In the early hours of September 18, 1983, the life of Karlena Jean Tolston, an 18-year-old Black female, was tragically cut short in Omaha, Nebraska. Also mourning was the loss of her unborn child, as she was seven months pregnant at the time of her death. Her body was discovered the next morning in a park located at 26th and Jefferson, an area also described as a vacant lot near the Highland Elementary School playground.
The scene told a brutal story of her final moments.
An autopsy revealed that Karlena had been shot twice in the head. The investigation showed further violence; she had been beaten in the head with fists or feet and had bite marks on her body. Evidence at the scene, including her underpants and slippers found near a pool of blood about 20 feet from her body, suggested she had been sexually assaulted. A trail of blood indicated that her attacker had dragged her body into a brushy area in an apparent attempt to conceal the crime.
In the immediate aftermath, the police investigation struggled to gain traction. Despite the violence of the attack, which included gunshots, authorities found no witnesses to the crime itself. They publicly stated their belief that someone must have heard the gunshots that night and appealed to the public for any information. Shortly after the murder, police announced that they had a suspect in mind, and it was later revealed that Karlena's own cousin, Courtney Starks, had been questioned extensively.
Starks was the last person known to have seen Karlena alive. He told investigators that they were walking home together when an acquaintance of Karlena's pulled up in a Corvette. According to Starks, she told him to go on home and that she would get a ride with this individual. While an arrest was reportedly made at some point in the investigation, charges were never filed. Courtney Starks has remained a suspect in the case, but a lack of sufficient evidence has prevented any arrests. The murder of Karlena Jean Tolston and her unborn child remains unsolved.
