We still need to find out in what condition Karen Caughlin’s clothes were found and whether the paint chips were on the back or the front of her bomber jacket.
We did find that there was blood and a tire impression on Karen’s coat. We do not know as of yet whether the collected DNA that later excluded a suspect came from the coat, Karen’s sweater, or elsewhere.
I have not been able to find out either whether the tire impression on Karen’s coat was examined then or, if the coat was properly preserved, will be examined with modern technology. Apparently, Karen’s father saw a tire impression on Karen’s back.
Karen body was covered until police arrived. Mr. Fred Bygrove found Karen’s body on Saturday March 16, 1974, around 950am. He immediately drove to a house to use the phone and call police. What was previously not known is that Mr. Bygrove covered Karen up with a blanket until authorities arrived.
Was that blanket collected as evidence and searched for any biological materials we could now try to test for DNA? What was found on the blanket and where is that blanket now? Mr. Kells was interviewed after police arrived but was never again re-interviewed before he passed away.
From the three boys who were with Karen Caughlin that night, one was excluded by DNA. However, it is not clear where the biological materials came from that were tested for DNA. This person passed away a few years ago.
Another disturbing piece of information came in by email: it looks like police canvassed Brock street but did not search the street for evidence. People recall being asked whether they had see anything but none recalled seeing police search the street.
Karen was not killed where she was found and this ties in with my concerns regarding searching Brock street. Not searching that street was a huge mistake.
Another huge mistake concerns the sweater found in Karen’s purse. It seems a photograph exists of this sweater but was never released to the public. It also seems that no information about that sweater was ever released such as materials, brand, colour, size, tags, general condition (brand new, gently used, old, patched, etc) or scent (whether it smelled like perfume, etc). Also, according to the family the sweater looked too big to belong to Karen Caughlin.
To be continued.