Karen Michalski, aged 29, was tragically killed on March 7, 1979, in Lakewood, Ohio. On the evening of her death, she had been dining at a restaurant in Rocky River before driving eastward along Clifton Boulevard towards Lakewood. Just before midnight, she turned onto Beach Avenue and then pulled into a driveway at the rear of 12203 Clifton. While still seated in her car, a 1975 Oldsmobile Cutlass, Karen was shot with a shotgun at close range by an unknown assailant who is believed to have been
standing next to the vehicle. A witness observed a station wagon parked behind Karen's car, which quickly left the scene after the shot was fired.
Karen's murder remains unsolved, and no clear motive has been identified. It is not known why she drove into Lakewood instead of heading towards her home in Lorain, Ohio, which was in the opposite direction. Law enforcement authorities investigated the case for several months, interviewing several persons of interest, but were unable to develop any solid suspects. The case eventually grew cold and remains open, with authorities still seeking information that might provide new leads.
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) and the Lakewood Police Department have kept Karen Michalski's case as part of their cold case investigations in hopes that someone might provide crucial information to help solve this tragic homicide and bring closure to Karen's loved ones.
