Conn. Girl Was Raped, Killed on Way Home From School in 1986 — and Suspect Was Just Arrested
A Maine man has been arrested in the 1986 murder of an 11-year-old Connecticut girl he allegedly attacked as she walked home from school.
On June 12, Marc Karun, 53, was arrested outside his Stetson, Maine, home, the Norwalk Police Department announced during a press conference. He was extradited back to Connecticut and is charged with first-degree kidnapping and murder with special circumstances.
Karun, who is a registered sex offender in Maine, is accused of murdering 11-year-old Kathleen Flynn.
On Sept. 23, 1986, Kathleen disappeared while walking home from middle school. She had taken the route before so when she didn’t come home at her normal time, her mother became worried, searching the school and calling police.
Early the next morning, Kathleen’s body was found more than 100 feet from the path she walked home on. Dead leaves and a large rock had been placed on top of her in an attempt to hide her body, according to an arrest warrant obtained by Hartford Courant. She had been raped and strangled, and her wrists were bound.
Karun will not be charged with rape because the statute of limitations has expired.
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Karun was an early suspect in Kathleen’s case, investigators said during the press conference, because of his history kidnapping and sexually assaulting women: Over a two year period he was convicted of three sexual assaults, authorities wrote in the warrant, the Courant reports.
“Several of the [Karun’s] cases exhibit a similar geographical profile, modus operandi and rituals to the Kathleen Flynn homicide in some form,” Lt. Art Weisgerber, who has handled the case since 2002, wrote in the warrant.
Evidence allegedly tying Karun to the case include a hair fragment and his DNA from a fingernail scraping on Kathleen, which showed signs of struggle.
“Our hearts go out to the Flynn family,” Kulhawik said during the press conference, noting he was a young patrol officer at the time of Kathleen’s death. “We are extremely happy we are able to bring some sense of closure to them.”
Karun is being held on a $5 million bail. He is schedule to appear in court later this month. Attorney information was not available Wednesday.
