OH OH - Karen Spencer, 17, Miami Township, 29 Dec 1989

SheWhoMustNotBeNamed

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Missing Since: December 29, 1989 from Miami Township, Ohio
Classification: Endangered Missing
Date Of Birth: January 17, 1972
Age: 17 years old
Height and Weight: 5'1, 120 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian female. Blonde hair, hazel/green eyes.

Details of Disappearance

Karen and her then-sister-in-law, Christy Spencer, were driving along Interstate 275 in Miami Township, Ohio on December 29, 1989. Karen and Christy had an argument regarding plans for Karen to move to Florida with her brother and Christy at approximately 3:00 a.m. that morning. Karen got out of the vehicle near the Madiera - Loveland exit on Interstate 275 at that time and began walking north. Christy drove away; Karen has not been heard from again.

A woman driving the same night on Interstate 275 claimed that she offered a ride to a young woman fitting Karen's description sometime later in the early morning hours. According to the witness, the girl appeared to be cold and was walking along the road at a brisk pace and headed southbound. This would contradict Christy's statement, which said that Karen was walking in the opposite direction when she last saw her. The witness said that she pulled over to offer assistance to the girl. An unidentified young male in a red pickup truck with Kentucky license plates pulled in front of the girl on the shoulder of the road. The witness stated that the girl seemed to recognize the driver and smiled. The witness then drove away, assuming the girl received a ride from the male. It has not been established that the unidentified young woman was Karen. The woman did not come forward until 1990 when she saw Karen's photograph on television.

The Spencer family dealt with a hoax regarding Karen's fate in 2000. A male caller claimed that Karen was buried in Kentucky; however, the story ended up being proven false and the man was charged with interferring with a police investigation. He was fined $500 and given a sentence of 45 days in jail.

Karen has never been located. She is originally from Reading, Ohio and was a high school senior at the time of her disappearance. When she vanished she was carrying very little money; only $7 in cash and two paychecks totalling $23. Foul play is suspected in her disappearance. Investigators have a suspect in her case, but he has not been publicly identified. Her case remains unsolved.

Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Miami Township Police Department

513-732-2231
 
Police Hope To Make Arrest In Case Of Girl Missing Since 1989

It's been 20 years since a Reading High School senior disappeared, and police say they may finally have a suspect.

snip

The Clermont County Police say they've gone as far as they can with the case, and hope an arrest will come soon.

However, they're not yet giving a name.


http://www.wcpo.com/news/local/stor...t-In-Case-Of-Girl/V99ChY7Km0eDj5-MyuTvhQ.cspx


After 20 years, is arrest imminent?

"A suspect has been developed," said Detective Bill Paul, who began working the case in Clermont County's Miami Township shortly after the Reading High School senior went missing. She had argued with a relative, stepped out of a car and vanished into the fog along Interstate 275 around 3 a.m. Dec. 30, 1989 - 20 years ago today.

snip

Paul said the suspect was identified by reworking old leads, and charges could be imminent.

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20091229/NEWS01/912300325/After+20+years++is+arrest+imminent



Justice May Be Near For Woman Who Disappeared In 1989

http://www.local12.com/news/local/s...ho-Disappeared-In/f41FGAWJLEyWcBDmh8SEKQ.cspx
 
http://www.wcpo.com/news/local/stor...t-In-Case-Of-Girl/V99ChY7Km0eDj5-MyuTvhQ.cspx

30 Dec 09

It's been 20 years since a Reading High School senior disappeared, and police say they may finally have a suspect.

Karen Spencer was 17 when she vanished from the side of I-275 near Montgomery Road on December 30, 1989. Her disappearance followed an argument with a relative.

The Clermont County Police say they've gone as far as they can with the case, and hope an arrest will come soon.

However, they're not yet giving a name.
 
http://www.local12.com/news/local/s...ho-Disappeared-In/f41FGAWJLEyWcBDmh8SEKQ.cspx

28 Dec 09

Retiring detective Bill Paul believes he's talked to that person. Paul's interviewed hundreds of people. But the case keeps coming back to one man. The man admits he saw Karen as she walked along the highway and he knows a lot about the case.

"He knew things about case never revealed out of of this police station, the facts could only come from one source."

And the possibility for justice even after 20 years? "I think its going to happen in the near future."

much more at link
 
http://www.local12.com/news/local/s...y-of-Missing-Girl/Je0phUONWkSu7mUS6jel9w.cspx

Last Update: 1:13 pm
New Clues May Solve Case Of Missing Teen From 20 Years Ago

The disappearance of 17 year old Karen Spencer has led to 20 years of her parents' grief and investigators' frustration. That may soon end. A prosecutor is finding new meaning in old clues. Local 12's Deborah Dixon tells us a grand jury may sort out the evidence.

A red 1982 Dotsun B-310, red in color, is what a mustached young man said he was driving when he stopped on I-275 to see if two girls needed help. It was about three in the morning on December 30th, 1989.

Karen Spencer had just gotten out of her sister in law's car near the Loveland Maderia exit because the two were arguing. Karen walked south. Did she accept a ride with the stranger in the red car... a car that disappeared the next day? Her father, Richard Spencer, thinks so. "That might be her casket. We don't know."

Clermont County Prosecutor Daniel Breyer knows the stories the Dotson driver told over the years don't add up. Police stopped considering him a suspect when he passed a polygraph, or did he? Now, FBI profilers have taken another look. "Behavioral scientists now say he did not pass he was manipulating the test. If they had those tracings they would have said he failed."

A friend told police the suspect talked about the girl who went missing from I-275, hours before Karen Spencer was even reported missing. "We're curious what would make him think something happened to her."

And there's something else. Karen's sister in law said she blew off the Dotson driver's offer to help and she never saw him again. So why when questioned by police did he know the subject matter of the argument between Karen and her sister-in-law. Did Karen tell him? Diane Spencer is Karen's Stepmother: "She would not have been an easy victim. She would never have been submissive. She would have fought with everything she had."

Whatever happened that morning, the Karen Spencer case is a murder investigation which could end up going to a grand jury. So far this is a circumstantial case: evidence is presented then to a jury, which is asked to use its common sense. Here's how its explained. If you leave a cake on the table, and go to bed, come down the next day, a piece is missing and your daughter has chocolate on her face, it is circumstantial evidence she at the cake.

Like the Carrie Culberson case, evidence does not include a body. Prosecutors didn't need it to convict Carrie's killer of murder. Prosecutor Daniel Breyer doesn't think he needs a body either. "I don't believe I'll have trouble convincing a jury she's dead, the task here is to convince a jury who did it."

Who did it? After 20 years the family feels its closer than ever to finding out. "It's about time."
 
I must say the eye witness will play a huge roll i would think in this case....
 
Karen Spencer: Parents say 17-year-old who disappeared in 1989 is dead and they know who killed her
They need someone to come forward with evidence
http://www.wcpo.com/news/local-news...-in-1989-is-dead-and-they-know-who-killed-her
FLORENCE, Ky. - A family says they know who is responsible for their daughter’s disappearance 25 years ago, but they need your help to put him behind bars.
Karen Spencer was 17 when she vanished on a stretch of I-275 in Miami Township, Ohio, in 1989.
The Spencers say there are conflicting reports from police whether the man passed or failed a lie detector test. That suspect, who was never charged, was supposed to remain a secret.
<snip>
Richard: "But we do know."
The Spencers are pleading for the public to come forward with something solid that will bring closure to a mystery a quarter century old.
"Somebody out there knows something," Diane said.

video and more at link.
 
What happened to teen girl who vanished on I-275 in 1989?

http://www.wcpo.com/news/insider/i-team-unsolved-what-happened-to-teen-girl-who-vanished-on-i-275-in-1989

Karen Spencer disappeared two weeks before her 18th birthday in 1989. Her body was never found, but the lead detective on the case said he's interviewed Karen's killer multiple times.

And authorities know where he is.

So why hasn't he been charged? That's the question Karen's family has asked for 28 years.

"The former prosecutor told us they could get an indictment for the guy and probably a conviction, but they didn't want to press it (without more evidence) because there's no statute of limitations on murder," Karen's dad, Richard Spencer, said. "And now the years have gone by and it seems like nobody cares anymore.

"It feels just as fresh as in '89 when it happened."

Lt. Greg Jenkins is in charge of the investigations division in Clermont County. While the case is open, it has an inactive status, Jenkins said.

"We have a suspect. We had this suspect back then, but we need assistance to help break the case," Jenkins said. "We've asked the public to provide us with any tips in the case."

The suspect was interviewed multiple times, Jenkins said, but the evidence was never strong enough to ensure a conviction or confession. The suspect admitted to speaking to Karen, which would make him the last person to see her alive. However, he never said Karen got in his car -- the red sports car.

Paul and Jenkins wouldn't identify the suspect or give details they said could jeopardize the investigation. They did, however, tell the I-Team the suspect is a man who was in his early 20s at the time of the murder. In 1989, he was recently discharged from the military, Jenkins said.

The suspect isn't in jail and has a clean criminal record, Jenkins said.

Paul said he knows "without a doubt" who killed Karen.

"He knew information only the killer would know," he said. "There were certain points of the case that were never released, and he had knowledge of them."

Paul said he's sifted through every detail in the case of the past two decades. He showed interview tapes to the FBI. He said they all agreed he found Karen's killer.

"If you knew what I know, you'd have no doubt," Paul said.

Karen's family members said a prosecutor asked them at one point if they would accept a lesser charge against the suspect if he told police where Karen's body is. They replied "absolutely."

"I just want them to care enough about it to do something," Richard said. "We want closure."
 
Thank you to everyone who has posted here over the years. Karen is my aunt. Her parents also raised me. I wanted everyone to know that we have not given up hope of finding her but we also haven't had any new leads.

Thanks for joining to let us know. Praying your family gets answers and her remains are found so that family can have a proper place to visit her.

She'll be missing 30 years in December.
 
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
Karen Anne Spencer – The Charley Project

Karen Anne Spencer
  • karen_anne_spencer_1.jpg
  • karen_anne_spencer_2.jpg
  • karen_anne_spencer_3.jpg
  • karen_anne_spencer_4.jpg
  • karen_anne_spencer_5.jpg
Karen, circa 1989; Age-progression to age 41 (circa 2013)

  • Missing Since12/29/1989
  • Missing FromMiami Township, Ohio
  • ClassificationEndangered Missing
  • Date of Birth01/17/1972 (47)
  • Age17 years old
  • Height and Weight5'1, 120 pounds
  • Clothing/Jewelry DescriptionA black jacket, a lavender top and blue jeans.
  • Distinguishing CharacteristicsCaucasian female. Blonde hair, hazel/green eyes.
Details of Disappearance
Karen and her then-sister-in-law, Christy Spencer, were driving along Interstate 275 in Miami Township, Ohio on December 29, 1989. Karen was driving Christy's car, a black Buick Regal.

At approximately 3:00 a.m., the two women got into an argument regarding plans for Karen to move to Florida with her brother and Christy. Karen pulled over between the Montgomery Road and Ohio 28 exits and got out. According to Christy, Karen began walking north after she left her sister-in-law's vehicle. Christy drove away; Karen has not been heard from again.

A man driving a red 1982 Datsun B-310 stopped after Christy pulled over, and asked the two women if they needed help. Christy claims she told him to go away and never saw him again. However, when he was interviewed by police, the man knew what Karen and Christy had been arguing about before they stopped their car.

Authorities said the man gave inconsistent statements, but he passed a polygraph and was ruled out of the investigation. FBI behavioral scientists later reviewed the polygraph results and stated they believe the man was manipulating the test. A friend of the man claims he spoke about Karen's disappearance before she was reported missing.

A woman driving the same night on Interstate 275 claimed that she offered a ride to a young woman fitting Karen's description sometime later in the early morning hours. According to the witness, the girl appeared to be cold and was walking along the road at a brisk pace and headed southbound.

This would contradict Christy's statement, which said that Karen was walking in the opposite direction when she last saw her. The witness said that she pulled over to offer assistance to the girl. An unidentified young male in a red vehicle with Kentucky license plates pulled in front of the girl on the shoulder of the road. The girl seemed to recognize the driver and smiled.

The witness then drove away, assuming the girl received a ride from the male. It has not been established that the unidentified young woman was Karen. The woman did not come forward until 1990, when she saw Karen's photograph on television.

The Spencer family dealt with a hoax regarding Karen's fate in 2000. A male caller claimed that Karen was buried in Kentucky; however, the story ended up being proven false and the man was charged with interferring with a police investigation. He was fined $500 and given a sentence of 45 days in jail. He had a history of making prank calls to the surviving relatives of crime and accident victims.

Karen has never been located. She is originally from Reading, Ohio and was a high school senior at the time of her disappearance. When she vanished she was carrying only $7 in cash. She left two paychecks behind from her serving job at the Kings Mills Frisch's restaurant in Mason, Ohio.

Foul play is suspected in her disappearance. Investigators have a suspect in her case, but he has not been publicly identified. Her case remains unsolved.
 
I'm shocked at this case. How could her sister in law just leave her on the side of the road like that??

This really hits home. Reading, Ohio is only about 25 minutes from where I live. I hope Karen's family get answers one day.
 
I'm shocked at this case. How could her sister in law just leave her on the side of the road like that??

This really hits home. Reading, Ohio is only about 25 minutes from where I live. I hope Karen's family get answers one day.

You wouldn't believe how often it happens. Many years ago, some dude did it to my daughter, she didn't know where she was, thankfully she had a cell but the battery died as soon as she told me a road name. I lucked out with finding the road and her because we have a few roads that had the same name.
 
‘Been a nightmare:’ Karen Spencer’s disappearance haunts family members, investigators 31 years later
The Reading teenager is still missing after vanishing without a trace along I-275 in 1989

Cincinnati Crime Vault: The Disappearance of Karen Spencer
By Jessica Schmidt | January 18, 2021 at 9:33 PM EST - Updated January 18 at 11:01 PM

CLERMONT COUNTY, Ohio (FOX19) - For more than three decades, the disappearance of a Reading teenager has remained an unsolved mystery, but even as time ticks by, investigators and relatives are not giving up.

During the overnight hours on Dec. 29, 1989, and Dec. 30, 1989, Karen Spencer and her then sister-in-law, Christy, were in a vehicle together driving on I-275 in Clermont County.
Investigators say Karen had been staying at Christy’s apartment in Miami Township and that the pair had been arguing that day. At some point, they pulled onto the side of the interstate, and Karen got out of the car.

“Whether she was asked to get out of the car, whether she wanted out of the car, that’s debatable, but basically, she got out of the vehicle on 275 heading toward 71 between Wards Corner and Loveland Madeira, and [that’s the] last we’ve seen or heard of her,” Jim Campbell, one of Karen’s brothers, said.
Witnesses came forward, police said, claiming they had seen Karen walking along the highway overnight.

Family members, including Karen’s parents Richard and Diane, and her six siblings, searched far and wide for days but found nothing.

“We walked, the family did, and other people, walked both sides of the expressway, all the way from Milford to 71,” Richard said.

At the time, Karen was a high-school senior. Her relatives said she had a steady job and was looking forward to the future, as her 18th birthday was only weeks away. She had plans to move to Florida with a relative.

“Just energetic, just light-up-a-room, just a typical little sister,” Campbell said. “There was nobody like her. In my eyes, there was nobody like her.”

Karen’s loved ones say there has always been a small part of them clinging to the idea that Karen may still be alive. Age progression photos have been created over the years to paint a picture of what Karen may look like if she is out there somewhere.

However, investigators, like Miami Township Lt. Greg Jenkins, believe the facts point to something more sinister.
“There was no indication at that time that there was foul play involved, but now the length of time has went by, it’s obvious that she’s deceased,” Jenkins said. “We have conducted extensive checks with every person with that name across the United States and have not been able to find anybody that matches Karen.”

Jenkins says there have been several different suspects over the years. A man in a red vehicle claimed he had stopped and offered to help Karen when he saw her walking along the highway, but said had Karen turned him down. His story has been heavily scrutinized by the public and police alike.
“That subject has been interviewed extensively. There are discrepancies in both sides of the story, but at this point, there’s been no evidence that would indicate that he’s responsible for Karen’s disappearance,” Jenkins said.
Prison inmates, police say, have taken responsibility for killing Karen, but all of them turned out to be false confessions.
Although detectives have Karen’s DNA, they admit that it is difficult to narrow down details of her disappearance without more physical evidence.

“Through the years, we found that there were a lot of serial killers that were perusing the interstates in the southern parts of Ohio at that time,” Jenkins said. “So, it could have been anything. It could have been anybody.”

In 2000, investigators got what initially felt like a big break in the case. A man called the wrong number and left a voicemail that was intended for Karen’s family.

The message said: “I’m assuming this is the parents of Karen Spencer, that girl that disappeared back in 1990. I know something about this, and I’d like to talk with you all about this. Her body can be located near Renfro Valley, Kentucky.”
Sadly, the tip was another fake, and the caller was arrested.

Over the years, police have looked for Karen in many areas, including Lake Isabella. Now, even though the case is considered active, detectives said they are searching for something new.

“We just really need that one break. We need something. We need it more not because we’re looking to prosecute somebody, but because that family needs closure,” Jenkins said. “The Spencers need to know what happened to Karen.”
More than three decades of waiting and wondering has taken a toll on Karen’s relatives.

“Make no mistake – there’s a person out there walking around who killed our sister 31 years ago,” Campbell said. “They say time heals all wounds, and I guess to a certain extent it does, but there’s always those reminders. I still live in Milford, and I come across that 275 bridge over in Loveland probably 300 times a year to and from work. You can’t help but think about her at that point.”

Somehow, Karen’s family members have found the strength to replace the hate in their hearts with understanding. Campbell says it is because of their faith and because of their never-ending love for Karen.

“At this point in my life, you know, all I want to do is get closure, and I can forgive them. I don’t even have to think hard about that. Now at one time, I couldn’t have done that. I could do that now,” Richard said.

Karen’s relatives say they have parted ways with Christy, Karen’s sister-in-law at the time of her disappearance. They explain tensions were high after Karen’s disappeared since Christy is believed to be one of the last people who saw Karen alive.

FOX19 NOW reached out to Christy to try to talk with her about what she remembers, but she has not agreed to an interview or shared any information so far.

Anyone with information on Karen’s case is urged to call Miami Township Police at 513-248-3721 or anonymously call Crime Stoppers at 513-352-3040.
 
Catch My Killer podcast just released an episode about Karen's disappearance.
Karen Spencer's story began on December 29, 1989. 17-year-old Karen and her sister-in-law Christy Spencer were driving along I-275 in Clermont County. Karen had been staying with her brother and sister-in-law in Miami Township. Christy and Karen got into an argument sometime around 3:00 a.m., Christy pulled over between the Montgomery Road and Ohio 28 exits. Karen then exited the vehicle. It is unknown whether Christy forced Karen to get out of her car or if Karen wanted to leave on her own.


According to Christy, Karen then began walking north. Christy then went back to pick Karen up. When she returned, Karen was gone. Witnesses reported seeing Karen walking along the highway. She was never seen alive again. Her family began searching for her. They found no trace of the missing high school student. Karen's family said she had a job and was looking forward to her high school graduation. This year marks the 33rd anniversary of Karen’s disappearance.


The only clue about Karen’s disappearance involved a man who pulled over after seeing Christy’s car along the highway. The man asked the women if they needed help. Christy told the man they were fine and for him to go away. The man then left. Law enforcement claimed that the man gave inconsistent answers and seemed suspicious. No further action was taken against him. However, a former detective on the case told Karen’s brother that the man went to the hospital hours later for a groin injury. His wife told law enforcement she didn’t give him the injury. According to Jim Campbell, this man is a person of interest and still lives in Ohio. He has also lawyered up and will not speak to the police.


Karen’s family remains frustrated after spending over three decades in search of information about her whereabouts. Law enforcement is unlikely to find out what happened to Karen without the public’s assistance. Jim Campbell, Karen’s brother, said at this point, he doesn’t even care about punishing whoever abducted his sister. He just wants her body returned to the family so they can give her a proper burial and say goodbye.


It’s been 33 years since this beautiful teenager was snatched away from her family in the early morning hours of Clermont County, Ohio. Jim Campbell and his family are pleading for your help. Imagine if Karen was your sister or family member. Wouldn’t you want to know what happened to her? If you have any information about this case, please call the Miami Township Police at 513-248-3721 or Crime Stoppers at 513-352-3040.


Note* Opening audio provided by WCPO 9 (https://www.wcpo.com)


Please also visit my website for more information about my true crime and paranormal newspaper columns at www.themarcabe.com. You can also help support my podcast by purchasing a cup of $5 coffee every month. To help support the podcast, please visit catchmykiller is Podcast created to help families get justice for murdered loved ones. If you would like to contact me about this podcast, please visit my websites www.catchmykiller.com or www.themarcabe.com where you can submit a case.
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This case has really confused me... how are there so many versions? her sister-in-law the man in the datsun the trucker the truck where she supposedly smiled first and then got in... the question that came to me is how does a sister-in-law literally dump you on a dark, poorly lit road alone with thousands of psychopathic serial killers on the loose to go 3 miles according to her and then come back and find nothing? I think the sister-in-law threw her out of the car as she owned it and she drove more than 3 miles by the time she realized the mistake it was already too late. .. pretty young girl lost just like that... I hope with all my heart that her death was not painful or violent...
rest in peace Karen
 

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