Karen Lynn Tompkins, an 11-year-old girl from Torrance, California, went missing on August 18, 1961. On that day, Karen and her younger brother were attending a summer arts and crafts class at Halldale Avenue Elementary School. Her brother left early to take their dog home, leaving Karen to finish the class alone. She was last seen walking home around 5:30 p.m., carrying two toy covered wagons she had made during class. Karen never made it home, and despite extensive searches, no trace of her has ever been found.
Initially, several suspects were arrested in connection with her disappearance, but all were cleared due to lack of evidence. Investigators later connected Karen’s case to serial killer Mack Ray Edwards, who confessed to killing multiple children in California between the 1950s and 1970s. Edwards, who was a heavy equipment operator, claimed to have buried some victims under highways he helped construct. Though he was convicted of three murders, including other children from the same area, Karen’s body was never found, and Edwards took his own life in prison in 1971 before confessing to additional crimes.
Karen's case, along with the abduction and murder of another local girl, Dorothy Gale Brown, remains unsolved. Authorities have continued to investigate possible links between these cases and other child disappearances, suspecting that Edwards was responsible for many more victims.
Last Seen: Aug 18, 1961
