Arrest Made in 40-Year-Old Cold Case of Karen Stitt
Genetic genealogy helped find the suspect responsible for the brutal murder
On September 2, 1982, fifteen-year-old Karen Stitt took the bus from Palo Alto, California, to Sunnyvale to see her boyfriend. It was only days before the new school year was to start. Originally from Pittsburg, Pennslyvania, Karen was to start her full school year on the west coast.
Karen had already made a splash since arriving in California. She was a sweet girl with a magnetic aura that drew people in. She was friendly, had a big smile, and had a carefree attitude that seemed to help her fit in quickly.
When Karen arrived in Sunnyvale, she and her boyfriend spent much of the afternoon wandering around town. They played video games at 7-Eleven and just enjoyed the last few days of summer vacation.
Around midnight, Karen was escorted to the bus stop, but her boyfriend didn’t stay with her. He had to rush home as it was already quite late. Karen took this bus often and knew the schedule well. The number ‘22' bus back to Palo Alto would only be a few minutes, and she would return to her dad’s house in no time.
That bus came by the stop at the corner of El Camino Real and South Wolfe Road, and no one was there, so the bus didn’t…
