CT - Kathleen Flynn, 11, murdered, Ponus Ridge, 23 Sep 1986 *arrest in 2019*

[watcher9]

Another link.

Man arrested for 1986 cold case murder of 11-year-old girl

 

[Betty P]

Arrest made in Norwalk cold case murder of Kathleen Flynn, 11

More here.

He had quite a record, including an incident just before Kathleen's murder

Karun, who was raised in Norwalk and lived in the city until at least 2011, has a long rap sheet, including a number of sexual assault and kidnapping crimes, which stretches back before Kathleen’s murder.

His first arrest came five months before Kathleen’s murder, when he was charged with first-degree kidnapping and sexual assault with a deadly weapon, stemming from the rape of a Norwalk woman near the campus of Norwalk Community Technical College, which is now Norwalk Community College.

Assume he was on their list, but they couldn't link him to her murder back then. Unusual that he engaged in sexual assault of both adult women and young girls.

 

[Betty P]

Also checked is address in 1986, assuming it was where his parents lived, on Princes Pine Rd in Norwalk. He came from a fairly well to do family. He probably had great legal representation for his other crimes. He was living less than 2 miles from Kathleen's middle school. In the 1970's, he grew up on a street right next to the school.

Google Maps

From the looks of his previous addresses, when he wasn't in prison, he lived in some very nice neighborhoods, apartments and condos.

ETA: Someone should write a book about this guy. Wealthy family, privileged life, kidnapping and violent sex crimes began fairly early in life. After killing the young schoolgirl, he gets married to a woman much older. Marriage only lasts a couple of years. On to being a bachelor who apparently never had a serious career, education or job. Protected by parents who subsidized nice apartments, condos, houses, etc.

 

[Billie Dawn]

Someone posted on another board that bribes and deals may have helped Karun escape justice several times. His father was some bigwig at Caldor (a home grown company and a very successful local discount chain in the 80s), so it’s not beyond the realm of possibility that the town wanted to avoid a scandal. God help anyone who helped stymie that murder investigation, in or outside of the police department. Anyway, if Karun is able to hire a big shot defense attorney like Mickey Sherman, we will know he’s still being well-funded by his family.

 

[Lavender Moon]

The point is that he was (finally) sentenced to 10 years for sexual assault and out in society in less than 8. Would "good behavior" for a pedophile in prison be due to him having seen the light and mended his ways - or possibly be due to his lack of opportunity?

Probably due to lack of opportunity. MOO

 

[Betty P]

Someone posted on another board that bribes and deals may have helped Karun escape justice several times. His father was some bigwig at Caldor (a home grown company and a very successful local discount chain in the 80s), so it’s not beyond the realm of possibility that the town wanted to avoid a scandal. God help anyone who helped stymie that murder investigation, in or outside of the police department. Anyway, if Karun is able to hire a big shot defense attorney like Mickey Sherman, we will know he’s still being well-funded by his family.

In one of the older articles linked above, it seems like LE was trying pretty hard to make a case against him for Kathleen's murder. They worked on it for decades, trying to re-test evidence, etc. They kept track of him, knew where he was living.

Kathleen Flynn cold case homicide: Suspect tracked for decades

ETA: When I searched Newspapers.com for info on his previous arrest for abducting and raping the woman in Norwalk several months before, I could find no mention of it in the Hartford Courant or other local newspapers. It's possible his family helped keep it out of the news.

 

[hey-Debbie]

They made an arrest!!!

Maine man arrested in 1986 slaying of Connecticut girl walking home from school

 

[YESorNO]

They made an arrest!!!

Maine man arrested in 1986 slaying of Connecticut girl walking home from school

Arrest Made in 1986 Sex Assault, Murder of 11-Year-Old CT Girl | NBC New York

Jun 13, 2019

 

[YESorNO]

Bail kept at $5M for Kathleen Flynn’s accused killer

June 17, 2019

"NORWALK — Nearly 33 years after 11-year-old Kathleen Flynn was found slain in the woods behind Ponus Ridge Middle School, the man accused of the crime stood before a judge in downtown Norwalk.

Marc Karun, 53, stood with an emotionless stare as Judge Maureen Dennis upheld the $5 million bond at his arraignment Monday afternoon....

The case is set to be transferred to Stamford Superior Court. Karun’s next hearing is July 10....

The murder with special circumstances charge is an offense defined as a murder that occurred during the course of a kidnapping, sexual assault or other felony or involves the death of a child under the age of 16.

The penalty in Connecticut, if convicted, is a life sentence without the possibility of parole."

Bail kept at $5M for Kathleen Flynn’s accused killer

 

[PastTense]

"City and state officials will address the homicide of 11-year-old Kathleen Flynn Tuesday afternoon, the first time since an arrest was made in the 32-year-old cold case last week.

Norwalk Police Chief Tom Kulhawik, Mayor Harry Rilling, State’s Attorney Richard Colangelo and Norwalk police Lt. Art Weisgerber will address the arrest in a press conference at the Norwalk Police Department at 2 p.m. Tuesday, just a day after their primary suspect in the case — 53-year-old Marc Karun — was arraigned at Norwalk Superior Court."
Norwalk authorities to discuss Kathleen Flynn’s cold case homicide

 

[PastTense]

Norwalk officials praise police work in 32-year search for Kathleen Flynn’s killer
Norwalk officials praise police work in 32-year search for Kathleen Flynn’s killer

 

[Richard]

Now they need to check and see how many other victims there are.

 

[Betty P]

This case makes me think of Amy Mihaljevic. Horrible murder and rape of a child and the killer could have been hiding in plain sight right in the middle of the nice community. People want to think its some crazed monster who passed through their town to harm their kids, when sometimes it's the neighbor down the street or the schoolteacher from the school in the next suburb down the road, etc.

With the use of new DNA technology, I really hope Amy's killer is identified this year.

 

[dixiegirl1035]

The legal system back in 1986 did not give severe penalties at all to kidnapping and rape. It is better known now that the recidivism rate is low for pedophiles and those types of offenders. And the length of incarceration is longer than it was then, but still possibly not long enough! I just can't fathom that for his 1986 charge, he only got 6 months for a kidnapping and rape charge with a deadly weapon and was out even before that time to do this killing.

Arrest made in Norwalk cold case slaying of Kathleen Flynn, 11

"His first arrest came five months before Kathleen’s murder, when he was charged with first-degree kidnapping and sexual assault with a deadly weapon, stemming from the rape of a Norwalk woman near the campus of Norwalk Community Technical College, which is now Norwalk Community College. Karun received six months in prison for the 1986 crime ( e.d. for a kidnapping and rape charge with a deadly weapon!)

Less than two years later, though, Karun was behind bars again for more sexual assault and kidnapping-related charges. He was eventually sentenced to 10 years in prison and was entered into the sex offender’s registry for life.

 

[Betty P]

The legal system back in 1986 did not give severe penalties at all to kidnapping and rape. It is better known now that the recidivism rate is low for pedophiles and those types of offenders. And the length of incarceration is longer than it was then, but still possibly not long enough! I just can't fathom that for his 1986 charge, he only got 6 months for a kidnapping and rape charge with a deadly weapon and was out even before that time to do this killing.

Arrest made in Norwalk cold case slaying of Kathleen Flynn, 11

"His first arrest came five months before Kathleen’s murder, when he was charged with first-degree kidnapping and sexual assault with a deadly weapon, stemming from the rape of a Norwalk woman near the campus of Norwalk Community Technical College, which is now Norwalk Community College. Karun received six months in prison for the 1986 crime ( e.d. for a kidnapping and rape charge with a deadly weapon!)

Less than two years later, though, Karun was behind bars again for more sexual assault and kidnapping-related charges. He was eventually sentenced to 10 years in prison and was entered into the sex offender’s registry for life.

Yes, it seems like the second time he was caught they really tried to keep him in jail for a while. It must have been around that time they moved him up on the list of suspects in Kathleen's murder. They put him permanently in the sex offender registry. JMO, had they not kept track of him, he might still might have been active. It's possible he has other offenses since getting out of jail, it will be interesting to know.

 

[JaneEyre]

The legal system back in 1986 did not give severe penalties at all to kidnapping and rape. It is better known now that the recidivism rate is low for pedophiles and those types of offenders. And the length of incarceration is longer than it was then, but still possibly not long enough! I just can't fathom that for his 1986 charge, he only got 6 months for a kidnapping and rape charge with a deadly weapon and was out even before that time to do this killing.

Arrest made in Norwalk cold case slaying of Kathleen Flynn, 11

"His first arrest came five months before Kathleen’s murder, when he was charged with first-degree kidnapping and sexual assault with a deadly weapon, stemming from the rape of a Norwalk woman near the campus of Norwalk Community Technical College, which is now Norwalk Community College. Karun received six months in prison for the 1986 crime ( e.d. for a kidnapping and rape charge with a deadly weapon!)

Less than two years later, though, Karun was behind bars again for more sexual assault and kidnapping-related charges. He was eventually sentenced to 10 years in prison and was entered into the sex offender’s registry for life.

Did you mean the recidivism rate is high for pedophiles?

 

[dixiegirl1035]

Did you mean the recidivism rate is high for pedophiles?

OMG, yes! Glad you knew what I meant and corrected my mistake.

Any repeat is high in my opinion.

 

[YESorNO]

Untold Story Of How Police Caught Kathleen Flynn's Accused Killer
Here's how one key piece of evidence led to the arrest of the 11-year-old girl's accused murderer 33 years later.

Jun 22, 2019

"NORWALK, CT — In the end, after more than 30 years, it came down to a small amount of scrapings under a fingernail. Marc Karun, the former Norwalk man who police say sexually assaulted and strangled 11-year-old Kathleen Flynn to death in 1986, gave police hair and DNA samples two years after the crime. But it took years and advances in forensics testing for his DNA to finally be linked to Flynn's murder, and for Karun to be arrested more than 30 years after the crime....

Marc Karun remains in police custody on a $5 million bond. His next scheduled court appearance is July 10 in Stamford Superior Court."

Untold Story Of How Police Caught Kathleen Flynn's Accused Killer

 

[Jen3135]

The point is that he was (finally) sentenced to 10 years for sexual assault and out in society in less than 8. Would "good behavior" for a pedophile in prison be due to him having seen the light and mended his ways - or possibly be due to his lack of opportunity?

This actually was living across the street from me about 5-6 years ago for a brief time. (Shelton) A recent divorcee lived in the family home with her 2 young children and brought this guy in to live with her a few months after her divorce. We live in a nice suburban neighborhood and we all had young children. I found out he was a sex offender for rape/kidnapping and was horrified and livid he was free to possibly strike again. A local police seargent I knew alerted me there was a previous kidnapping/rape that he was never prosecuted for. I knew then we were dealing with a serial rapist at minimum. He tried to be social and my husband told him in no uncertain terms to stay the F away from our house and not to ever go anywhere near our house or family ever. He stayed away from us after that but I never let my guard down. The couple broke up after a few months and the woman moved away. I could not believe she brought that guy in her home with her young children. I wanted to throw up when I saw his face in the news and read about what he did to this poor little girl. It's truly a shame CT does not have the death penalty anymore. Dulos deserves it too.

 

[Richard]

This guy (Marc Karun) was caught, tried, convicted, and imprisoned at least twice before being turned loose on society to continue with his ways. How many other victims were there in total? Only one more would be too many.

Capital punishment DOES work. Have you ever heard of an executed criminal committing any more crimes?

But if Connecticut (and other states) has no capital punishment, perhaps they should invest in more institutions for the criminally insane, and adjust their laws to allow for proper mental health treatment, or for classification and permanent incarceration of certain criminals.