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Missing Karen Beth Kamsch 
Karen, approximately 1976; Age at the time of disappearance: -progression to Age at the time of disappearance: 52 (approximately 2014) Date reported missing : 01/09/1976 Missing location (approx) : Pasadena, Maryland Missing classification : Endangered Missing Gender : Female Ethnicity : White DOB : 01/19/1962 (59) Age at the time of disappearance: 14 years old Height / Weight : 5'0, 110 pounds Distinguishing characteristics, birthmarks, tattoos : Caucasian female. Brown hair, brown eyes. Information on the case from local sources, may or may not be correct : Karen was last seen in Pasadena, Maryland sometime during the winter months of 1976. She was living with her grandmother, Olga Kamsch, in the 50 block of Wishing Rock Road at the time. She was a straight-A student at Brooklyn Park Senior School and had skipped the sixth grade. However, around the time of her disappearance she had been getting into trouble and had also run away from home several times. It is reported that she may have been abused, but the nature of the abuse and the identity of the abuser(s) have not been disclosed. She had moved in with her grandmother because she was having problems with her family. Olga told everyone that Karen ran away during the winter of 1976. She said she realized the child was missing when Karen did not arrive at school. She left behind all of her belongings, including her winter coat. Karen has never been heard from again and there has been no indication of her whereabouts since 1976. In 2007, Karen's younger brother contacted police to inquire as to the status of her case. Olga and Karen's father had said they reported Karen as a missing child in 1976, but investigators have found no record of the report. It is unclear whether the report was never made, or whether it was simply misplaced or destroyed in the intervening three decades. Olga died in 1999, and Karen's aunt and uncle now live in the house on Wishing Rock Road. A new missing persons report was officially filed for Karen on May 15, 2007, and police began interviewing her friends and surviving relatives. Authorities believe foul play may have been involved in Karen's disappearance, as they cannot find any records of her existence after 1976. Her case is being treated as a homicide. Investigators searched Olga and Karen's former home for evidence, and sucked five feet of debris out of a dried-up well behind the house. They stated they have a person of interest in Karen's disappearance and this individual is a close associate or relative of hers. The investigation is ongoing and Karen's disappearance remains unsolved. Other information and links : ncy Anne Arundel County Police Department 410-222-3415 September 2021 updates and sources The Baltimore Sun The Capital Gazette The Wilmington News-Journal The Washington Post WBAL TV The Doe Network A missing person is a person who has disappeared and whose status as alive or dead cannot be confirmed as their location and condition are not known. A person may go missing through a voluntary disappearance, or else due to an accident, crime, death in a location where they cannot be found (such as at sea), or many other reasons. In most parts of the world, a missing person will usually be found quickly. While criminal abductions are some of the most widely reported missing person cases, these account for only 2�5% of missing children in Europe. By contrast, some missing person cases remain unresolved for many years. Laws related to these cases are often complex since, in many jurisdictions, relatives and third parties may not deal with a person's assets until their death is considered proven by law and a formal death certificate issued. The situation, uncertainties, and lack of closure or a funeral resulting when a person goes missing may be extremely painful with long-lasting effects on family and friends. Several organizations seek to connect, share best practices, and disseminate information and imAge at the time of disappearance: s of missing children to improve the effectiveness of missing children investigations, including the International Commission on Missing Persons, the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC), as well as national organizations, including the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children in the US, Missing People in the UK, Child Focus in Belgium, and The Smile of the Child in Greece. October 12, 2004. April 24, 2014; Age at the time of disappearance: -progession added. |