AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Department of Public Safety is seeking information regarding the 1981 murder of Karen Lynn Douglas, with a reward now increased to $6,000 for tips leading to an arrest. The reward is available if the tip is received before the next featured Texas Rangers cold case is announced.
On January 6, 1981, 22-year-old Karen Lynn Douglas was found stabbed to death in her Harris County residence after an apparent struggle, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. Her mother discovered the body when she arrived to pick up Douglas for a doctor’s visit. At the time of her death, Douglas was married, had a new baby, and was a full-time homemaker. Her husband was at work, and she was last seen alive two hours before her body was found.
In the months surrounding Douglas’ death, there were other unsolved home invasions in the area involving women attacked by a knife-wielding assailant believed to be a young, slender white male. It remains unclear if these crimes are connected to Douglas’ murder, stated the Texas Department of Public Safety.
The Governor’s Public Safety Office funds Texas Crime Stoppers, which offers cash rewards for information leading to arrests in Texas Rangers cold cases. The DPS website lists over 140 cases to encourage public interest in unsolved crimes.
To be eligible for rewards, tips must be submitted through one of three methods: calling the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-252-TIPS (8477) or the Crime Stoppers of Houston hotline at 713-222-TIPS (8477), submitting a web tip through the Texas Rangers’ Cold Case website, or calling the Missing Persons Hotline at 1-800-346-3243. All tips remain anonymous, and tipsters receive a tip number instead of using their name.
The Texas Ranger Unsolved Crimes Investigation Program, created to assist Texas law enforcement with unsolved homicides or violent serial crimes, features one case bi-monthly to generate new leads. Rewards for featured cases are increased to up to $6,000 if tips are submitted before the next case is highlighted. There is no statute of limitations for murder, allowing investigators to pursue these cases until resolved or no viable leads remain.