Ontario Provincial Police are offering a $50,000 reward for information that leads to a break in a 52-year-old cold case.
OPP issued the advisory Monday on the anniversary of 14-year-old Karen Caughlin’s death.
Karen was last seen alive in the early morning hours of March 16, 1974. Her body was discovered the following morning on Plowing Match Road, between Churchill Line and Lasalle Line in Lambton County.
Karen was out with friends on the evening of March 15; the teenager was at a friend’s house before heading to the now-demolished Rose Gardens roller skating rink for a night of socializing.
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When she was at the rink, she arranged to stay the night at another friend’s house that was near her own home. She was expected to arrive before 1 a.m.
Karen and her friends went home with another group of friends, and she was dropped off alone at 12:58 a.m. at the friend’s house.
She was seen by her friends walking to the house, but her friend inside the home told police Karen never arrived.
Her body was found around 9:50 a.m., 22 kilometres from where she was last seen alive. Karen’s purse was found several days later at the bottom of a ravine, about 1.4 kilometres from where her body was found.
In 2017, new information revealed that Karen’s injuries were consistent with being struck by a vehicle. Investigators believe her body was moved from the location where she was hit to where her body was discovered.
“Police want to hear from anyone who discussed attending or hosting a social gathering in Petrolia after going to the Rose Gardens roller skating rink the day before Karen was last seen alive,” the force said in a news release.
“The OPP also wants to hear from anyone with information about a motor vehicle collision in the Petrolia area, or damage sustained by a motor vehicle around that time.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact the OPP or Crime Stoppers.
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Ontario police hope for break in 52-year-old cold case, offer $50K reward
