence has been tested forensically. If the same guy committed the home invasion why did he return to the home two weeks later to murder Karen? Was it because he realised she had seen his face and could identify him? Why did he not kill anyone in the home invasions prior to or after Karen’s murder?

 

[dotr]

View attachment 560734

‘Karen Lynn Douglas, 22, was found dead in her home in Harris County on January 6, 1981, after being stabbed more than 25 times. The young mother had 'fought like hell' protecting her three-month-old baby, investigators said.

The case was potentially linked to other break-ins in the area at the time and left the community living in fear.’

Major update in murder of new mom, 22, stabbed 25 times in her home

A major update in a cold case murder from the 1980s has Karen Douglas's family pleading for information after she was stabbed 25 times while protecting her daughter.

www.dailymail.co.uk

I hope the efit photo helps jog someone’s memory who still lives in the area, or they used to around this time who may recognize the alleged perpetrator, and it provides the tips and breakthrough law enforcement needs.

It is tragic that Karen, her husband and their baby daughter had only recently moved into this home, and it was broken into. In order to feel safer Karen learned how to use a firearm to protect herself before moving back home. On the day of the murder, Karen’s husband left for work in the morning and she was home alone with her daughter for the first time after the break a few weeks prior, she realized someone was in the home, and she hid her baby daughter under the sink in the bathroom of the bedroom to protect her. Then she was murdered by being stabbed 25 times. It doesn’t seem like a coincidence that Karen was killed the first time she was home alone with her daughter. The perpetrator may have been watching Karen and the home prior to the murder to ensure that her husband, Mother or another adult wasn’t home at the time.

I agree with the comment in the article that Karen may have known her killer. Murdering someone by stabbing them 25 times gives the impression that it was a personal attack on them, and he flew into a rage wanting to brutally injure her. I have wondered if there was evidence collected from the crime scene that could be tested for DNA now and if there was anything taken from the crime scene like clothing or jewelry belonging to Karen or something from the home. Karen and her husband owned a burger place nearby, and it is thought the killer could possibly have been an employee who was fired or a guy who was possibly infatuated with her, and she rejected him. Could he have been a customer who had seen her there? It was brazen of the killer to commit such a brutal murder during the daytime before noon.

Thank you, from the link..

The Douglas's home had been broken into just weeks before Karen's murder. She was also home alone with her daughter and described the intruder as a 'punk- kid'. A sketch of the potential intruder was created
''Karen's husband, Randy Douglas, was at work at the time fatal stabbing. She was home alone with her daughter after experiencing a break-in only weeks beforehand. When an intruder came to her home for the second time, and she was stabbed to death.''

'They had just moved into this new home, and she stuck her [daughter] underneath their master bedroom sink in her little car seat,' her nephew, Kenton Ford, told DailyMail.com this week. '[Karen] knew that he was in the home, and she hid her.'

 

[gregjrichards]

Is there any information available online about the home invasions that occurred before or after Karen’s murder? I’m interested to know what similarities there are between these crimes:

Did the home invasions happen at similar times of the day or day of the week?
Did all the invasions happen in the same area within a certain radius?
Was it similar types of properties that were targeted?
Were there any similarities between these victims of the home invasions?
Was the same method of entry used to enter the properties?
Did he always wear a ski mask or did some victims see his face?
Was there anything that stood out about his voice?
Did any of the home invasion victims remember anything about him that stood out that could help identify him?
Did he threaten to use the same weapon or threaten to harm the victims by the same method?
What possessions were taken during the crimes was any unique jewellery taken?
What time of clothing did the perpetrator usually wear?
Were any vehicles seen near the crime scenes that weren’t normally there that could potentially have been used by the perpetrator?

 

[#JUSTICE4WILDER]

All very good questions. I don't have any answers but it would be great to see if there were news reports detailing the other home invasions. Especially the first one at their new home.

 

[dotr]

Jan 24, 2025
For 44 years, the murder of Karen Douglas has remained unsolved. She was stabbed to death in front of her baby in 1981. Texas DPS is offering a $6,000 reward for any information leading to an arrest. Her husband still hopes the killer will be caught.
rbbm

Details - Unsolved Homicide

www.dps.texas.gov

Karen Lynn Douglas

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REFERENCE NUMBER: 282 - Unsolved
COMPANY: A
RACE: White
SEX: Female
CITY: Unincorporated
COUNTY: Harris
RELATED YEAR: 1981
DETAILS:
Karen Lynn Douglas was found deceased in her Harris County residence on 01/06/1981. Karen had been involved in a struggle and murdered. Karen's mother discovered her body when she arrived at the home to take her to a doctor's visit.

Note that there are other unsolved homicides in the general area, possibly perpetrated by the same person. That person is described as a young, white male, small in stature.
Karen was married, the mother of a new baby, and stayed at home full-time to care for her child.''

 

[dotr]

Nov 16, 2021
Forty years ago, the 22-year-old bride was home with her 3-month-old daughter when she was stabbed to death in northeast Harris County.

 

[Rita7]

I guess, the murderer was a different perp, someone unrelated to the previous invasions: an incel, psycho, stalker, e.g. someone whose modus operandi was similar to Brian Kohberger's one.
IMHO